POSTER ARTICLES

Posters have Advantages over Talks!

Posters are considered to be inferior to an oral presentation by many people. Scientists attending conferences on theoretical and mathematical biology are no exception to this attitude. However, the poster medium affords certain strong advantages in communicating with one's colleagues.

Some advantages of a poster presentation:

• posters can be viewed during at least several hours

• data and graphics on posters are available as long as an individual wishes

• the viewer can go forwards and backwards through the poster

• lengthy discussions can occur during poster sessions

• a poster attracts audience that is really interested in your work

• last but not least poster may serve to explain current research to colleagues and students in your department.

A Poster (like an oral presentation) cannot (and should not!) contain all information on your research. Try to see posters as an advertisement for your work, rather than as a summary of it. To make an attractive poster presentation on our conference you may consider the following hints:

The size of the poster should be no more than 120 cm wide and 90 cm high!

• State the topic of your poster clearly stated in the title.

• Explain the question addressed and the key conclusions

• Organise the text hierarchically, for instance by the use of typography; VERY IMPORTANT information can be typeset in a large bold font, important information in a bold font, while more detailed information can be typeset in a small font, readable at a distance of about 1 meter. Visually differentiated typography makes a poster pleasant to read.

• The main content of a successful poster might be illustrations.

• Short text pieces (letter size 7-9 mm) are easier to comprehend than long ones.

• Mathematical formulae are better sparsely used. Most of the mathematical results can be explained in graphs.

• Add a picture of yourself onto the poster, so that interested viewers may find you even if you are not close to your poster.

Presenting your work

Be present when your poster is on display. Make yourself readily identifiable, for example by wearing the logo of your organisation. Bring business cards and hand-outs with you for interested delegates. The hand-outs will contain information about the methods used and summarize the results. Furthermore, they contain your complete address, including email.

A well prepared and delivered presentation is the essential, concluding chapter of your work. It ensures that others will recognize the relevance of the research and the importance of the conclusions. Put as much effort into communicating your work as you put into producing scientific work. Realize that however brillant your work may be, it will be lost if not properly communicated