Creation worksheet · from evidence to export
How to Make a Research Poster: From Evidence to PDF
The deliverable is a supported visual argument. Before styling anything, write down the question, the evidence you actually have and the conclusion it can support.
- Frame the questionAudience + evidence
- Build the argumentMethod + figure + limits
- Review the exportInspect + check + resolve
Follow the existing fictional packing-plan example through these six decisions. Its invented counts teach structure; no real study, participants or measured effect are represented.
1. Write the job on one line
Complete: “For [audience], this poster explains [question], using [evidence], with [main limitation].” If you cannot complete the evidence clause, keep the result as a proposal rather than presenting an unperformed study as a finding.
Example: “Question & context” asks what a status chart would show for a fictional 12-item packing list. What question can your own evidence actually answer?
2. Make a requirements card
Record the organizer, year, session, official URL, checked date, intended final width × height, orientation, submission format and any stated exception. Leave missing fields UNKNOWN. A last-year poster or a generic A0 layout cannot fill those gaps.
Example: the A0 portrait canvas is an educational choice. Which current source confirms the event, session and output requirements for your own poster? The example cannot supply that evidence.
3. Match each claim to something visible
| Poster element | What to supply | Stop and revise when |
|---|---|---|
| Question | One specific question and its context. | It promises an outcome you did not investigate. |
| Method | Inputs, procedure, measurement and exclusions. | A reader cannot tell how the result arose. |
| Evidence | A labelled figure or compact table with units and source. | A decorative image substitutes for evidence. |
| Conclusion | A statement limited to the supplied evidence. | The claim extends beyond the method or sample. |
| Limitations | What is uncertain and what was not tested. | Limitations are hidden in tiny footer text. |
Example: “Procedure” invents 12 planned items: 8 packed and 4 pending. The “Evidence panel” displays those counts; “Limitations & next step” rules out claims about checklist effectiveness. Can each claim in your poster be traced to your actual method and evidence?
4. Use the original layout as a reading map
The editable layout and annotated example put a takeaway above two columns. Read question → procedure → evidence → limitations. This is one teaching arrangement, not an event-mandated format. Replace placeholders before choosing decorative elements.
Example: does the takeaway agree with the evidence panel, and can a reader find the limitation? Decide what each section needs here; use the Templates page for file-editing guidance.
5. Review an actual-size excerpt
Inspect the exported title, body, axis labels and references at the intended physical scale. Check line breaks, symbols, clipping and figure labels. If your tools allow it, make a small physical proof of a representative area and discuss it with the printer. There is no universal font-size or image-resolution guarantee in this guide.
Example: inspect “Packed” and “Pending,” the zero baseline and the synthetic label. Are labels readable and claims still qualified at the intended print scale?
6. Export, inspect, then decide
Use your authoring tool’s documented PDF export procedure; this page does not invent software menus. Confirm that the export is one page and review its dimensions against the intended output and any agreed scaling. Open that file in the PDF Checker to inspect supported PDF facts. A check does not guarantee print success or verify every technical property.
Example: “Limitations & next step” points to current rules, an export and a bounded check. Does a RISK or UNKNOWN result require you to inspect the original authoring file? Correct it where needed, export again and check the new PDF. Clarify unresolved requirements with the source or printer; unsupported checks remain unverified.
Before handoff: keep the editable original, the reviewed PDF, your requirements card and a list of unresolved items together. Do not treat a later export as already checked.