MAKE IT VISUAL! Use clear and informative charts: always consider ways to present your ideas with more than words, like illustrations, photographs, charts, and graphs. Make sure that photographs are not pixelated and don’t identify patients or any un-consenting subjects.
Title: Include a title that describes the focus of your story. The title should clearly identify the contents of the abstract. Be sure to capitalize the first letter of each word in the title, with the exception of prepositions and articles.
Authors: List all authors and co-authors with their titles and their institution.
Arrangement: The poster should have a definite sense of direction and should match the logical flow of information. Your poster should generally read from left to right, following the outline. Use lines, frames, contrasting colors, or arrows to call attention to important points.
Lettering: Select a clean, simple English letter font/style and use it consistently throughout the poster. Less words (Font Arial, body 10-12 titles 14-20) the smallest letters should be at least 1⁄4" tall (18 point) and easy to read. Use both upper and lower case letters (do not use all capital letters) especially in body copy.
Colors: Light background, Black fonts. Aim to use no more than four colors. Color can help to highlight sections or point out similarities and differences but too many colors can detract from the main message.
Accuracy: You are responsible for the data accuracy and ensuring you have permission to publicize this in a public conference.
Avoid Clutter: Communicate enough information so that viewers understand your work but avoid unnecessary details that may confuse the message. Overcrowding is a problem with poster design. While accuracy is important, your poster should stimulate interest rather than provide complete details.
Numbers: Spell out numbers only at the beginning of a sentence. Use zeros before decimal points.
Symbols: Use only industry standard symbols where applicable.
Tables and Graphs: All tables and graphs should be numbered, titled, and cited where appropriate in the text. Titles of tables and graphs MUST include the measures and you should label all axes. Graphs and tables MUST include the source of the data.
Lab. or data values: When citing recorded values in your hospital, include units and range for normal.
- For QI projects, the poster should preferably include data tables, figures, KPI charts or live photos. Data presentation is encouraged in a qualitative content analysis or time-ordered data (e.g., run charts, control charts, time series analysis). Please make sure all documents/images are high quality and easy to read
Abbreviations: Use the complete term/phrase before including the acronym or abbreviation in parentheses - remember there are others who may be interested in your poster who may not be familiar with industry / clinical terms. Remember to define your terms clearly and succinctly to avoid confusion.
Poster size: Posters will be printed in A0 size, landscape orientation - please incorporate this point in your design.
Poster Template: Please click
here to download a suggested A0 template for QI projects in PowerPoint format. To see a poster example in PDF format please click here. For other types of poster submissions, you may design your own template in A0 landscape orientation.
Remember to make sure that all co-authors reviewed and approved the content and presentation of the poster. It is your responsibility to ensure appropriate professional language is used and that the content is proofread by a specialist.
