Poster Presentation Guide

Last updated October 11, 2022

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Spoken Presentation Guide
Statistical Guidelines
Draft Abstract Book

PowerPoint Template (Download)
Zoom Background (Download)

 
Overview
Digital Poster Upload Deadline
Poster Requirements: Digital Posters (PDFs)   
Poster Requirements: Printed Posters
Video/Audio Recording Instructions (Optional)
Day of Presentation (Boston Presentations Only)

Overview

Poster sessions are a forum for information exchange that allows attendees to quickly skim your material, and presenters to engage interested viewers in direct, informal, one-on-one discussion. Unlike a spoken presentation where research is presented to an audience of multiple people, a poster presentation can be more conversational. The poster itself should be self-explanatory, allowing viewers to quickly discern the most important points of your research and encouraging further dialogue.

The 2022 Annual Meeting in Boston includes multiple poster sessions. For the full schedule, view the 2022 Abstract Book. 

Additionally, there is a virtual poster hall associated with the virtual portion of this year's meeting. While the virtual portion of the meeting includes no live poster presentations, all poster presenters (including those who are also presenting their posters in person in Boston) are required to upload a digital version of their poster (PDF) to the conference website so that it may be accessed by virtual attendees. Poster presenters may also choose to upload a video or audio recording to accompany their poster PDF. While not required, this recording is strongly recommended. 

Digital posters must be uploaded to your Presenter Portal by October 27, 2022. To upload your poster, you must use the unique presenter access link that was included with the acceptance notification email that was sent to you on July 26, 2022. (It has also been included in subsequent presenter communications.) If you do not have your unique presenter link, please contact Peggy Fergus at pfergus@psychonomic.org and include your name and abstract number or abstract title. 

Digital posters and accompanying video and audio recordings will be available for early, on demand viewing beginning on November 4th. They will remain available until February 18, 2023. There are no set virtual poster sessions. 

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Digital Poster Upload Deadline:  October 27, 2022

All poster PDFs (required) and accompanying video or audio presentations (optional) must be uploaded to the conference website via your Presenter Portal by October 27, 2022.  A unique link to your presenter portal was included in the presentation confirmation email you received on July 26, 2022. It has also been included in subsequent presenter communications. If you do not have access to your unique presenter portal link, please email Peggy Fergus at pfergus@psychonomic.org and include your name and abstract number or abstract title. 

All poster presenters, including those who are also presenting a poster on-site in Boston, are required to upload a digital version of their poster by October 27, 2022. 

Virtual-only poster presenters are not required to be online at any specific time, as the online poster hall will open on November 4th for early access and remain open for the duration of the conference. We encourage you to actively participate in the virtual poster hall by monitoring your poster to respond to comments/questions, and viewing and interacting with other poster presenters. 

Instructions for preparing your digital poster (PDF) are included below.

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Poster Requirements: Digital Posters (PDFs)

All presenters (including those who will be presenting a poster in Boston) are required to upload a digital poster (PDF) to the conference website via their Presenter Portal. Digital posters must be uploaded by October 27th. 

Questions about uploading your digital poster? Contact Peggy Fergus at pfergus@psychonomic.org and include your name and abstract number or abstract title. 

The formatting instructions for digital posters (PDFs) are similar to the instructions for printed posters, except that you are free to set your size dimensions. All remaining instructions are the same. 

Title/Banner

Prepare a banner for the top of your poster indicating the title, authors, and affiliations. Lettering in the label should be at least 1 inch (2.54 cm) high.

Abstract Number

Your abstract number can be found in the Draft Abstract Book . (To search the Abstract Book, download the file as a PDF and use control-F or command-F.) It is also listed in your Presenter Portal, which you can access via the unique link that was included in the confirmation email you were sent on July 26, 2022. 

Presenter and Co-author Names

The poster should include the names and affiliations of all the contributing authors included with the abstract in the program. The name and affiliation of the presenting author should be clearly indicated.

