Dedicated Poster Sessions: Poster Display plus Short Oral Presentations
Posters are an exciting way to disseminate research because their format facilitates comfortable interactions between presenters and conference delegates. The information included in this document will assist you in preparing your poster for the upcoming SASP-SPSSI Group Meeting on intergroup contact. Additional information will be provided closer to the time.
This page provides you with (1) the specific formatting guidelines and expectations of your poster, (2) general advice to assist you in preparing an engaging and thorough poster presentation, (3) information about a competition for best poster award you are invited to enter into. This award is entered into voluntarily and anonymously.
The SASP-SPSSI Group Meeting on intergroup contact aims to provide poster presenters the best possible opportunity to disseminate their work. To this end, poster presenters are invited to prepare and display a poster about their work and, in addition, deliver a 3-minute speech about their research as part of their poster session.
Each poster presenter will be assigned to a poster session to showcase their work. This dedicated poster session will consist, first, of delegates moving as a group between poster presenters and displays to hear the formal, 3-minute presentations from all the poster presenters in that session. The remainder of the session will serve as an opportunity for delegates to revisit posters and poster presenters for informal conversations and questions regarding the work presented.
During this designated poster session, it is an expectation that you will stand by your poster. To allow for maximum exposure of your work. You are also welcome to display your poster before and after your dedicated presentation period. You will receive further information about how you can do this closer to the time.
(1) Preparing Your Poster
Poster size. The poster dimension limit is size A0, which is 120 cm x 84 cm (in either orientation). The poster can be a series of smaller pages of A4 or A3 size, although this approach often does not look very professional.
Layout. Most posters use 3-5 columns, include only key information, and can include dot points. A large heading spanning the whole poster block is typical, incorporating the poster title, authors and affiliations (often including institutional crests or logos and presenting author’s email). Key findings are typically communicated using graphs, diagrams, or images. Avoid block left and right margins, which are difficult to follow, and instead use ragged-right margins. White space is okay, since overly dense posters exhaust the reader and the key points are more easily missed.
Element Sizes. Use larger fonts wherever possible. The exact size of elements will vary depending upon the size of the poster and the complexity of the research presented. However, example guidelines include; 85pt for the title, 56pt for authors and affiliations, 36pt for subheadings, 24pt for body text. Diagrams, graphs, and images should be of a reasonable size (typically 13 by 18 cm) at a resolution of about 180 dpi.
Handouts. A4 size handouts can be distributed as part of poster sessions (but are not essential) to supplement the poster materials. They are often used to provide contact details if the reader has further queries, provide reference lists, complex statistical details, or large tables—or just something for delegates to bag for future reference. They can be as simply as A4 print outs of the exact poster. You may find it useful to bring a plastic sleeve that contains your handouts that can be pinned to the board next to your poster. This will allow interested delegates to obtain your handout if you are not standing by your poster.
Poster Set Up. Please proceed to the registration desk the day you are due to present your poster. Pins, Velcro, Bluetack, and cellotape will be available at the registration desk to assist you in setting up your poster.
Poster Resources. To assist with your poster preparation, please check the links below to freely available resources found online. These resources are not an exhaustive list of what is available online, thus, you may find other resources similarly beneficial.
(2) Preparing Your Presentation
Formal Presentation. During your poster session, you are expected to deliver a 3-minute speech once in front of the conference delegates as they move around the posters in a group. This 3-minute presentation will detail some key aspects of your research (e.g., key research question-s and their relevance, basic aspects of method/paradigm, one or two results highlights, importance of your findings). You will not have time to describe your method and results in technical detail and in an exhaustive manner; rather, you should be able to identify essential information relevant to your research question that can be conveyed in an interesting manner to a specialised audience with varied levels of expertise and interests and in a very short time format.
Recommendations for an Engaging Presentation. The specific contents of your formal presentation will vary depending upon your research topic, your methodology, and the progress of your work (e.g., some posters might be theoretical papers only). However, these general tips might assist you in preparing for your presentation.
- Outline the issue your research is addressing and the aim of your research. The 3-minute presentation should be orientated toward describing how the work presented addresses this issue and achieves your aim.
- Explain/define your key concepts and terminology to the audience. All of the delegates will have some expertise or interest in intergroup contact but they may not be familiar with your theory or concepts.
- Avoid technical jargon and long sentences. However, be careful not to devalue or ‘dumb down’ your research.
