<p>I'm doing research (molecular biology) for the first time this summer and recently I got to participate in a national poster competition on August.
In the past, I never attended a poster competition, conference, or any formal event where I have to present my research/poster, nor have I participated in it, so I don't know what it's going to be like and how I should approach it.
For those of you with experiences on such an event, I would appreciate any advice you have to offer.
Thanks!</p>
<p>what competition is it?</p>
<p>if you've ever presented at your lab's group meetings, it's something like that. basically, be prepared to answer every question you can think of about your research.</p>
<p>A good poster layout is important. Keep the lines clean. The eye should flow naturally over the information - it should be clear where the reader should look next. Make sure the font and size of the text is easy to read - it doesn't help if people have to squint or get up close to read. Use your space well - you'll want to pack in as much information as you can, but remember that a little white space here and there is good. Print in color if you can. </p>
<p>Get people in your lab to proofread your poster - if your labmates can't understand it, people who are unfamiliar with your work won't get it, either. Know your poster inside and out - be able to explain the relevance of every graphic. Thoroughly understand the research that constitutes the foundation for your project. Demonstrate that you understand the rationale behind everything you did during your experiments and analysis - people will ask you why you chose to do this over that. Be sure that you can explain why your work is relevant to the field and where your project may be headed in the future.</p>
<p>When actually presenting to people, make sure you have good posture and make good eye contact - project assurance and maturity. Dress appropriately - it's better to be too formal than too casual. If you present in front of a small group of people in a big hall, speak up so that your audience can hear you over the noise from other people. When you talk, point to the specific part of the poster and make sure that your own body is not obscuring anyone's view.</p>
<p>Thanks for the posts!</p>
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what competition is it?
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FordGT: The one hosted by UBC.</p>
<p>
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if you've ever presented at your lab's group meetings, it's something like that. basically, be prepared to answer every question you can think of about your research.
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MolSysBio: I've done a 10 minute powerpoint presentation once at my lab meeting, and that's the only research presentation I've ever done. In the event website, I saw that the poster session will be 3 hours. Does that mean that presenters are going to present the same things over and over again for 3 hours while many different random spectators pass by you and your poster?</p>
<p>
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In the event website, I saw that the poster session will be 3 hours. Does that mean that presenters are going to present the same things over and over again for 3 hours while many different random spectators pass by you and your poster?
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</p>
<p>Yup. There will be a ton of people milling about, and you can present to the people who come by and stop in front of your poster. Some people won't be interested in hearing your whole schpeal - they'll just want to ask you a quick question or two. Other people will just be looking at your poster and not interested in talking to you at all.</p>
<p>I actually don't think it's much like presenting to your lab group, since the environment and the way you present are much different.</p>
<p>OMG the event is already less than a month away. Time surely flies. I'm really scared I would screw up on my presentation. I'm also worried about answering judges' questions. My knowledge on research project is too shallow, lacking, and superficial. I'll have a hard time formulating answers that demonstrate my knowledge of my project. What should I do about it at this point? I don't even have any results yet. I haven't even started making the poster. For writeup, I've written out my Introduction and Materials and Methods, though, but have none written out for remaining sections like Results and Conclusion. OMG OMG :(</p>