Illustrations

Figures should be designed to be viewed from a variety of screens, using clear, visible graphics. Although each figure should illustrate no more than one or two major points, figures need not be simple. The main points should be clear without extended viewing, but detail can be included for the knowledgeable viewer.

Statistics

Please follow the Psychonomic Society Statistical Guidelines. Effect sizes should be reported and error bars with appropriate labels should be included on all graphs.

Layout

Arrange materials in columns rather than in rows. It is easier to scan a poster by moving systematically along it rather than by zigzagging back and forth in front of it. An introduction should be placed at the upper left and a conclusion at the lower right, both in large type. The sequence of illustrations should be indicated with numbers or letters at least 1-inch high, preferably in bold print.

You may find it convenient to have a separate section describing methods, but it is quite effective to include this information as part of the data presentation, as described above. Carefully chosen photographs of apparatus, or schematic diagrams of procedures, can convey a great deal of information about methods without much text. Most viewers will tend to skim or ignore long textual passages.

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Poster Requirements: Printed Posters (Boston Presentations Only)

Poster Dimensions
For proper display at the venue, your poster should have a horizontal (or landscape) orientation and be no larger than the following dimensions:

Width: 8 feet (2.44 meters)

Height: 4 feet (1.22 meters)

Posters are typically printed in one of the following sizes. Choose the size that's best for you based on the material you're presenting and your budget. 

36" x 48" 
48" x 60" 
48" x 96" 

Printing costs vary by size.

Title/Banner

The title of your poster should be prominent, generally a banner across the top and visible to attendees from a distance. Lettering should be at least 1-inch (2.54 cm) high.

Poster boards are numbered and ordered by the abstract code included in the email with your schedule. It is recommended that you include the poster number at the top of your poster, generally in the top left corner.

The title and poster number should be the same as the corresponding abstract in the 2022 Program. In person poster numbers begin with 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 which represents which poster session you will be in. The next three numbers represent your poster board number in the poster hall. Virtual poster numbers begin with a V. 

Abstract Number

Your abstract number can be found in the Draft Abstract Book. (To search the Abstract Book, download the file as a PDF and use control-F or command-F.) It is also listed in your Presenter Portal, which you can access via the unique link that was included in the confirmation email you were sent on July 26, 2022. 

Presenter and Co-author Names

The poster should include the names and affiliations of all the contributing authors included with the abstract in the program. The name and affiliation of the presenting author should be clearly indicated.

Illustrations

Figures should be designed to be viewed from a variety of screens, using clear, visible graphics. Although each figure should illustrate no more than one or two major points, figures need not be simple. The main points should be clear without extended viewing, but detail can be included for the knowledgeable viewer.

Statistics

Please follow the Psychonomic Society Statistical Guidelines. Effect sizes should be reported and error bars with appropriate labels should be included on all graphs.

Layout

Arrange materials in columns rather than in rows. It is easier to scan a poster by moving systematically along it rather than by zigzagging back and forth in front of it. An introduction should be placed at the upper left and a conclusion at the lower right, both in large type. The sequence of illustrations should be indicated with numbers or letters at least 1-inch high, preferably in bold print.

You may find it convenient to have a separate section describing methods, but it is quite effective to include this information as part of the data presentation, as described above. Carefully chosen photographs of apparatus, or schematic diagrams of procedures, can convey a great deal of information about methods without much text. Most viewers will tend to skim or ignore long textual passages.

Printing

You may print your poster ahead of time and bring it with you, or you may order a printed version of your poster from a nearby print shop. The following print shops are located within a one-mile radius of the Sheraton Boston Hotel. If you choose to use a local print shop, we strongly encourage you to contact them far in advance of the conference for instructions on how to submit your poster for printing and a printing timeline. Print shops often cannot print posters at the last minute. Planning ahead is strongly advised. 

Print Shops*

Calloway Graphix Printing
361 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116 
+1-888-538-3834
Order a Poster Online

Sir Speedy Printing
827 Boylston Rd., Boston, MA 02116
+1-617-267-9711
Poster Printing - Request a Quote

*Please note that the list above is not endorsed by the Psychonomic Society. PS cannot guarantee poster printing prices and is not responsible for the cost of printing your poster or the time it takes to print the poster. 

