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How to create a research poster

A guide about how to design a research poster, plus best practices and templates for research presentation.

What is a research poster?

A research poster is a visual way to summarize and communicate the results of a research project to a general audience. A good poster should include the goal of the research, its methodology, results, and discussion/conclusion, in clear and concise language.

Research posters will often include photos, maps, graphs and other images to present information in an attractive way.

Why a poster?

Research posters are a common form of research presentation in conferences, seminars, and symposiums. Some of the main advantages of presenting a poster rather than a conference paper are:

  • Knowledge sharing with a wider audience: with poster presentations, researchers usually stand beside their posters and can interact directly with the public.
  • Opportunity to explore different ways to present information: posters are ideal for highly visual topics.
  • Networking: presenting posters can help researchers identify potential collaborators, spark further discussion, make contacts, etc.
  • Opportunity to improve verbal presentation skills: researchers can talk about their research without having to observe the stricter guidelines of other types of conference presentations.
  • Opportunity to showcase research to potential employers.

Branding requirements

Yukon University's branding guidelines may be applicable when presenting research results. This can vary depending on course/assignment requirements, whether the research is directly sponsored/funded by the institution, and how and where the poster will be presented.

For YukonU students: check with your instructor if branding is required for your situation.

YukonU faculty/staff: YukonU's branding guidelines can be found on https://yukoncollege.sharepoint.com/sites/yc/offices/relations (Sharepoint login required).