How to Present Your Dissertation Research at a Poster Session

Many academic conferences offer an opportunity to present your research at a poster session. Poster sessions have been a longstanding feature of conferences in the sciences and social sciences, and are increasingly common in the humanities as well. If you're new to academic conferences and don't feel ready give a paper, but want an opportunity to present your research, they can be a great alternative.

What Is a Poster Session?

During a conference poster session, researchers will set up informational displays about their work. These displays may be, quite literally, in the form of a poster. Sometimes, the displays will be mounted on free-standing posterboard, and sometimes they may include media or visual aids, depending on the rules of the conference in question. Usually, conference organizers will designate a particular time when researchers are to be present at their posters in order to talk about their research and answer questions from other conference attendees.

What Is Included on a Conference Poster?

A conference poster is a visual representation of your research. It should include information about your research question, your methodology, and your conclusions. However, it's important to create a display that is visually appealing, and not overloaded with text. Break up your text into clearly designated sections and using headings to maintain visual interest, and use visualizations when possible. Both the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Stanford University School of Medicine have some useful tips on creating a visually appealing poster.

Keep your text concise, keep your poster visually interesting but clean and professional-looking, and, above all, don't forget to include your contact information so people know who you are and remember your name!

What Do I Say When I Present My Poster?

When people come to see your poster, be friendly and conversational. Talk them through the highlights of your project, and give them space to ask questions. Don't just read from your poster. You may also want to have business cards or a handout available, in case someone is interested in your work and wants to learn more or follow up with you.

Should I Present My Dissertation Work?

Presenting your dissertation research at a poster session can be a great way to get feedback on your project. It can also add a line to your CV that can be valuable when you're on the job market. Even more importantly, it can help you make connections with other scholars and researchers who are working in your field. Through these connections, you might develop new ideas or research strategies for your dissertation.

How Do I Convert a Dissertation Chapter Into a Poster?

Break your dissertation chapter down into its most important parts. What's the main question that you are asking in your chapter? How did you go about answering that question? What did you conclude about that question? In a research poster, you need to present information in a concise and compelling way, so focus on the aspects of your chapter that clearly and efficiently tell the story of how you came to you conclusions.

At Dissertation-Editor.com, we can help you turn sections of your dissertation into the text of a poster for presentation. We can also edit your poster text to ensure that it is effective and compelling. Contact us for a range of dissertation services: from dissertation editing to dissertation formatting, from research services to dissertation consultation, we're here to help! < Conference Presentation Tips, Part 1: Turning a Dissertation Chapter Into a Conference Presentation Dissertation Writing Help: Organizing a Dissertation Writing Retreat >