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Video/Audio Recording Instructions (Optional)

While not required, each poster presenter is highly encouraged to record a short (up to five minute) video or audio presentation to accompany their digital poster. You may record your video or audio file independently and upload it to your Presenter Portal, or you may use the built-in recording feature within the Presenter Portal to create a video or audio file.

Video and audio recordings make a digital poster feel more interactive, and usually result in more people viewing and interacting with your poster. Additionally, these recordings make your poster more accessible, as attendees who may need to use a reader or captions will be able to do so with your recording. All poster presenters are strongly encouraged to create a video or audio presentation to accompany their digital poster.

• Video File Format: MP4
• Video Set-Up: A short (up to five minute) video accompanying your digital poster, or including a rotating PowerPoint deck with all the information from your poster.  
• Number of slides: If you choose to include a rotating PowerPoint deck, you may include up to 5 content slides. The title slide does not count against your 5-slide limit. All screen formats must be in a 16:9 ratio. The 2022 Annual Meeting PowerPoint template is available for download here. It has been pre-formatted to fit all recording requirements.
• Length of Recording: Your video or audio recording may be up to 5 minutes long. You may upload your own recording or use the built-in recording mechanism in your Presenter Portal to create this recording. 
• Each slide must include your abstract number and your last name. Your abstract number can be found in the  Draft Abstract Book. (To search the Abstract Book, download the file as a PDF and use control-F or command-F.) 
• Download and use the 2022 Annual Meeting PowerPoint template for your presentation. It has been pre-formatted to fit all recording requirements.
• Download and use the 2022 Annual Meeting Zoom Background when recording your video.
• To improve accessibility, please leave the bottom 20% of each slide free of text and graphics, to help ensure that captions do not hide any of the information being presented on your slides.
• Add & Edit Captions using the auto-captioning tool in your Presenter Portal. After you have uploaded your recording or created a new recording in the Presenter Portal, you will be automatically prompted to review a set of auto-captions and make corrections as needed. Please pay special attention to names and scientific jargon, as these often need to be corrected. DO NOT ADD CAPTIONS TO YOUR RECORDING INDEPENDENT OF THE PRESENTER PORTAL. The auto-captioning mechanism will add captions to all recordings in the system. If you add your own captions, your video will include an overlapping set of captions, making it impossible to read.  

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Regardless of whether you record a video or audio recording on your own or use the Presenter Portal's built-in recording mechanism, the following tips and tricks will help ensure you capture the highest quality recording. 

• Ensure you are in a quiet location with limited background noise, so we can hear you clearly.
• Use the 2022 Annual Meeting Zoom Background.
• Determine if you are using headphones or not for clear recording quality.
• Ensure you have strong internet bandwidth.
• Position yourself facing a window if possible. Do not have a window behind you. If there are bright lights on behind you, please turn them off.
• Look into the camera lens when speaking whenever possible.
• If possible, or helpful, ask someone to do a test call from the location you will be recording in.

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Day of Presentation (Boston Presentations Only)

All presentation times are in U.S. Eastern Time (the local time in Boston).

Each poster presenter has been assigned to one poster session. (Please note that virtual-only poster presentations do not require being online at a specified time. Virtual posters are available on-demand beginning November 4 and running for the duration of the conference.)

Please refer to the 2022 Abstract Book for the date of your assigned poster session. (To search the Abstract Book, download the file as a PDF and use control-F or command-F.) 

Arrive at your poster session no later than 15 minutes prior to its scheduled start time. This will give you time to find your poster board (it's a large, busy poster hall!), set up your poster, and get ready for some great interactions with attendees. 

Special Assistance

The Psychonomic Society wishes to ensure that no individual is excluded because of the absence of auxiliary aids or services identified in the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you require special assistance at the meeting, please contact Member Services at info@psychonomic.org. 

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Questions?
Contact Peggy Fergus, PS Education Manager