- Remember that your research is of interest to the conference delegates (that was why it was accepted!) so please present it with eagerness.
- Successful presentations will be well-rehearsed presentations. If you are a nervous public speaker, take the time to perform the speech out-loud to yourself or a colleague.
- Presenters should consider using components of the poster (e.g., graphs, diagrams, pictures) to clearly convey more complex ideas or findings. Therefore, when you design your poster you should consider how to include components that allow you to clearly articulate your key message during the talk and for informal viewers.
(3) Entering the Best Poster Award Competition
All poster presenters will have the opportunity to enter the 2019 SASP-SPSSI Group Meeting Conference Best Poster Award. The winner will be determined by one senior and one junior conference delegate asked to act as assessors. By entering this competition, you are given the opportunity to receive positive appraisals for your research and potentially build your curriculum vitae.
The winner will have demonstrated to have a poster with a clear design, to be carrying out quality research, and achieve high audience engagement with their poster and 3-minute talk. Full marking criteria for the competition evaluation are provided below:
- Poster clarity and design
- Aesthetically pleasing poster
- Poster design is both logical and concise
- Uses sufficient font size and image size
- Complete and self-contained: All components (e.g., graphs etc.) are explained, referred to in-text, and have legends, if necessary
- Quality and rigour of the research, and its design
- Research problem clearly and succinctly stated
- Proposes and tests ideas and offers a potential solution to the problem
- Appropriate depth and breadth of research into topic
- Draws plausible conclusions
- Audience engagement
- Clarity and coherence of the formal oral presentation
- Good integration between oral presentation and poster display
- Ability to answer questions
- Evidence of ability to interact with and engage the audience
This award competition is entered into voluntarily. Invitations to enter the best poster award competition will be sent via email to all poster presenters.
To enter the competition, please reply to that email with an indication that you would like to be considered for the award by the 31st of March using the subject line ‘Poster Award Entry’. If you have not received an invitation to enter this competition and believe you should have, please contact the members of the local organizing committee responsible for the poster sessions (contact details are available on the ‘Organising Committees and Contacts’ tab of this website).
The assessment for the competition will occur on the day of your designated poster session. We will do our best to ensure that the assessment process will be managed in ways to protect the identity of the competitors and assessors. The names of those who chose to enter (vs. not) the competition will be disclosed exclusively to the conference organising committee and the award’s assessors. This means that the audience will not know who is competing and who is not. The winner of the award will be announced to the conference delegates before the end of the conference.
(4) Poster set-up and take-down
Set-Up
- The poster sessions will be held immediately following the first session of presentations on the second and third day of the conference (please check the program for your dedicated day: https://sasp.org.au/2018/12/overview-of-the-group-meeting/).
- To ensure a seamless transition between sessions, we are asking you to place your poster on a board before the first session of the day.
- The poster boards will be in the corridor leading to the registration desk. There are no allocated places, so you are welcome to place your poster on any free board.
- Immediately following the first session, the organising committee will wheel these boards into the main room ready for the session.
- Please approach the registration desk first thing in the morning to collect materials necessary to put your poster on the board (i.e., pins).
Take-Down
- We ask that you take the poster down at the conclusion of the day. This will simultaneously allow your poster to receive maximum exposure and free the boards for the next set of presenters. Uncollected posters will be taken to the help desk and disposed of if not collected by the conclusion of the conference.
If you have any questions regarding these instructions please do not hesitate to contact Alex O’Donnell ().
Instructions for Presenters of Blitz/Standard Presentations
Preparing for your presentation: Each academic session of the conference will be streamed live and recorded through the zoom software (NB. we will seek presenters’ consent prior to upload any file to the conference website). Not to disrupt our IT set up for live streaming/recording and allow smooth session recordings, we ask that all presenters use the provided master laptop (Windows) for their talk delivery. i.e., we regret but we will not allow speakers to use their laptop (either MAC or PC) to deliver their presentation. Ensure you bring your file on a pen drive (and perhaps email it to yourself and the conference email for extra safety! ).
To facilitate the efficient transition between presentations we ask that all presenters provide a copy of their PowerPoint file (or equivalent) to the help desk personnel for upload. The helpdesk will be located in the Prelude/Registration Area of Noha’s reception/main conference floor. Please provide your file at least 30 minute before your scheduled talk; you can provide it as early as you wish. Please label your presentation file with your Day_Session#_PresenterSurname (e.g., “Monday_Session1_Paolini”). The help desk assistant will transfer all session’s presentations files to the master conference laptop ready for use just before each session. i.e., please do not upload your file yourself in the presentation room! We do not want to risk disrupting our live-stream system. Thanks for your cooperation.
