Prepare an "elevator pitch" of your poster: less than five sentences, it should address 1) Your research topic, 2) Your findings, and 3) Their significance
Prepare "tours" of your poster of varying lengths (e.g. 1 minute, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, etc.) that are appropriate for audiences of different levels of interest and/or familiarity with the topic
Be able to describe the purpose of any figures on your poster in order to provide context to any viewers
Print off any handouts or supplemental material you want to have with you at the presentation
On the Day of Your Presentation
Dress "professionally;" if you're not sure what the standards might be at the conference, ask a colleague, a mentor, or someone on the conference planning committee
Arrive as early as you're able so you have time to set up
During Your Presentation
Stand next to your poster and greet viewers as they walk by
Be ready with your elevator pitch and your tours if someone asks for more information
When describing your research, point to relevant sections of the poster to help guide the viewer's understanding
Face the viewer(s) you're speaking to and avoid reading off of notes as much as possible
Key Takeaways
Don't read your poster - it's a visual aid, not a script
Prepare a few "tours" of your poster of varying lengths (e.g., 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes)
Face your viewer and speak directly to them as much as possible
Some points you could focus on are:
The problem or research question you investigated and why it is important
The procedures you followed to investigate the issue
The findings or results of your research or experiment
What the results of your research mean in context, or how the investigation might be taken further
Presenting Your Poster - Further Reading
Below are some additional resources with more detailed advice on presenting posters:
Adapted from the guide "Creating Research Posters" originally created by Clayton Hayes, Wayne State University Library System. https://guides.lib.wayne.edu/posters