Abstract & Poster Production Workshops
To help you prepare for this year's CCAS Research Showcase, we offered a workshop on abstract and posters preparation across all disciplines on February 16th and a hands-on Poster workshop on March 22nd. The resources from those workshops can be found here:
- February 16th Abstract and Poster Preparation Workshop Video
- March 22nd Hands-on Poster Workshop Introductory Slides
- March 22nd Hands-on Poster Workshop Social Science Notes
- March 22nd Hands-on Poster Workshop Humanities Notes
Guidelines on Poster Size
Each poster will be allocated half of an eight-feet-wide by four-feet-high poster board. Posters should fit in 48" by 48" wide space and so no poster dimension should exceed 48".
Poster Printing
Poster printing is the responsibility of the poster presenter. Presenters should speak with their research advisors for guidance on how poster printing should be arranged and financed. Posters may be printed without charge using the large format printing capabilities in the Create Digital Studio in the GW Libraries. Presenters should check with the library staff how far in advance they will need to submit their poster for printing to be ready for the CCAS Research Showcase, bearing in mind that the higher volume of requests may slow poster production.
Poster Design Resources
- GW Poster Templates: 3' by 4', 4' by 4'
- GW Visual Identity Guidelines
- Free Poster Templates
- Scientific Poster Templates
Tricks & Tips for Poster Design
When designing your poster, think about who you are communicating with (your audience), what you want to communicate (your purpose) and how that can best be achieved in the medium of a poster (the genre).
Audience: The CCAS Research Showcase will be visited by many people from across CCAS at all levels, and from many and varied backgrounds. You should address your poster to an educated layperson. Avoid the use of acronyms and jargon. Put the scholarly work you are describing in a broader context that helps a non-specialist audience to understand its importance.
Purpose: It is not possible within the confines of a single poster and a few minutes of conversation to convey every nuance of your research and methodology. Decide on a core message or story for your poster and build towards those key points in all of the details you include on your poster.
Genre: Your poster should be visually attractive and interesting. Visitors to your poster need to be able to digest the information it contains in a short period of time. Making use of pictures, diagrams, flow charts etc. with limited text in the form of bullet points will make the information easier to digest. Structuring the poster such that the sections are clear and the flow is intuitive will help attract and educate your viewers. It can be helpful to print out your poster on a letter piece of paper for proofing. This allows you to check that, from a distance, your poster is well-structured and attractive and that the text is of an appropriate size.
Additionally, GW's Himmelfarb Library has a wealth of tips, tricks and training to which you can refer.
Finally, please ensure that your name is prominently included on your poster in order that people visiting your poster and filling out the feedback form can direct their review to the appropriate presenter and poster.
Tips for Poster Presentation
When you are at the Research Showcase, you need to engage your audience and discuss your poster with visitors, professors, staff and other students. Here are some tips for presenting your poster:
- Advice on how to interact with your audience at the poster session
- More tips on how to prepare for your session
- Guidelines on what is expected in a poster session