Instructions for Chair, Timer, and Microphone Movers in Academic Sessions of Standard and Blitz Presentations
Overall role of the session chair
- Leader of the session
- Convey enthusiasm
- Relaxer
- Be comfortable with the topic of the session and the speakers’ backgrounds
- Equalizer
- You will not need to time the sessions – there will be a separate person to do that (below for details).
- There will be someone with a microphone to pick up questions – you will still need to select the questioners.
Before the session if possible
- Retrieve these instructions! NB. A copy of these will be available in the session room just in case.
- Make contact with each of the speakers in your session (as well as the timer and microphone mover)
- Confirm personal details – preferred title, pronunciation of name? Any information to make intro more interesting
- Note that the sessions can be a mix of blitz presentations (10 minutes total) and standard presentations (20 minutes total) in an unpredictable order – please look at the program for the order and format of presentations in your session
- Confirm session times and format –
- Introduce each speaker before their presentation,
- For Blitz presentations: each speaker has 10 minutes in total (7 minutes for talk followed by 3 minutes for questions),
- For Standard presentations: each speaker has 20 minutes in total (15 minutes for talk followed by 5 minutes for questions),
- Questions to be taken at the end of each speaker (3 minutes for Blitz presentations and 5 minutes for Standard presentations).
- Some sessions have in-built “extended Q&A” slots at the end of the sessions for deeper discussion and to take questions from any Zoom/Virtual guest. Ensure you take some Zoom questions at the edn even if your session has no inbuilt extended Q&A slot.
- Check if your session has an extended Q&A session at the end
- Confirm order of presentation
- Acquaint yourself with the topic and the presenters
- Consult instructions provided to timers below so that your instructions to presenters are consistent.
- The IT people will be in charge of uploading files to your session folder (identified by day and session number)
- There will be people available from the help desk that can assist with any IT issues.
At the start of the session
- Arrive 15 minute early at least (presenters have been told the same)
- Acquaint yourself with the room
- Ensure layout is suitably arranged:
- Water jug and cup will be provided
- Consult instructions provided to timers below so that your instructions to presenters are consistent. Check with the timer you are on the same page.
- Greet the speakers – relax them! Ensure they are aware of the time limitations and how you and the timer will maintain them – cue cards or hand gestures.
- Assist presenters to check their file—you should find a folder for your session ready on the laptop’s desktop for you to locate the speakers’ files.
- There will be IT people available if you are experiencing any issues.
During the session
- Start the session on time – Be prepared to encourage the audience to settle down
- Introduce the session
- Welcome – good idea to check that the audience can see and hear you okay.
- Self-introduce
- Housekeeping: mobile phones, location of toilets
- Confirm the session details and list the speakers involved
- Confirm format (explain the mixed session idea and let people know that if there is an extended Q&A session the zoom people will be asked for questions first) so the audience knows what to expect
- Briefly introduce the speakers – remember not to take time from speakers
- Create a first impression
- Ensure accuracy of pronunciation and be respectful
- Mention any co-authors
- If necessary, interrupt directly if time cues ignored – remember the next speaker
- Ensure time for questions/discussion
- Be prepared to assist the speaker if necessary
- Advise them if their voice is too low
- Give them water if necessary
- Assist them to adjust the technology if necessary
- Manage the question/discussion time
- Call for audience questions/comments
- Ensure microphone mover picks your cues/signals
- Encourage questioners to introduce themselves and their affiliation and use the portable microphone
- Have a couple of questions prepared for the inevitable silence (you can ask the speakers for a ‘seed’ question if you can’t think of one)!
- Be aware of how the speakers are handling the questions – intervene if necessary
- Select questioners from the audience: Don’t let one person dominate, attempt to keep things flowing, if needed suggest questioners discuss with speakers further afterwards.
- If a questioner does go excessively over time with their question, encourage the rest of the audience to engage with the speaker later on
- Conclude the session on time
- Thank the speaker, initiate applause and move to the next one.
- Extended Q&A (if relevant to your session) / End of session
- Use the initial part of the extended Q&A to ask people connected via zoom (IT will help to mute/unmute zoom people)
- Take some zoom questions at the end of the session even if your session has no designated extended Q&A session
- Use remainder of time for the floor
- Closing the session
- Conclude by praising the quality of the speakers
- Acknowledge all the speakers
- Acknowledge the audience
- Information regarding the next session
After the session
- Thank the presenters/timers/microphone movers
- Give them an opportunity to ‘debrief’
- Ensure you leave behind in the session room the booklet with instructions!
