Academic posters are effective way to convey a research result as well as to spread awareness about certain condition. While writing a blog or paper gives detail information about your research, posters when prepared effectively are epigrammatic to attract readers especially those with shorter attention span. When combined with relevant aesthetically appealing visuals, a poster can be used to spread awareness in among any audiences. Unlike blog writing, posters are more engaging if focused around one or two key points. The content and design of the poster coveys the best when prepared with a simple clear story and a focused take home message.
Guidelines to prepare a poster for VSA
Posters should accompany with 250 words abstract and 4-5 relevant keywords.
- Font style: Times New Roman Font, justified, black
- Consistent use of UK English / British English
- Write the full term for each abbreviation at its first use
Poster Format
Title
- Shorter the better – maximum 15 words. Maintain the same title as your abstract
- Formatted in regular case, Bold, Font size 18
- Title should identify the content of the poster
- Type of the poster – Research article, Case Report, Case discussion, Awareness, Survey
- Authors – Include not more than 8 authors
- Affiliations – Should be presented below authors. This should include the Institution name represented by the author
Main Body
Considering you follow a logical structure, VSA allows the creative freedom to the authors to present their ideas. Try to avoid use of jargons and too many texts.
- Subheadings: Font size 14, bold
- Text body: Font size 14, Regular
- Avoid using full sentences, short, bullet point format is preferred
- Scientific sources referred for the report preparation should be cited and presented in the reference list. Number references consecutively in the order in which they are first mentioned. Identify references in text, tables, and captions by Arabic numerals superscripted under parenthesis above the line. For e.g., XXXXXX. (1)
- Referencing style needs to be uniform, preferably APA, Vancouver format
Visual Illustrations
- Use relevant tables and figures which are aesthetically pleasing
- Provide appropriate and interesting explainer pictures (300dpi) to your write up to make it appealing to the readers. You can try to be innovative in using such pictures to grab readers’ attention
- Avoid using copyright images
- Use only static images, avoid embedding GIFS and videos in the poster
- If the image is taken from a webpage or any published sources, courtesy should be stated
- Patient’s privacy should be maintained
How to prepare poster
- Tools – Freely available programs such as Power point, Canva and Microsoft publisher (You can download the prepared PowerPoint poster template from VSA and modify it)
- Submission format – PDF
- Both portrait and Landscape format is accepted
- A patient consent form: any article that contains personal medical information about an identifiable living individual requires the patient’s explicit consent before we can publish it.
- Declaration of interest: All authors must disclose any financial relationships with other organisations or industry that could inappropriately influence (bias) their writing. For example, if author is presenting a particular technology or device from a company a summary of declaration of interest statement is required disclosing the financial sponsorship details. If there are no interests to declare please state “The blog is written solely for education purpose, and it does not have any financial support and conflict of interest.”
Otherwise, detailed disclosure in a declaration of interest form would be mandatory. Author can request it from the editor’s desk.