CROI

Poster Presentation Guidelines

Download a full resolution printable PDF of the Poster Presentation Guidelines.

Presentation Requirements

• All posters must be set up on Sunday, March 4 between 12 noon and 5 pm or Monday, March 5 between 8 am and 9 pm (push pins will be provided on site).
• All posters will be up for the duration of the meeting.
• At least one of the authors must be present at the assigned poster during the official poster session hours of 2-4 pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.
• If you become unable to present your poster, please make arrangements for one of your co-authors to do so. Please contact the Conference Secretariat regarding any changes in presenters.
• Individual handouts relative to poster presentations are popular and encouraged. However, compilations of posters by industry are not permitted.
• All posters should be removed after the close of the meeting on Thursday, March 8. The poster hall will remain open on Thursday, March 8 from 6 to 9 pm to accommodate this request (posters not removed by this time will be discarded).

Format Requirements

• Poster tack boards are 4 feet tall and 8 feet wide.
• Poster should be easily read at a distance of 5 feet (see Components of a Poster on page 2 for font sizes).
• A poster printed on one large sheet of matte or semi-gloss paper is encouraged. Information and discounted rates for poster production and printing is available on the CROI website.
• Layout:
  • Include the title of the presentation in large letters, the authors&rquo; names, and the institution(s) where the work was completed at the top center of the poster.
  • Place your mailing and e-mail addresses and telephone and fax numbers in the upper right-hand corner of the poster.
  • A reproduction of the abstract placed in the upper left side of the poster is suggested as are the Introduction and Summary/Conclusions sections of your poster.
• Double space lines of text.
• Audiovisual equipment, transparency cases, or X-ray film viewboxes cannot be used in a poster exhibit. Only text graphs, photographs, and artwork may be placed on the poster board.
• Your poster must be portable: either flexible enough to be rolled or small enough to carry or pack.

Planning and Organizing the Poster

• Decide the overall logic of the poster. Most posters have sequential sections, e.g., “Introduction Methods Results Conclusions”. Use clear numbering or arrows to guide the viewer logically through a sequential poster.
• List the graphics that you will need for the chosen structure. Do this before you write any text. You will then be forced to see the poster in the same way as your audience. You will almost certainly discover the need for a number of interpretative graphics to link and summarize the data and results that you already have available. The poster should have all the necessary text and graphics to make it self-explanatory.
• Your poster should offer something to two contrasting types of users: the “browser”, who may only give your work a brief look from a distance, and the “ingestor” who reads every word. Browsers need a clear title and at least one graphic that encapsulates the work and which may attract them to look in more detail.

Components and Design of the Poster

The heading comprises a title for the research project, author names, and author affiliations (including city, state, and country).

Title (no smaller than 72 points, preferably in a sans serif font)

Author Names (no smaller than 36 points, preferably in a sans serif font)

Affiliations (no smaller than 26 points, preferably in a sans serif font)

The abstract summarizes the main results succinctly enough to be read in a minute or two. This is the first and maybe the only component that browsers will read after they have been attracted by your title and graphics.

The body text of the poster will describe methodology, data, results, and interpretation. Text should never dominate a poster-no more than a third of the poster should be text. The text should guide the reader logically through the graphics. The text is more digestible if it is split into logical sections interspersed with the graphics. Body text should be no smaller than 16 points and preferably in a serif font.

Data should be clear, concise, and well organized.

Captions are often necessary below each graphic to amplify its content for the detailed reader. Captions for graphics should be no smaller than 14 points and preferably in a serif font.

The conclusions are often read before the methods and results are reviewed. Conclusions should be clear and succinct and provide “take home” messages.

For the type face, use a limited range of fonts and sizes. Two fonts, one for headings and one for blocks of text, are adequate. Continuous text or figure captions can be read more rapidly in a serif font such as Times New Roman or Garamond. Headings have more impact in a sans serif font such as Helvetica or Arial.

Appropriate use of color is essential. Use some color on graphs, maps, and other line drawings. Limited use of a highlighted text to emphasize key information makes a poster more readable. Recommended color combinations are:

Graphics are the essential ingredient of any effective poster. Use photos, figures, diagrams, and charts to reflect pertinent points. Graphics should be understandable without recourse to a detailed text caption. Aim for simplicity not complexity, use graphics in preference to words, and remember that good content and design will always be more effective than sophisticated production techniques alone.

Avoid putting boxes around every graphic, caption, or block of text, as it can make your poster look excessively busy. Outline boxes are better used to group related elements of the poster, such as data, methodology, or results.