Guidelines for Poster Presentation

Please limit the size of your entire poster or poster sections to 4' wide x 5' height.

Be sure to include the abstract title, author names, and the institution where the
work was completed, in large letters centered at the top of the poster. Place your
address, phone number and email address in the upper right-hand corner.

The presentation number assigned to the poster presentation should not be placed
on your poster. The poster boards will be numbered for you.

We suggest that you place a reproduction of the abstract in the upper left side of the
poster, and use the headings "Introduction", "Methods", "Results" and "Conclusions"
to identify your poster layout. Include an acknowledgment section, containing
anyone who helped you conduct this project.

Lay your poster sections in a logical order so that other scientists can follow your
presentation. A good method is setting up your poster in a column format so that
individuals interested can read your poster, 1st vertical, then top to bottom, and
then left to right.

Use a type size that can be read easily from a considerable distance (4 feet or more).
Try using a type between 14 – 20 pt. The title should be larger than the rest of the
text. Select a legible font such as Times Roman, Times New Roman, Baskerville, or
Palatino.

Posters should stimulate discussion, not give a long presentation. Therefore, keep
text to a minimum, emphasize graphics, and make sure every item in your poster is
necessary.

Space your information proportionally: divide your poster either horizontally or
vertically into three or four sections, and place your materials within those
spaces. Like the layout of a magazine.

Try not to stand directly in front of your poster, allow other scientists to view the
entire poster. Stand to the side.

Hand-carry your poster to the meeting, using tubular packaging or a portfolio case.
Do not mail your poster to the conference headquarters or to the meeting site.

Come prepared with any relevant handouts you may wish to share and business
cards to hand out.

When choosing a background, remember that neutral or gray colors will be easier on
the eyes than a bright color. In addition, color photos look best when mounted on
gray.

Be sure to bring pushpins, thumbtacks or Velcro to mount your poster. They will not
be provided to you at the conference.
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Guidelines for Oral Presentations
(For the ABRCMS, please refer to your abstract notification letter for information regarding
the time and duration of your oral presentation.)
The graphics you project on the screen to support the spoken word should help clarify ideas,
emphasize key points, show relationships, and provide the visual information your audience
needs to understand your message.
All ABRCMS oral presentations will be given 10 minutes for the presentation and 5 minutes
for questions and answers. Laser pointers will not be available, you must bring your own if
you would like to use one.
Tips for Oral Presentation and PowerPoints

Sans serif type is typically more clean and legible (Arial or Geneva).

Upper and lower case lettering is more legible than all capital letters.

Make sure the type is large enough to see in the size room you will use (room used
at ABRCMS seats about 100).

Simple graphs, charts and diagrams are much more meaningful to an audience than
complex, cluttered ones. Keep visuals CLEAR and SIMPLE.

Use a minimum of words for text and title frames. Five to eight lines per frame and
five to seven words per line are the maximum - less is better.

Vary the size of lettering to emphasize headings and subheadings - but avoid using
more than three font sizes per frame.

Try to maintain the same or similar type size from frame to frame - even if some
frames have less information.

Each frame or slide should have a title.

Title of any data slide should be the conclusion reached from the presented material.

Use the format that matches the material you are presenting. Use a table for exact
values, a graph to show relationships, a figure for a picture, and a chart for a process
or sequence. Label everything.

Keep color scheme consistent throughout your presentation. Changing colors and
type styles can be very confusing and distract from your message.

Most effective background colors - blue, turquoise, purple, magenta. A good rule of
thumb: use a dark background color with lighter color for text and graphics. Avoid
intensely bright or saturated colors that compete with the text. You can never go
wrong with black on white or white/yellow on dark blue.
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
The background should be just a background. It shouldn't call attention to itself or
cause clutter or confusion…it should enhance the foreground data.

In addition to the use of graphics, photographs can provide an excellent means for
communication.

Check each slide in a similar room with similar equipment before your presentation.
(ABRCMS rooms will be equipped with a computer and LCD projector).

Practice, practice, practice.

Prepare for questions and answers.

When asked a question during your presentation, repeat the question so that the
entire audience knows what the question is.

Keep to the allotted time (10 minutes for presentation, 5 minutes for questions and
answers).
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