Annual Retreat Poster Presentation Resources
Enhance Your Presentation with Expert Feedback and Resources
Get Ready to Present Your Best Work
Welcome, Scholars! As you prepare for this year’s Annual Retreat, we’ve gathered tools to help you make your research shine.
Explore our resources. Browse our collection of guides on poster design and science communication to help you create eye-catching posters and share your findings with clarity and impact.
Book a 30-minute virtual consultation. Before the retreat, sign up for a one-on-one session where you’ll receive:
- Personalized feedback on your poster and presentation approach
- Practical strategies to sharpen your message
- Curated science communication resources
- Guidance to help you present with confidence
These sessions are a chance to turn strong research into a presentation your audience will remember.
Spots are limited, so review the resources and reserve your consultation early.
Poster Design and Science Communication Resources
Part 1: Foundational Poster Design
These resources cover broadly useful principles of poster design, which can be adapted to audience and presentation venues.
Academic Poster Resources (Yale University Library)
Description: Fundamentals of academic poster design, including accessibility considerations and a curated collection of templates and examples.
Better & Even Better Scientific Posters (UC Davis Library)
Description: Includes templates and instructions for the #betterposter format developed by Mike Morrison (2019) and the Even Better Scientific Poster format developed by MIT students (2023). The #betterposter format is built around a single large takeaway statement in plain language, which makes it especially useful for posters intended to reach non-specialists or in multidisciplinary contexts.
How to Create a Better Research Poster in Less Time (Mike Morrison)
Description: The original 2019 video, 19 minutes and 31 seconds long, that launched the #betterposter movement. Introduces a design centered on making the main finding immediately visible.
Researcher Q&A: A Conversation About the Better Poster Project (Center for Open Science)
Description: An October 2024 interview in which Mike Morrison describes the uptake of Better Poster across scientific fields, revisions based on feedback, and eye-tracking findings that informed newer layouts.
From Complexity to Clarity: Research Shows Benefit of #betterposter Templates at Cochrane Colloquium (Cochrane)
Description: A January 2024 article describing survey and interview findings from the 2023 Cochrane Colloquium. Attendees reported that posters with large figures and limited text were engaging, and described template-based posters as memorable, informative, and easier to understand.
Scientific Posters: A Learner's Guide (Ohio State Pressbooks)
Description: An open-access textbook published in 2020 that covers conventional academic poster structure and presentation for science students. Includes a detailed chapter on figures, tables, captions, and legibility.
Ten Simple Rules for a Good Poster Presentation (PLOS Computational Biology)
Description: A short guidance article published as an editorial in 2007. Covers poster purpose, design, concise content, and interaction with viewers during and after a poster session.
Part 2: Adapting Posters and Research for Community and Policy Audiences
These resources address translating research findings for non-academic audiences, including community partners, patients, advocates, journalists, and policy makers. They cover things like plain language, cultural considerations, and strategies for making findings actionable.
Community Engaged Research Posters & Infographics (UNC Chapel Hill, Health Sciences Library)
Description: Designed to support researchers presenting their work to non-academic audiences. This resource covers audience analysis, plain language, cultural considerations, infographic alternatives, and talking with community audiences during poster presentations.
Preparing and Presenting Effective Research Posters (Jane E. Miller)
Description: A peer-reviewed methods paper published in 2007 on adapting posters for mixed professional audiences, including practitioners, program planners, policymakers, and journalists. Includes worked examples of translating statistical findings into accessible language and visuals, plus guidance on accompanying explanations and handouts.
The Training Page: Plain Language Posters (National Institutes of Health, National Human Genome Research Institute)
Description: Describes an NHGRI symposium where researchers created plain-language versions of their scientific posters for non-specialist audiences. Includes the before-and-after versions of the same research poster, practical tips, and reflections from researchers about the translation process.
Tips for communicating about your research with non-scientists (National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging)
Description: A 2022 blog by Stephanie Morrison, Office of Communications and Public Liaison on how to craft your message using plain language.
Tips for Writing About Research for General Audiences (University of Michigan, Institute for Healthcare Policy & Innovation)
Description: Ten steps to center your presentation and writing around your audience.
Plain Language Materials Development Checklist (Harvard Catalyst)
Description: A plain language tool to evaluate presentation and written materials for understandability, actionability, and cultural relevance.
Patient and Community Engagement in Disseminating HEAL-Funded Research (National Institutes of Health, Helping to End Addiction Long-Term Initiative)
Description: Briefs on best practices in planning, conducting and disseminating research with community partners.
A Checklist for Communicating Science and Health Research to the Public (National Institutes of Health)
Description: Strategies for communicating studies and clinical trials to the public.
