Poster Submission Information

Answering the Call for Poster Submissions!

Share your latest professional research or student project by presenting a poster at the Pennsylvania Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Annual Conference!

Poster Submission Deadlines:​ ​

Generally poster submissions will open late winter and be accepted until early spring. Please go to the Annual Conference page for specific deadlines for that year. 

Submitting A Poster Submission Form:​  

Annual Conference Poster Proposal Form is submitted via an electronic form.

Benefits of Presenting a Poster at PAND Conference

Poster sessions are a way to communicate research or program findings to enhance practice and professional knowledge. There are many benefits that come with presenting a poster: 

  • Displays your scholarly work and provides recognition of research efforts and experiences. 
  • Presenting is a valuable addition to your curriculum vitae or resume. 
  • Networking and mentoring opportunities with Nutrition and Dietetic professionals.

How to Formulate an Idea for a Topic 

Think about special projects or performance improvement initiatives you have completed or will be completing in your program or at your place of employment this year. These are especially valuable to share when they address a unique area of nutrition and dietetics, the implementation of a program, or a learning tool you developed. You can choose any topic that interests you and relates to the profession of nutrition and dietetics. If you are a student, you could also choose an experience outside of school you may have had, such as employment, leadership seminar, or workshop training you attended.

How to Research 

Limit your searches to most current articles on your topic (within the last 5 years).  Also, avoid excessive use of internet sites unless your topic relates to an issue such as social media, using the internet, or requires examples of certain web pages. Remember to use reputable sites which cite evidence-based science. 

What are the Requirements? 

You must submit an application for acceptance of your poster.  Here is the link to the application in the Google Form: 

  • Posters will be printed free of charge for you. 
  • Posters must be 300 words or less and in 11 point Arial font. 
  • Both PDFs and PowerPoint slides (preferred method) will be accepted, but we recommended the poster bed designed  in PowerPoint with the slide size being "widescreen" (that size is 16:9 in PowerPoint). 

New this year, all accepted posters will be printed by PAND. Previously presented posters must be adapted to according to the guidelines and submitted for printing.  Each poster will be printed on Tabloid paper in color with a table easel back. You will be able to take the poster home with you after the meeting. 

Travel expenses are the responsibility of the applicant. All poster applicants are required to register for the conference in order to present.

Preparing a Brief Abstract or Summary for the Application 

Your abstract or summary should be 250 words or less and should include the following as it applies to your project, experience, or research: 

  • Background: Why did you choose this issue/topic?  What information is currently available?  Why is this topic important? 
  • Objective(s): What did you aim to learn or achieve? 
  • Methods/Procedures: What did you do? Include details of methods or chronologic development with projects. 
  • Result/Conclusions:  Summarize your findings or experience and/or speculate on further research needed. Include why it is important to registered dietitians or how it applies to the profession. 

Poster Design Considerations and Requirements: 

When designing your poster, the following are some other aspects to consider: 

  • Provide a strong introduction but keep it brief and to the point. 
  • Keep each section brief. The poster is meant to support your verbal presentation.  
  • High word-count posters are more tedious to read than those with effective visuals. 
  • Use simple pictures, tables, graphs, and diagrams. 
  • Use a basic font which is easy to read and large enough to see from a standing viewer’s distance.  
  • Keep the overall design, patterns, and colors simple so they are not distracting. 
  • Make sure the flow of information makes sense and is organized. 
  • Have an experienced presenter and at least one peer review your poster before submitting  to assure its content is accurate and comprehensible and to proofread for grammar and spelling. 
  • Don’t forget to include any references or disclosures. 
  • Posters must look professional.  Less information is often better than more. A poster should be attractive, well organized and self-explanatory. 

 Poster Formatting & Layout: 

  • Title and author:  titles should be no more than 15  words (included in the total word count).  The title appears at the top of the poster.  11 pt Arial font  should be used.  Do not use all capital letters. For a poster title, give an accurate description or the project and avoid unnecessary words.  Use creativity and ask your friends, family, and teachers to critique. 
  • Headings:  be consistent with headings, whether they are all capital letters, boldface or italicized.  Keep it short- preferably 4 words or less. 
  • Text:  minimize words while maximizing visuals:  graphs, tables, charts, pictures or diagrams
    • Paragraphs should be flush left
    • Do not justify the right margin -​ justification makes text more difficult to read. 
    • Lists should be written in phrases rather than sentences
    • Use bullet points to reinforce the items in a list
    • Numbers should be numerals, rather than spelled out
    • Use % instead of percent
    • Refrain from excessive references 
  • Group information into conceptual units.  Try the following format: 
    • Background or Introduction – a few brief sentences and state the purpose of the research
    • Hypothesis/Question/Project discussion - What is the research question you will address, or if a​project, on what will you present? 
    • Materials/Methods – a list, flow chart, map; This section should explain any procedures or​materials used in your project, or pictures and diagrams of your experience
    • Data/Results​ - illustrations, tables, figures, graphs and photos accompanied by a simple objective statement of the research findings
    • Conclusions ​- what are the key take home points based on your results? The conclusion section will explain the importance/significance of your data and how it impacts the practice of dietetics, will make recommendations, and clearly state whether your hypothesis/question was answered 
    • Acknowledgements​ – was there a funding source?  
    • References​ - Put reference information on the poster or have it available in a handout. 
  • Visuals ​(illustrations, figures, graphs, photos, and tables) 
    • Visuals are encouraged; however, limit visuals to no more than 2 per poster 
  • Organization​:  the information should flow from top to bottom or from left to right, but not both.  The reader may get confused.  Use numbers, arrows, or colors to help the eye move from item to item in the correct order. 
  • Color: Color attracts attention, but too much can be distracting.   

 When preparing to present your poster here are some tips: 

  • Make sure to set-up your poster by the time directed in your confirmation letter. 
  • Dress professionally and be on time. 
  • Remember to wear a name tag. 
  • Be prepared to answer questions about your poster. 
  • Practice your presentation beforehand.  Practice having a question and answer session with peers. 
  • It is helpful but optional to have a handout or calling card with your contact information and summary of your topic available. 
  • Provide an unbiased, scientific approach.  
  • Have fun and encourage others to participate and comment about your poster. 

 Useful Literature 

References 

  • West, T. 2009. How to Prepare and Present a Poster at the TSHP Annual Seminar Poster Competition. www.tshp.org/howtoprep.ppt​. 
  • Helmenstine, A.M. Make a Science Fair Poster of Display. http://chemistry.about.com/od/sciencefairprojects/a/scienceposter.htm

 

Questions? Comments?  E-mail: ​ ​ame.pand2@gmail.com