Posters, Methods section lists

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 ... 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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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