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Criteria for Judging Colbert Poster Presentations by Students

  

Layout
  • Poster layout should correspond to the poster specifications for the current annual meeting year. Poster Guidelines for 2012 will be available soon.
  • A banner title which is descriptive should be situated high up on the poster so that it can be read 15-20 feet away.
  • Author and his/her affiliation should follow.
  • The content of the poster should be bracketed with an Introduction at the beginning and a list of Conclusions at the end. These sections are critical because they may be the only sections which are read. If included, the abstract should be brief and not an exact copy of the text in the meeting's abstract book/pdf.
  • The flow of information through the poster should be explicit and should be organized in columns. Text should be visible from about an arm's length facilitated by appropriate choice of font, font size and line spacing.
  • The poster should be self-explanatory, so that the main points are communicated without the presenter being there.
  • Each illustration should have a headline title providing a take-home message with a more detailed caption below.
  • Consistent with JVP guidelines, posters should be in English. Proofread for correct spelling and grammar.
  • There should be creativity in the presentation.
  • The Poster Prize Icon should be included on the poster, such that its printed size is 3 inches (7.5 cm) in diameter. Download the prize icon here: [PSD format] [JPEG format]

     

    Content

     

  • The Introduction must provide the basis of investigation and the direction/approach to answer the question being considered. Ideally a numbered list of aims or questions should be provided.
  • The Methods of the investigation must be clearly presented.
  • The Results must be presented in a manner that is understandable and must support the Conclusions drawn. Are there possible alternatives in interpretation?
  • Conclusions should follow from the original intent as outlined in the Introduction. If a list of aims was provided in the Introduction, a complementary list of conclusions would be desirable.
  • Overall, the investigation should display some degree of creativity and originality.
  • You will also be judged on quality of science and scientific impact of investigation. 


Knowledge of Topic (finalists only)
  • Familiar and comfortable with the layout and presented information.
  • Enthusiastic about the topic.
  • Knows more about the topic than is presented in the poster.
  • Knowledgeable about similar or closely-related studies (if there are any), or the history of research on the topic.
  • Has an idea about where to take the research next.
  • Communicates effectively and handles questions well.