Overview

The vast majority of papers presented at the World Congress will be presented in poster format. A key function of poster sessions is to allow a researcher to discuss their research with interested persons for an extended period and in more depth than is possible in a ten-minute paper presentation. It also allows attendees to select the papers they are most interested in and concentrate on them. A successful poster requires care and planning. An extra hour spent preparing your materials and organizing your display will contribute heavily towards making a success of the session.

 

Setting and Materials

Each poster will be presented along with other posters dealing with similar problems or issues. All posters will be presented in one location in the Congress Centre – please check the programme for details. Each poster will be allocated a poster board, measuring approximately 1 m wide x 2 – 2.5 m tall, and it is on this board that the poster materials will be displayed. To ensure that your poster fits and makes optimal use of the available space, it must therefore be portrait format, size A0, that is, 841mm (width) x 1189mm (height).

Posters can be fixed to the poster boards only via pins, and no other fixing materials. Pins will be provided at the poster venue. No electrical outlets or audio-visual equipment will be provided in the poster area, even if you requested it in your submission; you must be prepared to deliver your presentation based solely on the materials that can be directly affixed to the poster board via the adhesive strips.

 

Setting Up and Taking Down

Each poster board will carry a number in the upper corner corresponding to the poster’s listed number found in the programme booklet (ask a Scientific Programme Assistant for help at your poster session if unsure) Poster presenters should arrive at the poster display area at least 15 minutes before the scheduled beginning of their poster session to set up their display materials. At the end of the session, display materials and all other materials must be taken down immediately and removed from the poster exhibition area within 15 minutes. If they are still on your board after this time, we reserve the right to remove and dispose of the poster. No responsibility can be taken for any loss or damage to your poster.  Putting up your poster is taken as acceptance of these conditions.

 

Display Materials

It is essential that your display materials be both clear and visible. Most people will be viewing your poster from a distance. It should be easy to identify the poster and the presenter(s) by including a complete title on the poster. This is desirable for two reasons. First, many posters will be going on simultaneously in the display area. Persons interested in a particular paper may have difficulty locating the poster, perhaps missing it completely, if it is not clearly identified. Second, many people will be wandering through the display area out of general interest and curiosity. Your paper may well be of considerable interest to them (and their comments of interest to you). Clear title/presenter headings will greatly increase the likelihood that such contacts will be made.

As a general rule, it is recommended that the title be in 3 cm print or larger. The authors and the affiliations can be done in 1.5 cm print. It is not a good idea to include any display materials done in regular size type e.g. 12 point. Instead, you may wish to include an abstract typed in a large, clear type and several large, clearly labelled graphs and other visual aids. Figures that take up a regular page are probably adequately large, but even larger materials would be desirable. If tables are included, they should probably be larger than a standard sheet of paper (A4/B4). Pictures, diagrams, and other materials of adequate size are often helpful. A useful rule here is that your material should be easily read from a distance of 1 to 2 meters. The poster should be as neat and visually pleasing as possible. The creative use of colours in lettering background and figures can add considerably to poster appeal.

All materials you wish to display should be related to your presentation and the materials described in the abstract you submitted to the Convention Program Committee. A poster session is not an appropriate place to identify items that are for sale (such as special equipment or programming materials). If you wish to advertise materials that can be purchased, please write to Rod Holland, Congress Organizer ([email protected]) regarding the rental of exhibition space at the Congress or advertising possibilities.

 

Poster Content

Giving a poster is not just a matter of preparing visually attractive materials. The format also requires a different approach to the presentations of research.  The basic rule is to provide a short, clear, non-technical description of what you did, why you did it, and what you found. Generally, you should not go into detail regarding subjects, apparatus, or details of procedure.  Attendees will assume that these details were completely handled— those who need to know can request a full copy of the paper. For example, you should keep references and reviews of the literature to a minimum. The format requires you to be bold in your style and to condense complicated descriptions into a few short sentences. Above all, a poster is not just a regular paper in large type stuck on a board. It is a discussion-oriented format. The poster should communicate the issue and conclusion. The discussion in person with Congress delegates should fill in the details.

 

The Presentation

Your materials should be on display and you (and your co-authors if appropriate) should be available to discuss the materials and answer questions. At least one author should be present at the board at all times. Co-authors not listed in the abstract book for space reasons can be acknowledged as an authoron the poster. Many presenters wish to provide handouts about their project. These may include an A4/B4-size printed copy of the poster, an abstract of the paper or perhaps a copy of the complete paper itself. Another option would be to provide an electronic copy of the poster or associated materials online (e.g. on your personal webpage or a repository such as the Open Science Framework https://osf.io/) and provide a web address or QR code (see https://www.qr-code-generator.com/) on the poster. Alternatively, you could provide a “reprint request” sheet via which attendees could sign up to be emailed an electronic copy of your paper after the Congress.