Learn more about how the Cal Poly Humboldt Library can help
support your research and learning needs.

Stay updated at Campus Ready.

Skip to Main Content

Creating a Research Poster

This is a guide based on one from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign University Library

Books and eBooks

Design

Check out Scribus!

Scribus is an Open Source program that brings professional Layout to Linux/UNIX, Mac OS, OS/2 Warp 4/eCom Station and Windows desktop with a combination of press-ready output and new approaches to page design.

Underneath a modern and user-friendly interface, Scribus supports professional publishing features, such as color separations, CMYK and Spot Color support, ICC color management, and versatile PDF creation.

Check out Gimp!

GIMP is an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed program for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring.

It has many capabilities. It can be used as a simple paint program, an expert quality photo retouching program, an online batch processing system, a mass production image renderer, an image format converter, etc.

What to expect at the poster session

>> Dress is business casual - wear comfortable shoes!

>> Arrive early! You'll need time to make sure that your poster is properly mounted.

>> Bring your own push pins and if you are presenting at a professional conference, a black marker and some white out. Even if you didn't make any mistakes on your poster, a fellow colleague may be very grateful!

>> Practice your lightning talk ahead of time and be prepared to answer new questions about your research. Some questions to consider:

  • Why did you choose this particular research question?
  • What did you learn that you did not expect?
  • What is the most interesting aspect that you learned?
  • What would your next steps be if you could continue this research next semester?

>> There will be a lot of people around the posters at any one time - don't focus your attention on only one person. Use your body langauge to invite people to view your poster and ask you questions.

>> Do not leave early! Even if it seems slow, you should stay until the poster session time slot is over.