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Discovery Research K–12 (DR-K12) Program

Poster Guidelines

Poster Session

All PIs are encouraged to present a poster with information about their projects. However, PIs presenting during concurrent sessions may choose not to present a poster.

Poster Session Times

Specific poster time and location assignments will be announced by email prior to the session.

Specifications

Each project is limited to one poster. Posters should be no larger than 4’ wide x 3’ high in order to fit on the tri-fold poster board that we will provide. The middle panel of the tri-fold poster board measures 24" wide and the two side panels measure 12" wide each. Please bring your own materials to attach your poster to the board.

Electrical outlets and wireless Internet access will not be available at the poster site.
Posters may be mailed to the hotel at your own expense.
Guest: <Insert your name>
Capital Hilton
1001 16th Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20036

Keep in mind that your poster should quickly and efficiently communicate to viewers your research. Unlike a slide show or presentation, a poster session allows viewers to study and restudy your information and discuss it with you one on one.

The key to crafting a good poster is to focus as narrowly as possible on the central ideas you need to convey. You won't have room to explain relationships among ideas in any detail, so pick out what's central to your topic and concentrate on that narrow focus.

Not only should the poster present the data and findings uncovered in your project, but the poster also should describe the broader impact of your research.

Contents

Suggestions for each poster

  • Title of project.
  • Principal investigator's name and contact information.
  • Brief summary of the project, including:
    • What is the context of the work?
    • What claims, questions, or hypotheses are examined in the work?
    • What are your research design, data collection and analysis methods, and evaluation plan?
    • What are your evidence-based results? What are your products?
    • What are the implications of your findings?

You will have table space in front of your poster on which you may place informational materials about your work, including hard copies of your project description and project products.

This year we are going green! We will provide project descriptions on the website, but not in binders. Please plan to bring and distribute a description of your project if you want to ensure that meeting participants have a hard copy.

Formatting and Layout Tips

  • Provide a title and your name in large text.
  • Remember that viewers will typically expect information to flow from left to right and from top to bottom. If you want to use a different flow, be sure to give explicit signals on your poster.
  • Use headings and subheadings to label your information. Keep these short and to the point since they function as an index.
  • Use the same size margins on both graphics and text.
  • Don't use glossy paper because reflections will make your content more difficult to read.
  • Posters should be readable from a distance of 5 feet. Generally, the smallest readable type font at this distance is 20–25 point. While a number of fonts can be used, the following are readable from a distance of 2' to 4': Arial and Bookman 20 point and Times New Roman 24 point.
  • More tips are available at http://cte.umdnj.edu/career_development/career_posters.cfm

On-site Printing

The Capital Hilton business center is open 24 hours. However, for large quick printing or copying jobs, they recommend calling:
FedEx Kinko’s at 16th and K Street
1612 K Street NW, Ste. 100
Washington, D.C. 20006
Phone: (202) 466-3777 Fax: (202) 466-4165
Email: usa1822@fedexkinkos.com
Open 24 Hours

Submit Your Poster for Online Viewing

Projects are encouraged to submit their poster to be posted on the DR-K12 Web site. The following two Web sites offer directions and tips for creating professional posters in PowerPoint.

To submit your poster, simply send the PowerPoint or PDF to DR-K12@edc.org and we will post it online.

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