How to create a better research poster in less time (#betterposter Generation 1)

Mike Morrison, PhD

25 Mar 201919:31

EducationalLearning

32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRThis script addresses the inefficiencies of traditional academic poster sessions, where scientists' research is often overlooked due to poor design and lack of engagement. It proposes a redesigned poster format prioritizing clarity and accessibility, aiming to maximize knowledge transfer and facilitate quicker, more meaningful interactions. The presenter suggests using plain language, an 'ammo bar' for detailed data, a 'silent presenter bar' for overviews, and QR codes for further reading. The goal is to make poster sessions more efficient and enjoyable, potentially accelerating scientific discovery.

Takeaways

📚 Academic conferences are likened to 'Woodstock for geeks', serving as a platform for scientists to learn, share research, and socialize with peers.
📊 Poster sessions are a significant aspect of these conferences where researchers present findings that may not fit into larger presentations.
🤔 Scientists often have mixed feelings about poster sessions due to the disconnect between the effort put into creating posters and the engagement received.
🎨 The process of designing academic posters is often rushed and unstructured, leading to ineffective communication of research findings.
📐 Traditional poster designs are compared to billboards, suggesting that they should be designed for quick comprehension as people walk by.
🔍 The script emphasizes the need for a redesign of academic posters to make them more readable and impactful in a short amount of time.
💡 It proposes a new poster design that prioritizes the main finding, uses plain language, and includes an 'ammo bar' for detailed information during discussions.
👀 The 'silent presenter bar' and QR code are additional features of the new design, allowing attendees to engage with the poster at their own pace.
🚀 The redesigned poster aims to accelerate the transfer of insights and could potentially speed up scientific progress by making information more accessible.
🔄 The script calls for validation studies on the new poster design and encourages researchers to try it out for themselves in their academic presentations.

Q & A

What are the main reasons scientists attend academic conferences?
-Scientists attend academic conferences to learn about new research in their field, share their own work, and to socialize and network with colleagues from other universities.
What is a poster session at a conference?
-A poster session is an event where researchers present their findings on large posters, allowing them to share information that didn't fit into larger presentations or sessions.
Why do scientists have mixed feelings about poster sessions?
-Scientists have mixed feelings about poster sessions because while they can be an opportunity for engagement and learning, they often result in feelings of disappointment and underwhelming experiences due to lack of interaction and interest from attendees.
What is the typical experience like for someone presenting a poster at a conference?
-Presenting a poster can be disheartening as many times presenters stand by their posters eagerly, but attendees may simply walk by without engaging or showing interest, leading to feelings of invisibility and wasted effort.
How does the experience of attending a poster session compare to presenting one?
-Attending a poster session can be equally disappointing as attendees often find themselves overwhelmed by the number of posters and the difficulty in quickly understanding and engaging with them, leading to a sense of missed opportunities and inefficiency.
Why do traditional academic posters often fail to effectively communicate research findings?
-Traditional academic posters often fail because they are designed as walls of text that assume attendees will spend significant time reading them in detail, which is not the case in the fast-paced environment of a poster session.
What is the 'ammo bar' in the context of the redesigned poster?
-The 'ammo bar' is a section on the redesigned poster that contains miscellaneous figures and tables for presenters to quickly reference and answer detailed questions from attendees.
What is the purpose of the 'silent presenter bar' in the redesigned poster?
-The 'silent presenter bar' provides an overview of the study in a format that can be quickly scanned by attendees, allowing them to understand the core findings without engaging in a conversation.
What does the QR code feature in the redesigned poster offer?
-The QR code feature allows attendees to scan and instantly access a digital copy of the full paper and poster, providing an easy way to obtain more information without interrupting the presenter or spending time at the poster.
How does the redesigned poster aim to improve the efficiency of knowledge transfer at poster sessions?
-The redesigned poster aims to improve efficiency by leading with clear, plain language findings, providing options for different levels of engagement (QR code, silent presenter bar, and ammo bar), and making the poster creation process simpler and faster for presenters.

Outlines

00:00

📚 The Academic Conference Experience

This paragraph introduces the concept of academic conferences as a hub for scientists from around the world to gather and exchange knowledge. It's likened to a 'Woodstock for geeks,' where not only is there an opportunity to learn about new research, but also to socialize with peers. The paragraph also touches on the mixed feelings scientists have about poster sessions, which are a common feature of these conferences, where researchers present their findings on large posters. The author expresses the disconnect between the anticipation and the actual experience of these sessions, often resulting in disappointment.

05:00

📈 The Inefficiency of Traditional Poster Sessions

The second paragraph delves into the inefficiency of poster sessions, both from the presenter's and attendee's perspectives. It describes the presenter's struggle to convey their research in a format that is often overlooked and the attendee's challenge of extracting valuable information from a sea of complex and dense posters. The author argues that this format is not only unengaging but also slows scientific progress by limiting the exchange of crucial insights that could lead to breakthroughs in various fields of study.

10:21

🎨 Rethinking Academic Poster Design

This paragraph discusses the process of creating academic posters and the common pitfalls that result in ineffective communication of research findings. The author criticizes the traditional design process, which often leads to cluttered and illegible posters. It also highlights the rarity of well-designed posters and the need for a new approach that prioritizes clarity, brevity, and engagement. The paragraph ends with a call to action to rethink the design of academic posters to improve the overall experience and efficiency of knowledge sharing at conferences.

