Instructions for Poster Presentations

This page has information on creating a poster presentation (in-person), printing posters, and developing virtual poster presentations.


Information on Creating a Poster Presentation (In-Person)

Research and Creative Achievement Week (RCAW) is an occasion for the display, performance, and evaluation of student research and creative activity projects, whether originating solely from student(s) or carried out collaboratively with faculty.

During the two-hour poster sessions, students will provide a brief overview of the study displayed on the poster and then answer questions. Students will have an opportunity to discuss their projects with at least two judges. Other RCAW attendees may also be in the vicinity. For more information on judging, see the judging instructions.

Posters should be 36″ x 48″. Below are links to templates that can be changed and/or modified the for the purposes of your presentation.

Poster Template #1 (PowerPoint)

Poster Template #2 (PowerPoint)

Instructions for RCAW ’23 Printing

For undergraduate students, the poster fee has been waived courtesy of the Office of Undergraduate Research at REDE, and only one waiver is allowed is for each poster presenter.

For graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, the poster fee has been waived courtesy of the Graduate School.

If a presenter has two or more posters, then they would have to coordinate the expense with their mentors or pay themselves.

  • Poster requests can be submitted to either Joyner Library or Laupus Library for printing (request forms linked below).
  • On the request form, students should:
    • Provide their contact info
    • Choose the “Final Glossy” paper option
    • Put “36 x 48” for the poster dimensions and ensure their poster slide is setup the same.
    • Attach the poster file
    • The student must Include “RCAW 23” in the Notes field to ensure the poster is printed for free.
    • No need to provide a budget officer’s email address on the form, students can ignore that space.
  • After submitting their poster requests, students will receive an email confirmation when their poster has been printed and is ready for pick up at either location. Please don’t call to check status, wait for the email confirmation.
  • PLEASE NOTE: It’s important for students to submit their RCAW posters for printing as soon as possible. If we get inundated with a majority of the requests in the last couple of days prior to the event, we cannot guarantee printing in time.

 

Information on Creating a Virtual Poster Presentation 
Virtual Presentation

Virtual poster presenters should develop a presentation that is up to 5 minutes in length. This presentation will be played as a video during a scheduled time and allows the wider ECU community to learn about your research or creative project. You do not need to be present while the presentation is being delivered. 

The content of the poster presentation should be tailored accordingly for your intended audience within your discipline and to non-experts, so you will need to determine the fine balance between both types of audiences. You should provide an overview of your project including the background/literature, basic question(s), methods, and results (if applicable). Also make sure to mention conclusions or potential implications of your work. Unlike in-person poster presentations, online poster presentations will not be judged at RCAW. 

The due date for sharing your 1080p HD MP4 video to me (trant@ecu.edu) as a downloadable link from your ECU OneDrive is Friday, March 31stat 5:00PM EDT. I ask that you observe the following as well:

  • Do not create 4K videos as there are too many poster files to manage this year and storage limitations will easily be an issue.
  • Do not email me your video – the email server cannot handle files larger than 20MB in size.
  • If you are an animal researcher, do recognize ECU IACUC’s policy on obtaining permission if showing media (photographs, videos) of animals (consult with your mentor) or refrain from showing such media and opt for alternatives (i.e., illustrations, diagrams, etc.) that are in respectable taste for public viewing and the welfare of animals.
  • If you carry out work on human participants, then do recognize the allowances in your study as approved by the IRB (consult with your mentor).
Instructions

1. Create a PowerPoint or Google Slides presentation as you normally would. 

2. Prepare your presentation with embedded audio narrations, animations, video, etc. The first slide must contain the title of the presentation as originally submitted in February and the authorship (all authors in the research/creative project). It is recommended that you include captions or subtitles to make your presentation more inclusive for audiences with disabilities. Do make sure that you speak clearly, maintain a steady pace, and the audio level is suitable for hearing (not too loud, not too soft). Other design considerations: 

• Use text that is clear and to the point. 

• Use bullets, numbering, and headlines to make it easy to read. 

• Add graphs, charts, and photos with colors and fonts that are pleasing to the eye. 

• Create a consistent and clean layout. Your story should “flow” logically. 

• Include acknowledgments of your mentor(s)/advisor(s) and any external institutions (e.g., Regis University, Denver, CO) 

3. Refrain from embedding media (animations, audio, graphics, photos, video) or any other creative content that is copyrighted or has restricted use by their owners. Do credit any media that requires Creative Commons attribution. If in doubt, create your own content. 

4. Record your presentation using any platform that allows for screen recording with embedded audio, including Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Teams, OBS Studio, Mac OS, Zoom, and WebEx Meetings. You should make sure that the platform you use allows for saving/exporting 1080p (HD) resolution MP4 video. Please do not save your videos in 4K, as the file sizes will be too large to store and manage. 

5. The video length should be no more than 5 minutes, although a few seconds over is fine if the additional time is necessary to preserve the integrity of your message. 

6. Name your MP4 video file as “Your Full Name RCAW Poster” then upload it to your ECU OneDrive. Share the file link to Dr. Tuan Tran (trant@ecu.edu), the co-coordinator of RCAW. The due date for sharing your video is 5:00PM March 31, 2023. Feel free to inquire with him to confirm that your video was received and is not corrupted. 

7. Your presentation will be scheduled for viewing at Main Campus Student Center on either Monday 4/3 (undergraduate) or Wednesday 4/5 (graduate/postdoc). Attendees will be able to view it in a designated room during a scheduled time block. You can find when and where your presentation is scheduled in the RCAW Abstract/Program Book, which will be available on the RCAW website in late March. 

Helpful Resources 

Microsoft PowerPoint Support 

• Record Your Screen in PowerPoint
• Export Your Video as HD (choose 1080p resolution)
• Add Closed Captions or Subtitles (we recommend this for accessibility) 

Other Resources 

• Record Google Slides as Video and OBS Studio (Kevin Stratvert)
• Record Screen on Zoom (Kevin Stratvert)
• Record Screen on MS Teams (Kevin Stratvert)
• Record Screen on WebEx Meetings (Kevin Stratvert)

 

University Excused Absence – Dean of Students website

Student presenters are eligible for a University Excused Absence if your poster presentation conflicts with one of your courses. Students need to follow the normal procedures to request a University Excused Absence by reviewing the information on the Dean of Students website.