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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

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)

 

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]


Abstracts for Conference Presentations Proposals - George Mason University: College of Humanities and Social Sciences

 

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.