Making a dissertation poster is a crucial ability for every graduate student who is preparing for academic events, conferences, or symposiums. The ability to produce a poster that is understandable, polished, and eye-catching is extremely important for students in the UK in order to leave a lasting impression on UK academic audiences. A well-designed poster not only shares research work findings but also represents your creativity, attention to detail, and communication abilities. We will discuss some essential methods and dissertation poster tips for designing an eye-catching one that will impress UK academics.
- Know The Poster’s Objective
Knowing the main objective of your dissertation poster is crucial before moving into the details of the design. It gives a brief visual summary of your research and does not explain your detailed research paper. The goal is to present your research in an interesting but understandable manner. Academics usually have little time to review posters; that’s why conciseness and clarity are essential here. If it seems difficult then you can get help from a dissertation writing service.
- Adhere To The Academic Guidelines
Poster presentation guidelines usually vary in various universities, conferences, or symposiums, particularly in the United Kingdom. Usually, these guidelines cover the necessary sections, formatting guidelines, and dimensions that need to be included in the dissertation. Always make sure to review the event’s rules and tailor your poster accordingly. Make sure your design has a clear and attractive appearance by adhering to these guidelines. Here you can get help from dissertation poster writers. The standard size for academic posters is A0 (841 x 1189 mm) even if there is no requirement available on it.
- Pay Attention To Layout And Structure
Your dissertation poster should have a logical and user-friendly layout. Academic posters need to adhere to a specific flow or structure that UK academics are used to, such as:
Title
Make sure the title needs to be at the top and is precise and easily understandable. Don’t use jargon or extremely complicated language. Make sure the title is large enough for readers to read even from a distance.
Introduction
Basically, an overview to provide background information on your research. This section gives a summary of the research and should contain your research question and objectives.
Methods
A concise synopsis of your research methods. Make sure that even people who are not experts in the field of your research are able to understand your method by describing it in simple sentences or bullet points.
Results
Effectively communicate your major findings with the use of tables, figures, and graphs. These visual components are basically the main attraction of your poster so that’s why it needs to be clearly structured and understandable. Moreover, a British Medical Journal (BMJ) study found that academic posters that have a clear structure and powerful images are 45% more likely to intrigue audiences at UK conferences than those that put a lot of text in the poster.
Conclusion
Give an overview of your key conclusions and their consequences. Concisely give a summary of your study and how it relates to your research question.
References And Acknowledgments
Keep your citations and references brief but include any important things that support your research. You can also give credit to any sponsors or partners.
The layout should be easy for the audience to move or flow between these sections. Make sure every section is easy to identify and clearly labeled because UK academics are used to and prefer a logical and hierarchical flow.
- Keep Text Minimal
Most students usually make the same mistake of filling their posters with too much text. Your poster should be clear and easy to understand because UK academics value these features. Dissertation posters do not present the whole research paper but instead, give visual summaries of your work. Try to keep your information brief and concentrate on the main ideas that enhance your research.
Use direct language, bullet points, and brief sentences. Instead of using paragraphs, you must divide the content into small portions. Avoid using unnecessary detail and concentrate on what your academic audience will find most important. You don’t need to overwhelm viewers with text but you need to pique their curiosity and encourage discussion.
- Make It Eye-Catching
An eye-catching poster makes a big difference in academic contexts. Academics in the UK give more attention to posters that are well-designed and eye similarity goes with any other professional audience. It doesn’t matter how good your research is if the poster is messy or ugly.
Color Scheme
Use a color scheme that looks professional and logical. A poster that uses too many vibrant or contrasting colors will make the poster disorganized. Choose muted hues or contrasting two to three primary colors. Keep in mind that the colors should guide the attention of the user through the poster rather than destroy the content.
Graphics And Visuals
To present your findings you must always use excellent charts, diagrams, and graphics. Visuals should be proper, relevant, and correctly labeled. Academics in the UK are more likely to prefer graphs that clearly show trends or findings. Make sure all images have a high resolution to avoid pixelation on prints.
8. Proofread And Get Feedback
Make sure you proofread your dissertation poster carefully before printing or displaying it. Editing is the most important part of any work, therefore practice it to make it clearer and easier to read (help with dissertation, 2022). Make sure there are no typographical, grammatical, or spelling mistakes. Small errors give the impression of lack of attention and compromise the professionalism of your work.
Getting input from professors, colleagues, or peers is also a good idea. Feedback is a useful thing but professor feedback is more useful and important (Zacharias, 2007). Have them check your poster to get their perspective on the poster, especially from those who are not familiar with your work. This will eventually assist you in determining what needs to be improved or clarified.
Conclusion
Designing UK academic posters that will impress UK academics usually requires clarity, simplicity, and professionalism. You can make a poster that clearly presents your research by prioritizing a simple layout, using the relevant images, and making sure your content is simple to understand. Remember to follow academic guidelines and keep your UK academic audience in mind when designing the poster. Remember that your basic objective is to present your research in a way that piques readers’ curiosity, encourages discussion, and makes an impression.
Reference List
Zacharias, N. T. (2007). Teacher and Student Attitudes toward Teacher Feedback. RELC Journal, 38(1), 38–52. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688206076157
HWD., (2022). Editing Vs Proofreading – How Are They Different. Online Available at <https://www.helpwithdissertation.co.uk/blog/editing-vs-proofreading/> [Accessed on 6th May 2022]