15:23

🔍 A New Approach to Poster Design

The final paragraph presents a new design concept for academic posters that aims to maximize the transfer of insight to attendees, allow for meaningful conversations, and be easy for presenters to create. The author suggests using a minimalist approach, starting with the main finding and presenting it in plain language. It introduces the 'ammo bar' for detailed information, a 'silent presenter bar' for an overview, and QR codes for additional resources. This design is intended to be more engaging, allowing attendees to choose their level of interaction and potentially accelerating the pace of scientific discovery.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Academic Conferences

Academic conferences are large-scale gatherings where professionals, particularly scientists and researchers, convene to discuss and share their work. They serve as a platform for learning about the latest research and networking with peers. In the video, conferences are likened to 'WOODSTOCK for geeks,' highlighting their significance as social and knowledge-sharing events within the scientific community.

💡Poster Sessions

Poster sessions are a component of academic conferences where researchers present their findings on a large poster board. These sessions are intended for sharing research that may not fit into more formal presentations. The script discusses the mixed feelings scientists have about poster sessions, noting that they can be both rewarding and disappointing.

💡Knowledge Sharing

Knowledge sharing is the process of disseminating information and insights within a community, in this case, among scientists. The video emphasizes the importance of effective knowledge sharing in scientific progress, and how current poster session practices may be hindering this process due to inefficiencies.

💡Design Process

The design process, as discussed in the script, refers to how researchers create their posters for conferences. It involves transforming research findings into a visual format that communicates the essential points. The script critiques the typical design process as being rushed and formulaic, often leading to ineffective poster communication.

💡Usability

Usability in the context of the video pertains to how easily information on a poster can be understood and absorbed by viewers. The script argues that traditional poster designs lack usability because they are not optimized for quick comprehension, which is crucial for the passerby experience at poster sessions.

💡Progressive Disclosure

Progressive disclosure is a design principle that involves presenting information to users in a way that they can choose how much detail they wish to engage with. In the video, this concept is applied to the redesigned poster format, allowing attendees to quickly grasp the main findings and then choose to delve deeper if they wish.

💡Infographics

Infographics are visual representations of information designed to make complex data easily understandable at a glance. The script mentions infographic-style posters as being aesthetically pleasing but criticizes them for not being quickly interpretable, which is a key requirement for effective poster sessions.

💡Ammo Bar

The 'ammo bar' is a term coined in the script to describe a section of the redesigned poster dedicated to housing supplementary figures, tables, and data. This bar serves as a quick reference for presenters during in-depth discussions with attendees, allowing them to efficiently address specific questions.

💡Silent Presenter Bar

The 'silent presenter bar' is a sidebar on the redesigned poster that provides an overview of the study in a format that can be quickly read by attendees. It is designed to give a silent presentation of the research, allowing individuals to grasp the core content without engaging in conversation.

💡QR Code

A QR code, or Quick Response code, is a two-dimensional barcode that can be scanned to access digital content. In the context of the video, QR codes are suggested as a feature on posters to provide attendees with instant access to the full paper and poster, enhancing the efficiency of information sharing.

💡Empirical Studies

Empirical studies refer to research that is based on observable evidence acquired through experiments or observation. The script uses color coding as a way to categorize different types of posters, with green suggested for empirical studies, indicating their commonality in academic conferences.

💡Intervention Study

An intervention study is a type of research where an intervention is introduced to a group of participants to observe its effects. The script highlights intervention studies as a valuable area of research, suggesting the use of a high-visibility color like yellow for their posters to attract attention.

💡Plain Language

Plain language means expressing information in a straightforward and easily understandable manner. The video emphasizes the importance of using plain language on posters to ensure that the main findings are quickly and effectively communicated to the audience passing by.

Highlights

Scientists from all fields gather at academic conferences, akin to 'WOODSTOCK for geeks', to learn and share research.

Conferences serve as a social knowledge update for the scientific community.

Poster sessions are a primary method for scientists to share knowledge but often leave participants with mixed feelings.

Presenting a poster can feel rewarding but is often met with disinterest from attendees.

Attending poster sessions can be overwhelming and inefficient, with attendees struggling to engage meaningfully.

The traditional poster design process is flawed, often resulting in cluttered and ineffective communication.

Academic posters typically resemble walls of text, lacking in design and clarity.

Infographic-style posters, while visually appealing, are not designed for quick comprehension.

An ideal academic poster should maximize insight transfer, allow for deep conversations, and be easy to create.

The 'ammo bar' is a new concept for posters, providing essential data for answering questions.

The 'silent presenter bar' offers an overview of the study for silent reading by attendees.

QR codes on posters can provide attendees with access to the full paper and poster for later review.

The new poster design follows the principle of progressive disclosure, allowing attendees to choose their level of engagement.

The redesigned poster aims to accelerate the pace of science by improving the efficiency of knowledge transfer.

The presenter benefits from increased engagement and the ability to quickly share key findings.

Attendees gain a richer experience, with the ability to learn from every poster in a session.

The new poster design is validated through a study and is available for use by researchers.

Transcripts

Browse More Related Video

How to create a better research poster in less time (#betterposter Generation 2).

Giving an Effective Poster Presentation

Poster Judging : Cal NERDS' Faculty Centric Research Poster Judging Method

Making an Academic Poster (A0 size or custom) with Google Slides

What makes a great research poster? [Good and Bad Examples]

How to DESIGN an ACADEMIC POSTER in Microsoft PowerPoint