Making an academic poster for beginners

Professional skills courses
Best EGSH Article nominees

Introduction

Academic conferences often have poster sessions where researchers show their latest projects and studies through visual displays. It is important to know how to design a poster that clearly communicates the research without using too much text. Creating a good poster is more than just summarizing research on a large sheet of paper. Posters use a different way of communicating than academic papers. The graphics and text should work well together to clearly present the main points of the research and engage the audience.

Course information

ECTS: 1.5
Number of sessions: 2
Hours per session: 3 (session 1), 1,5 (session 2)

Key Facts & Figures

Type
Course
Instruction language
English
Mode of instruction
Offline

What will you achieve?

  • Identify the basic principles of turning a manuscript or paper into a poster.
  • Prepare a visual concept that effectively communicates an academic poster.
  • Create an academic poster using tools like Canva and PowerPoint.
  • Present the poster confidently and clearly to an audience.
  • Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of an academic poster for improvements.

Start dates

Session 1
January 17 (Friday) 2025
10.00-13.00 hrs
Mandeville building (campus map), room T19-01

Session 2
January 31 (Friday) 2025
10.00-11.30 hrs
Mandeville building (campus map), room T19-01

Aims and working method

In this two-session course, participants will learn how to turn a manuscript or paper into a poster. They will also learn about visual communication and how to conceptually design posters for conferences. The course includes lectures, hands-on assignments, and mini poster presentation to make the learning experience engaging and practical.

Target group

  • This course is designed for PhD candidates with little to no experience in design or poster creation.
  • It is suitable for beginners, so prior knowledge of visual design is not required.
  • The primary focus is on helping PhD candidates prepare to present their work through a poster at a conference.

How to prepare

In order to actively participate in this course, you are expected to prepare:

  • Have a paper or article you would like to turn into a poster. It could be your own paper or other papers.
  • Bring a laptop in the first session. Ensure it is installed with MS PowerPoint at least. If you do not have access to a laptop, please include this in the comment section of the enrolment form.
  • Print the assignment (poster) in A3 size and color mode for the session 2.

Session descriptions

  • Common pitfalls & quick wins
  • Converting writing into graphic design
  • Introductory to some design tools for designing a poster

  • Opportunities for interaction in a poster-demo conference
  • Evaluating poster concept design

Instructor

  • Portrait of Novika Purnama Sari
    Novika Purnama Sari is an assistant professor at the University of Groningen (RUG). She received her PhD at the Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) in which her projects were embedded into Generation R Cohort Study Erasmus Medical Centre (EMC). In 2020-2021 she contributed as the chair of PhD Council in Erasmus Graduate School of Social Sciences and the Humanities (ESGH). She also received the Best Poster Award, in 2019 and 2022, by Erasmus Graduate School of Social Sciences and the Humanities (EGSH). Previously, she gained professional experience in a Danish design company as a project manager. In this role, her responsibility revolved around ensuring that clients received design outcomes that met their expectations. She served as the intermediary between customers and designers, receiving instructions and feedback from clients, and collaborating with the design team to achieve the desired design outcomes.

Contact

Telephone: +31 10 4082607 (Graduate School).

Facts & Figures

Fee
  • free for PhD candidates of the Graduate School
  • € 300,- for non-members

consult  our enrolment policy for more information

Tax
Not applicable
Offered by
Erasmus Graduate School of Social Sciences and the Humanities
Course type
Course
Instruction language
English
Mode of instruction
Offline

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