- Relax and enjoy the rest of the conference!
Overall role of the timer
- Time each speaker
- Put up cue cards specific to type of presentation (Blitz vs. Standard)
- Keep chair informed of time to keep session moving
At the start of the session
- Arrive 15 minute early at least
- Retrieve these instructions! NB. A copy of these will be available in the session room just in case.
- Have the time cue cards ready for the specific presentation type (blue for standard presentations and purple for blitz presentations)
- Have timer ready (phone is fine to use, as long as it is on silent)
- Make contact with the chair person (and the presenters)
- Confirm details of session times (note that the sessions can be a mix of blitz presentations (10 minutes total) and standard presentations (20 minutes total) in an unpredictable order – please keep an eye on the program for the order and format of each session)
- Confirm session times and format –
- Questions to be taken at the end of each speaker (3 minutes for Blitz presentations and 5 minutes for Standard presentations),
- For Blitz presentations: each speaker has 10 minutes in total (7 minutes for talk followed by 3 minutes for questions).
- For Standard presentations: each speaker has 20 minutes in total (15 minutes for talk followed by 5 minutes for questions).
- Confirm order of presentation
- Acquaint yourself with the room (figure out where to sit so both the chair and speakers can see you)
During the session
- Start timer as soon as the speaker starts
- For standard presentations, use blue time cue cards:
- These presentations are 20 minute total – 15 minutes for presentation and 5 minutes for questions
- At 10 minutes into the presentation use the “5 minutes to go” card
- At 14 minutes use the “1 minute to go” card
- At 15 minutes use the “TIME UP” card
- If they continue without stopping for another minute use the “Question time! STOP” card (and make sure the chair is aware that they are over time)
- If the questions take longer than 5 minutes (or go over the 20 minutes total allotted time for the speaker’s presentation + questions) use the “Move to next speaker” card specifically aimed at the chair so that the chair knows to move on
- For blitz presentations, use purple time cue cards:
- These presentations are 10 minutes total – 7 minutes presentations and 3 minutes questions
- At 5 minutes into the presentation use the “2 minutes to go” card
- At 6 minutes use the “1 minute to go” card
- At 7 minutes use the “TIME UP” card
- If they continue without stopping for another minute use the “Question time! STOP” card (and make sure the chair is aware that they are over time)
- If the questions take longer than 3 minutes (or go over the 10 minutes total allotted time for the speaker’s presentation + questions) use the “Move to next speaker” card specifically aimed at the chair so that the chair knows to move on
After the session
- Ensure you leave behind in the session room the booklet with instructions!
- Relax and enjoy the rest of the conference!
Overall role of the microphone mover
- Move to questioners that the chair selects
- Make sure people can hear the question being asked – some people will be attending the conference via Zoom so the audio quality is important for their experience.
At the start of the session
- Arrive 15 minute early at least
- Retrieve these instructions! NB. A copy of these will be available in the session room just in case.
- Make sure microphone is working
- IT people at the helpdesk can help you if you have any issues, but yu need to notice that there is a problem first!
- Make contact with the chair person(and the speakers)
- Confirm details of session times (note that the sessions can be a mix of blitz presentations (10 minutes total) and standard presentations (20 minutes total) in an unpredictable order – please keep an eye on the program for the order and format of each session)
- Confirm session times and format –
- Questions to be taken at the end of each speaker (3 minutes for Blitz presentations and 5 minutes for Standard presentations). Depending on question length, there might be time for 1-2 questions after a blitz presentation and time for 2-3 questions after standard length presentations.
- Acquaint yourself with the room
During the session
- Make sure microphone is off during presentations, and remember to turn it on during questions
- Keep an eye on the chair to see who they are selecting for questions
- Move quickly but safely to each questioner
- If the questioner is speaking quietly (even with the use of the microphone), you can encourage them to be louder so everyone can hear
- The session might have a designated extended Q&A slot after al speakers have talked. This might consist of few questions from virtual zoom guests followed by additional questions from the live floor. Ensure you remain attentive to the need t resume your task at any time.
After the session
- Ensure you leave behind in the session room the booklet with instructions!
- Relax and enjoy the rest of the conference!
