Social Psychology Poster Guidelines
Presenting a poster is not just a matter of preparing visually attractive materials; neither is just a laboratory report in large type on one sheet of paper. The poster format requires a different approach. The basic rule is to provide a short, clear description of what you did, why you did it, and what you found. You should condense complicated descriptions into a few short sentences and be bold in your style. You should aim to use references that are directly relevant to your study and make sure reviews of the literature focus on the matter at hand. In a poster should aim to convey sufficient information in all the sections but avoid extensive and unnecessary detail regarding participants, apparatus, or details of procedure. Advice on correct formatting to use can be found in the BPS Style Guide in the ‘Poster Presentation’ folder in the UniHub social psy module
For some further advice and about content see pages p.106-110 of
Szuchman, L.T. (2013) Writing with style: APA made easy (6th edition, 2013) E-book
For a self-assessment checklist see the document in the ‘poster presentation’ folder on the module page.
Marksheet4poster (checklist of poster content).docx
Format and Content of the Abstract
Length should be between 200-300 words and must be presented in a structured format using the following 5 headings set-out on the left hand side with their contents to the right.
Objectives: State the primary objective of the paper and the major quantitative research questions / hypotheses tested (if appropriate).
Design: Describe the design of the study and the rationale for the procedures adopted.
Methods: State the selection and number of participants, materials employed, and the procedures followed.
Results: State the analytic strategies employed and the main results of the study. Numerical data may be included but should be kept to a minimum.
Conclusions: State the conclusions that can be drawn from the study, including theoretical, methodological, or applied/policy implications as appropriate.
Content & structure of the Introduction
The introduction should aim for a logical progression building up to an account of your study. The temptation to write, “all-you-know” about the topic should be resisted, instead, explain the study’s rationale and include a review of directly relevant research / theory that relates to the present study. State clearly the research questions / hypotheses. Like all sections of the poster, the introduction requires editing and re-drafting. Careful proofreading is necessary to spot factual errors of name(s), date or theory, grammar, syntax and spelling. When judging the level of content, keep in mind the audience of the poster, their levels of knowledge and expertise. Do not be tempted to alter the point size of the text in order to cram more detail into the poster (for example don’t write in 12-point text when it should be in minimum 16-point).
Content & structure of the Method section
For the relevant sub-headings for the type poster you are presenting (qualitative or quantitative), refer to the marksheet4posters document in the module’s poster folder on UniHub. It is possible to combine sections (e.g. materials and procedure) under one heading if it improves the flow, reduces the word count and prevents repetition. Lists should be used only sparingly and with proper attention to detail (refer to the relevant chapter on Lists in the BPS Style Guide). For further ideas on how to use headings creatively, refer to papers published in The British Journal of Social Psychology.
Results † / Analysis ‡ ( Heading applies if study is: † quantitative, ‡ qualitative)
Aim to strike a balance between describing, summarizing and interpreting your data as the analysis unfolds. For example, with statistical summaries (M, sd, F, t, r, df, p and the like) you should add or embed them within text that connects them with the research question or hypothesis. With a thematic analysis, present clear summaries of the themes, report their connections and illustrate with carefully chosen quotes. Where appropriate use informative, properly formatted tables, graphs and thematic maps. Once again, refer to articles published to BPS / APA standards to get an insight in how to write and present material for this section. You will also find examples of how to report statistics to an APA / BPS standard in your stats books and online.
Structure of the Discussion section
In the discussion you are aiming to produce not only an overall summary of your study’s findings but an interpretation and discussion of them as well. To what extent are the research questions / hypotheses answered or supported with the current data? Relate the implications to material reviewed in the introduction. Additionally, where applicable, can you offer an explanation(s) for unexpected findings? Are there any flaws or strengths in the method that might have affected your data? Can you identify direction & form that future research could take? What conclusions can be drawn? Do the conclusions follow from your preceding arguments?
References
Should be correctly formatted both within the text and in the reference section at the end. Refer to the BPS Style Guide for assistance.
Display Design Factors of Your Poster
It is essential that your display materials be both clear and visible from a distance (1-2 metres). The poster should be as neat and visually pleasing as possible and the creative use of colours in lettering, background and figures can add considerably to poster appeal. It should be easy to identify the poster and the authors by including a heading on the poster. It is recommended that:
the title be in 3 cm letters or larger;
The authors in 1.5 cm letters;
Normal text sizes of 12 to 14 points would be too small to be read at 2 metres. Use, instead, a minimum of 16 point for text and larger (e.g. 20 point) for sub-headings and even larger for main headings (e.g 24 point)
Use a clear typeface for headings and body text. Typefaces such as comic-sans MS should be avoided.
Graphs, figures and tables should be clearly and properly labeled. They should be large enough to be read from 1-2 metres on the full-size poster.
Setting-Up Powerpoint for an A0 poster
The file you submit to UniHub must be in a final ‘ready to print’ state on A0 size paper in a Landscape orientation (NOT Portrait)
A Poster of the correct size can be set-up and saved as a single powerpoint file
Open PowerPoint
Menu : File > Page Setup…
From the slides sized for list choose custom
Type in the exact size required for A0 printed-paper in Landscape orientation
Height: 84.1 cm
Width: 118.9 cm
Set the orientation of the slides to Landscape (this is essential)
Click OK
Save the file as a PowerPoint presentation to your disk.
If you can’t get this to work then download the file A0_Landscape_poster_template.pptx from the “poster presentation” folder.
The rest is down to you. Prepare your finished sections in Word and copy / paste the sections into the poster slide. Arrange text and graphics as necessary & don’t forget to save your work. In Powerpoint, the zoom control is useful to l make the slide bigger or smaller for the screen you are using.
Further guidance on how to prepare & format your poster can be found by searching the web.
