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STUDENT AND EARLY CAREER UPDATE
Poster Advice from Students

Brooke Birkett, Missouri S&T; Larry Collins, Washington State
University-Pullman; Jordan Foote, University of Texas at Arlington;
and Marie Aurore Niyitanga Manzi, Texas Christian University

Presenting a poster at a GSA meeting is an exciting opportunity
to interact with experts and get feedback on your research outside
of your institution. While GSA 2020 will be in a new online format
this year, poster presentations will still be an important component
of the meeting, and a chance for you to network, practice your pre-
sentation skills, and contribute to the scientific dialogue.
Before you begin, read through the poster guidelines carefully,
because these may vary depending on event and event format (online
vs. in-person). When beginning to craft your poster, think about your
overall layout, and ask yourself, “What are my most salient points?”
and “What do I want my audience to learn most from my poster?” in-depth pitch (three to five minutes) for those whose research
Think about how your work is informative to your subdiscipline of more closely aligns with your own. Consider making business
geology and to the broader geoscience community. cards to hand out and connect post-meeting with those who
showed great interest in your research.
Here are a few tips for preparing the text of your poster: Some visitors to your poster will be experts in your area, and
• The title should be short to draw interest. others will have a limited background. Most visitors to your poster
• Make it clear why the topic is important in the first sentence or two. will be genuinely curious and want to learn more about your
• Place your research in context with the published, primary research and have a lot of questions. However, if a visitor is overly
literature. critical, acknowledge their concerns and questions in a simple and
• Briefly describe the approach you used to test your hypothesis. respectful manner. It is acceptable to say you don’t know the
• Skip lots of background information, definitions, and acronyms. answer to a question and to offer to look into it. If they feel heard,
things will likely go smoother, and remember that their comments
For poster layout, make any figures the main focus and put them may be very useful even if they are not delivered in the most
front and center. They will pull your audience in and are the most appropriate manner.
useful tool for telling your story. Keep your text minimal, but clear If you find that a poster visitor has behaved in an inappropriate
enough to explain key points. If it is possible, use bullet points and manner, excuse yourself from the conversation and file a com-
numbering versus a paragraph format. Try to mix your poster up plaint through the RISE (Respectful Inclusive Scientific Events,
with tables, graphs, pictures, and text, but keep in mind that https://www.geosociety.org/GSA/About/Ethics/GSA/About/
important information should be readable from ten feet away. Ethics/home.aspx) process. Never feel like you have to stay in an
uncomfortable situation.
A few additional things to keep in mind:
• Posters should flow visually to aid reading and have a simple Some final advice includes:
color scheme. • Have a “critical friend” give you feedback—especially someone
• They should be consistent and have a clean layout. who may not be familiar with your project.
• Keep your text boxes the same width so that it is visually • Check all citations and acknowledgments before printing your
appealing. poster; you do not want to accidentally leave someone out who
• Balance the text with tables, graphs, pictures, and other presenta- significantly contributed to your work.
tion formats. • Print your poster before arriving at the meeting (if applicable).
• Provide standalone captions for figures. • Connect with your audience by making eye contact—don’t face
• Use a photo or illustration to help communicate your research your poster—instead use it as a visual aid.
question. • Read the audience’s facial expressions to know if you should
• Use figures, flow charts, or photographs to help describe your repeat something or explain something further.
methods. • Smile and be excited about your hard work. Enthusiasm is
• Always check the poster guidelines for the meeting. contagious!
• Aim for 1,000 words or fewer, including your figure captions.
The best presentation advice is to simply be yourself and be open-
In preparation for your first poster presentation, develop and minded. You know your project better than anyone else, so present it
practice a one-minute elevator pitch for visitors who might be with confidence. It’s a conversation, and you can learn a lot from the
more broadly interested in your research and another more people with whom you talk while presenting your poster.

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