Posters, Methods section

The poster Methods section offers a brief snapshot of the methods used in the presented work. (Of course, the Methods section will be more involved if the poster focuses on the development of a new method or procedure.) The essential moves of the Methods section are presented in figure 9.2. First materials and then methods are presented. The term materials is used loosely and refers to chemicals, solvents, standards, samples, and so forth. Similarly, the term methods refers to instrumentation, experimental methods, and/or numerical procedures. Because materials and methods are rather specialized, this section targets a relatively narrow audience. 

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

With these two moves in mind, we examine the Methods sections of three hypothetical posters. The first poster concerns the detection of PCBs in full-fat milk. We include both the poster Methods section (excerpt 9A) and the journal article Methods section (excerpt 9B). In this way, you can see for yourself the differences and similarities between the two genres. A key difference is that the poster includes far less information than the journal article. For example, the poster addresses only full-fat and skim milk, whereas the journal article also includes half-fat milk. Half-fat milk is an intermediate case and serves only to confirm the two extreme cases. Thus, the intermediate case can be omitted without changing the essential message of the poster. 

Excerpt 9A (a poster Methods section based on Llompart et al., 2001)... 

As a second example, we present another poster Methods section (excerpt 9C) based on the same research presented in figure 9.1. Recall that the hypothetical poster in figure 9.1 focuses on methods development the poster in excerpt 9C focuses on methods application. If you examine the Methods sections in the two posters, you will see that figure 9.1 describes how the on-fiber derivatization procedure was optimized excerpt 9G describes how the optimized procedure was used to analyze beer samples. 

As the last example, we present a poster Methods section based on Boesten et al. (2001) concerning the asymmetric Strecker synthesis of an a-amino acid (excerpt 9D and at the end of chapter 2). The poster Methods section presents only... 

Writing conventions typical of a poster Methods section are summarized below. 

Numbers and units Conventional scientific units should be used in poster Methods sections (mL, (im, mol, M, etc.) however, some formatting conventions may be relaxed. For example, the conventional space between a number and its unit may be omitted in a poster, and the numerical form of a number may be used instead of its word form (even at the start of a sentence). If space allows, however, follow conventional practices. One convention that should never be relaxed is the use of leading zeros for numbers <1 (e.g., use 0.35 not. 35). 

Parallelism Parallel language should be used in bulleted lists in poster Methods sections and elsewhere. Not only is parallelism grammatically correct, but its repetitive pattern also helps viewers comprehend poster information more quickly. Pay particular attention to parallel subheadings and lists ... 

Verb tense Poster Methods sections are written predominantly in the past tense (e.g., used, exposed, inserted, were stored) because they describe work done in the past. 

Voice and we Poster Methods sections are written largely in passive voice active voice is used less often. We is commonly avoided. 

Consider the following excerpts taken from experimental sections of Journal articles. Convert each procedure into a single item or a bulleted list of items that would be appropriate for a poster Methods section. Omit information that would not be included in a poster. 

B Writing on Your Own Draft Your Poster Methods Section... 

Bulleted or numerical lists Lists are frequently used when highlighting or summarizing results. Follow the formatting guidelines presented above in the discussion of poster Methods sections. When possible, use the same type... 

Bulleted or numerical lists Discussion items and conclusions may be presented in paragraph or list form. In Discussion section lists, complete sentences are more common than fragments. (See the guidelines presented in the poster Methods section for formatting these lists.) Conclusions are usually set apart from the Discussion section with a separate heading. 

Compare the Methods section of the poster in figure 9.1 with the Methods section in excerpt 9C. What similarities and differences do you notice Consider science content, organization, and writing conventions (e.g., subheadings, capitalization, abbreviations, and parentheses). 

Consult figure 9.2 to review the moves that make up the Methods section of a poster. After you have decided what to include (and what to exclude), write the Methods section of your poster. Remember that past tense is preferred and that bulleted lists (with parallel language) are common. Use standard formatting, number, and abbreviation conventions at first convert to abbreviated formats if space is tight. Consider adding a photograph or illustration to your Methods section. 

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. 

We now read and analyze excerpts from each major section of the poster, beginning with Methods (the section that you are most likely to prepare first) and continuing through the Results, Discussion, and Introduction. The title and author... 

We next consider the two posters concerning aldehydes in beer, the hrst on methods development and the second on methods application. In particular, note what information is included in each Results section. In the poster in hgure 9.1, the optimization of temperature and time comprises the bulk of the Results... 

Sentences a-c are taken from journal articles. For each, (1) indicate which poster section the information would belong in (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion) and (2) rewrite the information so that it is appropriate for a poster. 

Here there is a great deal of variability, and your own situation will determine how much is needed and what detail is warranted. The experimental method may be a major, or even the main, point of the poster and require some elaboration of procedure, schematics of the apparatus, and so forth. Absolutely to be avoided, however, is a report of the type that would go in the experimental section of a formal paper, dissertation, or report. Use bulleted lists of procedures sketches, figures, diagrams, or photos of equipment and a listing of conditions. Essentials should be given, but not detail. 

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