Research Poster Presenting Best Practice

In this video, we'll cover

best

practice

s for

presenting

a

research

poster

, both virtually and in-person, for professional conferences and student exhibitions. There are many things to consider, including your professionalism, how you present yourself to your audience, your speech and language, and your technical options for how to record and share your content. We will also discuss specific requirements for Research Appreciation Day at the Health Sciences Center. There is a lot of room for personal expression in this part of the scientific

research

poster

process. So, let's dive in and get started. Before we begin, it is important to note that presenters should always review the guidelines of the conference or event they will be

presenting

at.

Not all conferences are the same and requirements can vary greatly. That being said, let's address professionalism first. The way you dress matters, whether your presentation takes place in person or virtually. A good tip is to dress professionally, from head to toe, meaning even if you can't see your legs in the video, wearing pajama pants or loungewear just doesn't give you the same feeling. What is considered professional versus business casual attire varies by gender. However, some universal standards include wrinkle-free and generally modest clothing. A common option that fits this standard is a shirt, suit, jacket, suit, pants, or skirt with a collar and buttons.

If you have a white coat, this is also a good opportunity to wear it, although it is not required. Ultimately, the

best

advice to keep in mind is to pay attention to the details. Whatever the expression of your personal style, just be sure to present yourself in a consistent manner where it is obvious that you put care and attention into your professional appearance. Next, let's review best

practice

s for public speaking. The first step to consider when preparing for a presentation is your posture. Remember to stand or sit up straight. This projects externally and even internally a sense of confidence.

It also allows you to breathe more deeply and promotes clarity when speaking. Secondly, you must be aware that you establish good eye contact. It's okay to look away from time to time, especially if you're referencing your sign. But if you're pre-recording your presentation, make sure you're looking at the camera to also give the impression that you have good eye contact. Poster presentations typically only allow for a brief interaction with the potential audience. Even pre-recorded videos have limited times. In the case of Research Appreciation Day, presenters must have an average time of 5 minutes for their presentation. To accomplish this task, you need to speak concisely and clearly.

Avoid words like “uh,” “umm,” or “so” as much as you can. Instead, take a short pause, rather than filling the void with unnecessary words. Also, make sure you don't speak too fast. There is a tendency to want to fit every detail of your presentation into that short amount of time, and that may not be possible. So spend time preparing your speech so that it is concise. Finally, questions and answers are a natural part of poster presentation. Be sure to listen carefully to the question and repeat it in your answer. For example, how did you refine your selection process?

One answer could be again, our team refined our selection process, followed by the answer. This simple sentence structure indicates that you heard the question and are answering clearly. Now let's get into some technical details. If you give a virtual presentation first and have a pre-recorded video format, your video can be created in several ways. And most video files are standard for some common recommendations for pre-recorded presentations or video conferencing. Softwares such as Zoom, Skype or Teams. You can start a meeting with yourself and configure the recording site settings to save locally. This option also allows you to share your poster or a small number of slides during the presentation.

If you choose this option. Make sure your video is on and visible in the recording. Alternatively, you can record your video on your phone or in the DIY Media Corner, which is located on the fourth floor of the library in room 402. This option will require some editing because you will want to visually reference parts of your poster in the video. This may require a few extra steps, but the ability to intercut between you and the full screen and the poster itself adds a level of visual interest for those participating in Research Appreciation Day at the Health Sciences Center in Fort Worth.

Here are some specifications for presentations. First, you'll want to submit three files: a PDF of your poster, a pre-recorded amp for a video file, and an optional headshot. We recommend that you make your poster in PowerPoint. It is the easiest to export as a PDF and there are several templates available for students and staff. The most important requirement related to submitting your video is the file size, how you present it, and the overall editing of your video is intentionally open-ended, but it must be a file size of 700 megabytes or less. Since recording approaches can vary widely.

There is no relationship between the number of minutes and the file size. However, a good time to aim for is about 5 minutes max. You can check the file size by right clicking on your final video file. A menu will appear. Choose Get Info if you are in the properties of an Apple or PC, the file size will appear near the top or below the overview. If it exceeds 700 megabytes, you will need to re-record it or edit it to make it smaller. If you have concerns or questions about RAD, be sure to consult with your mentor. You can also send questions to [email protected].

I'm Lorraine Sheldon from the library. Thanks for watching. We hope this has been a useful video. You can also connect to more resources by visiting the library or the Career Readiness Center website. For more information, check out our complete series of scientific writing, poster design, and professional presentation videos.