INSTRUCTIONS FOR POSTER
8 GuidancePosterAssignmentProposalEDR601
ORGANIZATION
- Organize sections so that they flow logically from top to bottom and left to right in approximately the following order. It is OK to deviate slightly from this list, but stay as close as you can to this organization.
- Abstract
- Problem Statement
- Literature Review
- Hypotheses
- Methodology
- Participants
- Instrumentation
- Procedure
- Data Analysis
- Anticipated Results
- Implications
- Use subheadings to help your reader see your organization. You may bold subheadings if you wish, but be consistent in your strategy.
FONT
- The font in all of the text sections should be the same type (e.g., Times New Roman or Arial).
- The font in all of the text sections should be the same size. Ideally, you want approximately 30 point if you are using Times New Roman. If you are using a font type that is larger (e.g., Ariel), you can use a smaller font size.
- Font for references can be smaller, but should be no smaller than 18-20.
FORMAT/APA FORMAT
- There should be a one-to-one correspondence between your citations and your references. That is:
- The reference list on your poster should include only sources that you have cited in the poster.
- Every citation in the poster should be included in the reference list.
- References should be APA format except, in the interests of saving space, you can omit “Retrieved from” information that you might need to include later in your paper.
- References should be hanging indent.
- Make sure to include appropriate italics in your references.
- Do not use quotation marks around the title of your poster.
SPACING/USE OF WHITE SPACE
- Single space references.
- Use single line spacing within paragraphs in all narrative sections.
- Use white space to its best advantage for both esthetic purposes (how it looks) and clarity.
- Make your margins the same size on the left and the right of the poster.
- Align the sections of your narrative to ensure that the white space between columns is the same width at all places.
- Double space between paragraphs within narrative sections.
ALIGNMENT
- Align header boxes in the same column so that they are the same width and aligned with each other.
- Align text boxes with header boxes in each column so that your text is even with your headers.
- It is OK to have your headers at different heights in relation to the bottom of the poster. However, if you have headers that are close to being on the same line across different columns, do your best to align them.
- In general, keep the width of all of your columns the same across sections within a column. It is OK to make columns in different sections different widths, but be careful to avoid a “patchwork quilt” look with various different sizes and alignments of text boxes and header boxes.
- Make sure that the left and right margins of your poster are the same.
- Make good use of your white space by managing margins around the poster, margins around the sections, margins around subsections, and even margins around paragraphs.
WRITING
- Strive to write concisely. This is always valuable, but is especially important for posters where the goal is to convey as much information as you can with as few words as possible. No one is going to read all the words on your poster. Make it easy for them to grab the important information. Don’t add a lot of words. Add ideas.
- Use bullets where it is appropriate to do so.
- Bullets facilitate efforts to be concise because bulleted information does not have to be in complete sentences.
- Use the automated bullet function so that the bullets and the text align in a hanging indent format.
- The text that follows each bullet must begin with a capital letter.
- Avoid too much running narrative for a poster presentation. Ideally, for a poster you want to bullet the information (above). If you don’t use bullets, at least you should use small paragraphs with a blank line between the paragraphs. You want to make good use of white space.
- Be conscientious about the spacing and alignment of your title. Insert a soft return (shift enter) to get your title to break so that the first and second lines (and third, if relevant) are balanced.
- As is true for any writing you do for me: Do not use quotes. You are not facilitating the development of your own writing skills if you are cutting and pasting someone else’s words instead of your own.
- As in any science writing, try to avoid referring to yourself in the third person (e.g., “the researcher”).
- State your hypothesis directly as a prediction. “Student achievement will improve due to participation in the intervention.”
FINAL THOUGTHS
- In relatively smaller font at the bottom of the poster, for your own records, include your name, date, and the presentation venue at the bottom of the poster in a place where it doesn’t interfere with your content. Use the textbox that is already there for that purpose.
- Do not put a colon at the end of subheadings (e.g., Participants: …).
- Include my name either as your co-author or in an acknowledgement. Not both.
- You MAY include your cooperating teacher’s name in your acknowledgements if you wish.
- Do not include the name of your internship site or any other identifying information. Remember, our job is to protect their privacy.
