Comparative Study of Scientific Research Poster Design Favors Complete Assertion Headings and No Abstracts Over Other Formats

Background: Millions of scientific research posters are presented at conferences every year, yet little research exists to guide poster design. Literature review: There is widespread dissatisfaction with the state of scientific research posters. Research from technical and professional communication suggests that the typical research poster could be improved with complete sentence assertion headings. Research question: How does poster format affect audience comprehension and reader preference? Research methodology: In Study 1, undergraduates read posters in two different formats—Complete Assertion Headings and short, Topical Phrase Headings—and answered questions about comprehension and preference. In Studies 2a (engineering educators) and 2b (engineering faculty), participants answered questions about their perceptions of three different poster formats: Complete Assertion Headings, traditional IMRD headings + Abstract, and the popular #betterposter billboard style template. In a short teaching case study, students used these research results to develop their own posters and adapted the templates that we presented. Results: Study 1 found that Complete Assertion Headings, compared to topical headings, improved student recall, and students preferred the complete assertion format. Study 2a found that engineering educators preferred nontraditional poster formats (both the Complete Assertion Heading and the #betterposter format) to the traditional IMRD + Abstract format. Study 2b found that mechanical engineering faculty preferred the Complete Assertion Heading to other formats. Conclusion: We recommend that practitioners consider using Complete Assertion Headings on their posters, and we provide examples of exemplary student posters.