Health & Biomedical Research: Getting Started

What is a Scientific Poster?

A scientific poster is a heavily illustrated summary of research.

• Posters are usually developed for professional conferences
• Poster content includes Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion 
• Poster content is organized into 3-4 columns

How do I Develop a Scientific Poster?

1. Review the conference's poster submission guidelines

2. Download a template from MD Anderson Brand Central 

   • Other templates are available from the Center for Open Science 

3. Modify the poster template for your research, but keep the following best practices in mind.

   • Posters size: 36" X 48" (most common poster size)

   • Ratios: 20% text, 40% graphics, and 40% white space

   • Text: 200-400 words per section

   • Fonts: Use simple fonts, like Arial or New Times Roman

   • Colors: Do not use more than 2-3 accent colors

   • Graphics: Use high-quality photos, images, graphs, etc.; balance between columns; be aware of copyright

4. Always cite your work, acknowledge contributors, and provide current contact information 

5. Print your poster 

   • Large format printing is done through the external vendor Speedy Printing. Speedy Printing's customer portal for MD Anderson orders is accessible at Speedy Printing. Payment may be made through department credit card or by creating a PO for invoicing. 

6. Share your poster

   • Consider depositing your poster in OpenWorks, MD Anderson's institutional repository, for hosting and easy sharing.