Student Poster Competition Information

Evaluation and Judging

Students who present posters in the Student Competition will be evaluated in the following areas:

• Scientific Content - 60%

  • Abstract
    • Abstract informative, well written (5 points)
    • Presentation correlates with abstract (5 points)
  • Content
    • Introduction and background with pertinent literature cited (10 points)
    • Objectives clearly stated and concise (10 points)
    • Materials and methods (study design) clear and concise (10 points)
    • Results and discussion clear, concise, and accurate (10 points)

• Poster Display - 40%

  • Organization
    • Logical order, minimum redundancy (5 points)
    • Effective use of space; smooth transitions between sections (5 points)
  • Text, Figures, Tables
    • Legible with large fonts, color contrast, no conflicting backgrounds (10 points)
    • Text with no grammatical errors; not excessively wordy (10 points)
    • Effective use of figures and/or tables, coordinated with text (10 points)

Each poster display is judged independently by three judges. In the event of a tie or major discrepance in scores, the judges will meet with the Student Competition Chair(s) to resolve the issue. 

Sessions and Setup

Students compete only against the students in their poster display session. 

Poster dimensions should not exceed 46x46 inches (117x117cm). Push pins are discouraged to hang posters. Please bring your own Velcro.

Suggestions for Posters

• Abstracts do not need to be on the poster. They will be printed in the program. 
• Focus of attention: The focus of attention must be on the subject content. If the design overshadows the subject matter, the message is likely to be lost. 
• Size and selection of visuals: Larger visuals attract more attention. Visuals not relevant to the content will distract the viewer. 
• Density of visuals and text (labels): Too many visuals (pictures) and text (labels) in a small space decreases readers' attention because each object is in competition with the others. Minimize these to prevent stimulus overload. Generally a maximum length of 50-75 words per label results in a higher probability of people reading it. 
• Ability to read text: Letters should be large so that they can easily be read from 2-3 feet away. Avoid Old English and other "fancy" fonts.
• Poster layout:
  • Use a consistent layout with heading and subheading font and size standardized.
  • Use bulleted lists to facilitate reading.
  • Relate the content of the text to the picture it describes.
  • Reduce competing stimuli - Avoid placing a large number of labels and visuals next to one another.
  • Provide good contrast between the text and background (avoid white on white, blue on navy, etc.).