Research Week: Poster Presentations (In Person)

Photo of front of library

Poster presentations will be held throughout the week and will be scheduled based on the research category. Posters will remain on display until 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 18. Please consult the Research Week Schedule

Poster presentations must follow the guidelines below.


Categories and Judging Rubrics

Poster presentations will be entered into one of the following categories. Click on the category for a description of the type of research that it addresses and to see the judging rubric.


Poster Guidelines

Printed posters must:

  • be 36 in. x 48 in. and printed on foam core, cardboard, or on paper that is then mounted onto a cardboard or foam backing. (Posters may be oriented horizontally or vertically.)
  • follow one of the templates provided below, which includes the university logo and red or blue color scheme. (Undergraduate posters must use the red background and graduate posters must use the blue background as shown in the templates. The font sizes and layout formatting may be modified.)
  • use a legible and professional font such as Times New Roman, Helvetica, or Calibri.
  • have the title across the top in large letters. (A 60-point font is recommended, but a 36-point font is the minimum.)
  • use a 24-point font or larger for the main text.
  • include the following sections, using the appropriate terms for the discipline:
    • Abstract or Background
    • Introduction and/or Research Question
    • Methods
    • Results and/or Conclusion
    • Future Work
    • References and/or Acknowledgments
  • include citations for any images or creative displays of information. (Written permission from the owner must be secured for any copyrighted materials included on the poster.)
  • reflect the approved final products. (Once the final product has been approved, minor changes to charts, graphs, and text are allowed, but changes to the template format or adding new pictures/images are not allowed. If any changes are made, a copy of the new version must be provided to the moderator.)

Participant Guidelines

Students must:

  • review the Research Week Schedule in advance to ensure availability to participate at that time. (Rescheduling of presentation times is not allowed due to the availability of judges.)
  • be physically present with their printed poster.
  • print their own posters. (Students should contact their faculty sponsor if they have questions or need assistance with printing their poster.)
  • be prepared to give a 2-3 minute summary to judges and attendees and to answer questions that may be asked.
  • check in at the welcome desk in JFL’s upper atrium between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on the day of their assigned presentation time.
  • set up the poster on the provided easel, be ready to present their poster in their assigned location at least 10 minutes prior to their presentation time, and remain with their posters throughout the scheduled time. (JFL reserves the right to cancel a presenter’s poster session if the participant’s poster is not displayed at the start of the session.)
  • dress professionally.
  • leave posters on display following their presentation and pick them up on Thursday, April 18, between 4-7 p.m. (Posters remaining at the Jerry Falwell Library after two weeks will be discarded.)

Best Practices

The ideal poster is designed to attract attention, provide a brief overview of the work, and initiate discussion. Best practices for poster design include:

  • covering the key points while avoiding excessive details. (Additional details can be provided during the poster presentation discussion and/or with a handout.)
  • using pictures, diagrams, cartoons, figures, etc. rather than text wherever possible.
  • using bullets instead of paragraphs wherever possible.
  • having an understandable flow that the audience can comprehend.

Helpful Resources

Students are strongly encouraged to view the following brief video: