An effective poster is not a journal article hung on a wall . Almost everyone who writes or talks about posters includes this statement in one form or another—because it’s true. An effective poster is a clear, simple presentation that will be read and remembered. (The study may not be simple; the description of it should be both clear and simple.) Although ideally, you—the author (or one of your coauthors or a delegate)—will be available to answer questions, a poster should be self-explanatory. Day and Gastel (1996) said that if you have to spend most of your time explaining the poster rather than responding to scientific questions,“the poster is largely a failure.” If the poster is unattended during the time scheduled for viewing posters, the poster must be self-explanatory.

Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library collection