Poster move structures

Figure 9.2 A visual representation of the move structure for a typical poster Methods section.

The Discussion section of a poster has two major purposes (1) to interpret or explain the results presented and (2) to summarize the most important findings of the work. These two purposes form the move structure for the Discussion section (figure 9.4). 

The second move of the poster Introduction previews the specific accomplishments of the work and is often given its own subheading (e.g.. Research Objectives or Goals). The focus should be on research goals that have been achieved and are presented in the poster. Move 2 has a narrower focus than move 1 hence, the poster Introduction follows the broad-to-narrow hourglass structure. As a test to see if your Introduction addresses moves 1 and 2 sufficiently, ask yourself if a viewer, after reading only your Introduction, could answer the following questions (1) What research area is addressed (2) Why is this area important (3) What specific accomplishments will the authors present in their poster ... 

Organization Check your overall organizational structure. Did you follow the move structures that were suggested in chapter 91 Is each section of the poster easy to identify Does each section contain appropriate headings and information ... 

The move structures presented throughout the book are repeated here to serve as convenient references for readers. These move structures depict common organizational frameworks for the various sections of four chemistry genres the journal article, the conference abstract, the scientihc poster, and the research proposal. 

The poster text is divided into the same general IMRD sections as the journal article Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. Similarly, most posters include an Acknowledgments section, some have an abbreviated References section, and all have a title and author list. Most posters do not include an abstract, in part because of space limitations and in part because an abstract already appears in the conference proceedings. Like the journal article, the IMRD structure of the poster follows an hourglass shape. The top (Introduction) and bottom (Discussion) sections have a broader focus, while the middle sections (Methods and Results) have a narrower focus. Each section of the poster can be divided into individual moves or steps that guide viewers in a conventional way through the content of each section. These moves are analyzed in the next part of the chapter. 

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