My university is going to organize an academic poster conference the next month. I have a little bit of knowledge about conference presentations but have no idea about the poster sessions. How do I make a good poster for the conference?
Poster presentations are beneficial for both attendees who discuss your poster content with you, and for yourself as well.
A poster session is ideal for the early stages of the research, when you may not have much more than an idea, and you stand to benefit a lot from discussing your idea with other researchers from the same field.
One-on-one conversations about your poster enable you to talk about very specific aspects of your research that may not be possible in a presentation. You might strike up a conversation with someone interested in your poster that may lead to future collaboration or even a job offer.
A poster session is a good way to disseminate your work and actively engage with others during the conference where the poster defines the topic of conversation.
Another good reason to present a poster is that you can expect to receive compliments on your work and critiques that can help you in the future.
Sometimes a poster session is better than an oral presentation due to time constraints in the latter. During a typical oral presentation, you will have 10-15 minutes for questions and comments while a poster session typically lasts several hours, allowing for more in-depth discussions.
Poster sessions offer the opportunity to practice your presentation skills. One advantage of presenting a poster is that it enables you to try explaining a concept in different ways, and see which explanation is most well-received. At the same time that you’re honing your ability to communicate verbally, you can also hone your ability to present information visually in a simple way.