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Student Research Poster Presentations

Guidelines, tips, templates and more about how to create an academic research poster

Application Processes

Most reputable, scholarly conferences and research-spotlight events take the poster session as seriously as all the other sessions they offer.  This means that you should expect to have to apply for a poster session and that your submission may not be accepted if it doesn't meet the event's academic standards.

! Be leery of participating in any event that takes every submission without any sort of academic review - this could indicate that it is a Predatory Conference.

 

To increase your chance of success make sure to:

 

  • read the poster session guidelines, judging criteria, and/or FAQs very carefully and make sure your submission is a good fit for the event, e.g., topic, methods employed match the event's parameters/themes

     
  • ensure that your application contains all required elements, and follows any formatting guidelines to the letter, such as word limits, font size, type face, line spacing, etc.

     
  • devote a significant amount of time writing and proof-reading your abstract. 
     
    • Consider asking a friend, mentor or course instructor to review and provide feedback on it.

 

Writing a poster abstract

An abstract is a summary of the key findings from your research. It provides readers with an idea of what the study is about, enabling efficient decision-making about whether to continue reading, whether the study is relevant to their own research, etc. Writing an abstract will help you better understand your own research, as it forces you to simplify your ideas and prioritize the most important information. An abstract should cover every section of the research project.

 

Typical elements of an abstract include:

 

  • Title
     
  • Purpose of the project
     
  • Research methodologies employed
     
  • Research results
     
  • Conclusions drawn from the project
     

 

Take time to familiarize yourself with the typical abstract writing style for your discipline, e.g., look for a few related articles from your field of research and read the abstracts.  Ask yourself:

 

  • do they typically include the same elements as those listed above or some other types of information? 
     
    • In case of divergence - it's always best to follow the norms in your own discipline.

       
  • do I understand the purpose of each element, and do I have a clear idea of how to tackle each for my own abstract? 
     
    • If not, check out one of the guides below for more detailed information and advice - these have been chosen to represent a wide array of disciplines.

Guides

Abstract Writing Guides

 

Guide to Writing a Poster Abstract - (U.S.) National Council of University Research Administrators (General/cross-disciplinary advice)

 

Writing Advice: The Abstract - U of Toronto general guide to writing abstracts.

 

Characteristics of an Abstract - Scientific Posters:  A Learner's Guide - Ohio State

 

Tips for Writing Conference Paper Abstracts - NC State University: Department of History

 

Tips for Writing a Successful Abstract for a Presentation - Ontario Society of Occupational Therapists [PDF download]



Guide to Writing a Poster Abstract - National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA)

 

How to Write an Abstract - UC Davis Health Center for Nursing Science [PDF download]

 

Five Steps to a Brilliant Abstract - Arts & Humanities Division, Council of Undergraduate Research.