Congratulations on having your research accepted for a poster presentation at the GSFL Roundtable. This page is designed to give you answers to some of the questions that we most often receive. If you have a question that is not included in this list, please do not hesitate to contact us at <mavi.yaz@web.de>
The Poster
Creation
There are three basic options that people use to print their posters: 1) a local copy/printing shop; 2.) university printing services; and 3.) private online businesses. Whichever option you select, be sure to check not only the prices, but also the turn-around time. While some facilities can print a poster while you wait, others may require a much longer production and delivery time. Do some early comparison shopping and pick the solution that is best for you.
Design
Content
It is imperative that the posters are easily understandable to conference participants. This means that special care must be taken to not only select a font size and form that is easy to read. It also means that strategic decisions must be made concerning what information to present visually and/or orally. One of the biggest mistakes that posters presenters make is trying to cram in too much information. Posters that are overcrowded with words often frustrate conference participants in that they require too much time to read. For that reason, instead of long complex sentences, use keywords and phrases as bullet points whenever possible.
Layout
The top of your poster should feature the title of your work as listed in the programme. Directly underneath list the names and affiliations of the researchers who conducted the investigation. You may also choose to include official academic logos of the institutions where the research was conducted. The rest of the poster is largely up to you. Select the design that most clearly represents your study. One good rule of thumb, however, is to make sure that the poster presents all of the standard elements of a research article: the research question(s), study design, methods and procedures, and overall findings.
Posters will be on display during the entire roundtable. People viewing your work should be able to easily identify the subject of your research, the method you used, the results you obtained, and the conclusions you have drawn. It is also useful to list a few key references that are important to your work. Resist the temptation of using too many references. Ultimately, the poster is there to showcase YOUR research. At the end of the conference, we will be contacting all presenters for a list of references. This list will then be distributed to all conference-goers.
Graphic Elements
Posters are an excellent means for displaying graphic elements such as tables, charts, graphs, and photographs. However, to be truly effective, it is important that these elements are both easy to understand and read. Be sure, therefore, to clearly and logically label each of your graphic elements. Make sure that the size of the lettering and the numbers are easy to decipher. The main point of each graphic element should be immediately discernible to people viewing your poster and listening to your presentation. One major tip: Be aware of where you are standing and what your listeners can see. There is nothing more irritating than a presenter who stands square in the middle of a poster, blocking the view of everything the audience is being directed to examine.
The Presentation
Displaying the Poster
Each presenter will be allocated a spot to hang up his/her work. When you arrive at the conference and check-in, please let the GFSL representative at the check-in desk know that you are a poster presenter. A representative will then take you to the area of the conference where the presentations will take place and will help you hang up your poster in the designated area.
Presenting your Poster
During specially designated sessions, poster presenters will be asked to stand beside their posters and give presentations to interested audience members. While some interactions with audience members will last only 10 minutes or so, other presentations may last much longer. Be flexible. Based on past experience, the poster sessions are HIGHLY interactive. Conference-goers tend to ask a lot of key questions about your study as well as about you as a researcher. Your poster should therefore be seen as an introduction to a stimulating conversation amongst colleagues. That having been said, keep in mind that the audience members represent many different sub-fields and disciplines. Be ready to either simplify or go into greater depth, depending on your audience members’ needs, interests, and experience.
The poster is there to present information that you would be unable to effectively present orally (e.g. tables, charts, and graphs). Think of the poster then as an augmentation of your actual presentation. At the same time, like any good report, it should present the overall components of your research (i.e. research question, study design, methods and procedures, overall findings) clearly and effectively on its own.
Give your audience members time to digest the content of your presentation and formulate questions. Remember that the Roundtable is a multilingual bunch. It may take a bit more time for an audience member who has a different native language than you to formulate his/her question. Don’t be intimidated by the silence and don’t feel the need to fill it with more talk. Give your listeners time to think and respond. Remember the posters are to be an interactive experience. Towards that end, resist the urge to read directly from your presentation. Also don’t stick to a script. The beauty of a poster presentation is that it is a truly organic experience. You may find with one group of listeners, their primary interest is in your methodology. Another set of listeners may want to know everything about your findings. And still another may want to have a discussion with you about the implications of your work. Be flexible. And ENJOY the experience.
Preparing Handouts
As the GSFL is striving to become a green conference, we kindly ask that poster presenters do not create handouts. After the Roundtable, all conference presenters will be contacted and asked if they would like to provide supplementary information for their colleagues. This information will then be distributed to all conference-goers electronically.
Final Tips
1.) Don’t be afraid to ask visitors if there is something they did not understand or if they would like you to go into more detail.
2.) Make sure that everyone has a good view of your poster. One of the biggest mistakes that people make is standing directly in front of their poster and blocking people’s view.
3.) Do not be mechanical. INTERACT with your audience. Invite and pose questions. Some of the most lively discussions that take place during the Roundtable are during the poster presentations.
4.) Give people enough quiet time to read through the material on your poster.
5.) Do not be afraid of silent spaces. Remember that although you have gone through this material several times, this will be the first time for your audience. Also, be sensitive to the fact that your area may be different and relatively unfamiliar to a certain portion of your audience. So, give everyone plenty of time to digest what you have said and formulate questions and/or responses.
6.) Although most of our attendees are multilingual, you may not be giving your presentation in a language that is the native or first language of your audience members. Be sensitive to that fact. If you are a native-speaker of your presentation language, please speak a bit more slowly and clearly than normal. Your audience will appreciate it!
7.) Avoid getting drawn into intense conversations with a single audience member and ignoring the other listeners who might also be interested in learning about your work. If you find that one person in particular would like to discuss your work in greater detail, suggest that the two of you talk later on during one of the breaks, lunches, or dinner.
8.) If you notice someone hovering near your poster, don’t be shy. Introduce yourself and ask if he/she would like to hear about your work.
9.) Make eye contact with your audience-members. If someone comes in the middle of your presentation, be sure to welcome him/her into the discussion. You might even want to take a few seconds to catch that person up on points he/she may have missed.
10.) At the end of your presentation and/or interactions, be sure to thank audience members for listening.