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 (PDF).

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.

Instructions for RCAW 2024 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 for each poster being presented.  Additional copies may incur a charge, and presenters would need to pay for those additional prints.

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.

  •  Before submitting
    • Check the presentation for accuracy and ensure that it is the final product you wish to present.   
    • Confirm dimensions for poster are 36″×48” to avoid delays in printing 
  • Poster requests MUST be submitted by the primary presenter as approved by RCAW.
  • Poster requests can be submitted to either Joyner Library or Laupus Library for printing (request forms linked below).
    • Joyner Library Poster Printing
      • Posters printed at Joyner Library are picked up at the Research Help desk on the first floor (designated as Research & Instructional Services: see map). 
      • NOTE: Students can request poster tubes from Joyner Library’s poster site, but students are responsible for the additional fee.
    • Laupus Library Poster Printing (on Health Sciences campus)
      • Posters printed at Laupus Library are picked up at the main service desk (just inside 2nd floor main entrance).
  • On the request form, students should:
    • Provide their main presenters contact info
    • Choose the “Instant Dry Satin (Mid-Gloss)” paper option
      • If the presenters want the poster printed on a glossy paper, submit the file to Laupus and select “Final – Glossy Paper”.
    • Put “36 height and 48 width” for the poster dimensions and ensure their poster slide is setup the same. 
    • Attach the poster file
    • Undergraduate students must Include “RCAW 24 – Undergraduate” in the Notes field to ensure the poster is printed for free. 
    • Graduate students must include “RCAW 24 – Graduate” 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.

Virtual Poster Presentations

Virtual poster presenters should develop an asynchronous presentation that is up to 5 minutes. It should include your poster. This presentation will be accessible to the ECU community through links from the RCAW website and promoted during the week of April 1-5, 2024 and allow the ECU community to learn about your research or creative project. You do not need to be present in-person or online at any time during RCAW.

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. Online poster presentations will not be judged at RCAW.

Instructions

  1. Create a PowerPoint or Google Slides presentation as you normally would.
  • Prepare your poster with embedded audio narrations/scripts, 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. Speak clearly, maintain a steady pace, and confirm that 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.
  • Include your email address
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Name your MP4 video file as “Your Full Name RCAW Poster” then upload it to your ECU OneDrive. Share the file link to Dr. Michelle F. Eble the co-coordinator of RCAW. The due date for sharing your video is 5:00PM March 31, 2024. Feel free to inquire with her to confirm that your video was received and is not corrupted.
  • A link to your presentation will be included in the RCAW 2024 program along with your abstract. Anyone with an ECU account will be able to access the link, and we’ll be reminding participants in our annocements to view these online posters.

Helpful Resources

Microsoft PowerPoint Support

Other Resources

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.

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