Page 168 - How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper, 8th Edition 8th Edition

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A poster may actually be better than an oral presentation for showing the results of a complex experiment. In a poster,
you can organize the highlights of the several threads well enough to give informed viewers the chance to recognize
what is going on and then get the details if they so desire. The oral presentation, as stated in the preceding chapter, is
better for getting across a single result or point.

The really nice thing about posters is the variety of illustrations that can be used. There is no bar (as there often is in
journal publication) to the use of color. All kinds of photographs, graphs, drawings, paintings, X-rays, and even
cartoons can be presented.

I have seen many excellent posters. Some scientists do indeed have considerable creative ability. It is obvious that
these people are proud of the science they are doing and that they are pleased to put it all into a pretty picture.

I have also seen many terrible posters. A few were simply badly designed. The great majority of bad posters are bad
because the author is trying to present too much. Huge blocks of typed material, especially if the type is small, will not
be read. Crowds will gather around the simple, well-illustrated posters; the cluttered, wordy posters will be ignored.

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