How to Make a Research Poster

 Who is your audience? Is it the general public? Your peers?

How is your poster going to be presented? Will you be standing next to it to answer questions? Will it be put up on display when you are not around?

These are important questions to ask yourself before you begin your poster. You need to make sure the content on the poster is appropriate for your audience. You may choose to use more lay terms if the general public will be looking at your research poster verses a presentation to your peers. Regardless of your audience your poster needs to have all relevant information, any findings, as well as your conclusion of what those findings signify. How your poster is presented can help you determine how much information to put on your poster. You are generally limited in the size of the area you will be given, so you need to share enough information to be informative, but you may have to omit information in order to meet the size requirements. If you will be standing next to your poster you can answer any questions that may arise. On the other hand, if you will not be present while your poster is on display, it is important that your poster have all details of you project on it, in a clear and concise manner. If you are unsure of the presentation method, present the information as thoroughly as possible.