Education

Getting Started

As a PSC student, you have access to PowerPoint through your Pirate Mail account. Log in to your Pirate Mail and choose the PowerPoint tile from your apps page. Follow the steps below to begin building a poster in PowerPoint.

1. Open PowerPoint through your PSC apps
2. Click on the "Design" tab
3. Click on "Slide Size"
4. Click on "Custom Slide Size"
5. Adjust the width and height to your desired size in inches.
   • 35"x47" is a standard printable poster size.
6. Click "Ensure Fit"
7. Begin adding content to your poster.
   • Browse Microsoft's poster templates for ideas

Parts of a Poster

• Your name, class, contact info, date, name of the event, etc.
• Title
  • clear and concise but catchy
  • no more than two lines
  • Choose a capitalization scheme, and stick with it.
    • ALL CAPS: every letter capitalized
    • Title Case: every major word capitalized
    • Sentence Case: first word and proper nouns capitalized
• Abstract, if required
• Introduction
  • background information
  • Why is this interesting?
  • Why is this important?
  • photo or image
• Method
  • experimental procedure
  • figures, charts, diagrams, etc.
  • simple and clear
• Results
  • first: successful or no?
  • second: short description of results
  • third: more in-depth info about results, may include graphs
  • remember that after the title, this might be the only part some people read
• Conclusion
  • state the outcome
  • Why is this information important for the present AND the future?
  • What might happen next? What else do we need to know?
• Bibliography/Further Info
  • on the poster: items referenced on the poster and major works consulted
  • on a separate handout: all other citations, in-depth contact info, websites, a pdf of your poster
    • consider creating a QR code for your handout using the link to a OneNote Doc or Google Doc
      • If you are comfortable making QR codes, make a code that opens multiple links
• Achknowledgements
  • Who advised you?
  • Who funded your project?

Presenting the Poster

• Know your audience and adjust language and tone accordingly
  • audience who knows nothing about your topic
  • audience who understands your topic
• Decide on the main thing you want your audience to remember.
  • Be sure this one thing is clearly articulated after a brief look at your poster.
    • the title and strong visuals will support this
  • Be succinct when stating your main argument and the evidence behind it.
    • key evidence only
• How and Why
  • How do your findings impact scholars in your field and members of the broader intellectual community?
  • What does this project mean for you or for others?
  • What real-world problems or questions prompted you to undertake this project?
  • How did you conduct your research?
• Keep everything minimal
  • straightforward
  • short blurbs or very short paragraphs
  • visuals, bold headings, lists
  • simplicity in language
• Speaking
  • Be ready to answer questions and give details
  • Give more than what is on the poster when you speak to your audience
  • The poster is a visual aid. Refer to it in passing, but know your material and data well enough to speak directly to the audience without reading from the poster.
  • Be friendly, but give your audience time to process the message of your poster before you ask them for questions or engage them in conversation
  • Get feedback on the poster and practice speaking confidently and answering questions about your project before the big day.

Print the Poster

• FedEx
  • 1520 Airport Blvd
• The UPS Store
  • 38 S Blue Angel Pkwy
  • (850)457-0848
• Warrington Business Center, a FedEx Ship Center
  • 120 Chiefs Way Suite 1
  • (850)455-1234