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Guidelines and Resources

Here are the presentation guidelines and on-campus resources that help our residents and fellows prepare for the Research Forum.

Abstract Recorded Presentations

Presentation time is limited to 5 minutes with a maximum of 8 slides. REHEARSE!!

The primary purpose of the GME Research Forum is to provide residents and fellows with an opportunity to gain experience with presenting research. Therefore, we strongly encourage recorded presentations to be made in front of a live audience, i.e. clinicians, faculty, fellows, residents, and/or staff.

Below is a suggested outline for your PowerPoint presentation:

I. Title Slide

  • Title of Presentation
  • Name
  • Department/Training Program
  • Site Research was Performed (examples include KUMC, KC VAMC, LV VAMC)
  • Date of presentation

II. Introduction/Purpose (why research was done and its importance/significance)

  • Describe previous research in your topic area
  • State the gaps in existing knowledge about this area
  • Give the rationale for doing your project
  • Concisely state the specific aim(s) of your research

III. Materials and Methods (how was research designed and completed)

  • Describe materials and methods used to perform your research
  • State the statistical method(s) used to test for significance in the data (if applicable)

IV. Results

  • Describe the outcome(s).
  • Include tables and figures as appropriate (NOTE: Text should be READABLE!).

V. Discussion/Conclusion(s)

  • State what the results show and mean, and compare them with the specific aim(s) mentioned in the introduction.
  • Interpret results relative to:
    • Similar or conflicting results published by others; and
    • How they incorporate or add to existing knowledge in this specific area of research.

VI. Acknowledgements (optional) - Include names of those you wish to thank for their help.


Poster Presentations (voiceover slide)

  1. To be eligible for an award, you MUST do a voiceover presentation of your poster using PowerPoint that describes your research. The voiceover time limit is 2 minutes.
  2. Posters must be no more than one page/slide, oriented landscape style.
  3. Posters should include the following sections:
    • Purpose/Introduction: Include the rationale for the study, research question and objectives of the study.
    • Methods/Materials: Include a brief description of research design, techniques, models of inquiry and sources of data.
    • Results: Summarize quantitative/qualitative data or outcomes, including any statistically significant results.
    • Conclusions: Include a brief interpretation of the results and implications for your field of study.

Effective Scientific Posters Quick Reference (PDF) 
© 2010 George Hess / NC State University

  • Visual displays: Get your message across with effective visual displays of data and small blocks of supporting text. Think of your poster as an illustrated abstract.
  • Show your why: Tell readers why your work matters, what you did, what you found, and what you recommend. Avoid an excessive focus on methods – it’s the results and implications that count!
  • Overall appearance: Use a pleasing arrangement of graphics, text, colors. Your poster should be neat and uncluttered – use white space to help organize sections. Balance the placement of text and figures.
  • Organization: Use headings to help readers find what they’re looking for: purpose/intro, methods, results, conclusions, etc. A columnar format helps traffic flow in a crowded poster session.
  • Minimize text: Use graphics. Keep text in blocks of no more than 50-75 words – don’t create large, monolithic paragraphs of prose.
  • Text size: All text should be large enough to read from 1-2 meters, including the text in figures. The title should be larger, to attract attention from far away.
  • Use color cautiously: Dark letters on a light background are the easiest to read. Stick to a theme of 2-3 colors. Avoid overly bright colors – they attract attention but wear out the reader’s eyes.
  • Clean graphs show data clearly: Eliminate “chart junk” such as grid lines, detailed ticks on axes, data markers, and grey backgrounds to keep the focus on the data. Label data directly, when possible. Legends force the reader to look back and forth to decode the graph.
  • Reader gravity: Don’t fight reader gravity, which pulls the eyes from top to bottom (first), and left to right.
  • Include full contact information: You want to be found – the reader should not have to look up anything to find you.
  • Prepare a 2-minute verbal explanation: Judges will ask you to “walk me through your poster.” In making such a presentation, don't read the poster. Instead, give the big picture, explain why the problem is important, and use the graphics on your poster to illustrate and support your findings and recommendations.
  • Prepare a summary handout: You want people to remember your work – a handout provides a written record for readers. You can include a miniature version of your poster plus more detailed graphics, tables, and prose. The handout is something else you can refer to when talking to people about your work. Be sure to include complete contact information.


On-Campus Resources

Poster Presentation guide to researchers preparing posters or presentations for scientific conferences.

The Writing Center on campus can help if you're feeling overwhelmed, not quite sure where to start, and/or just need a little writing assistance. They will provide free, individualized, one-on-one feedback on your written work. 30- or 60-minute consultations are available.

The Open Access Author Fund is designed to heighten the visibility and accessibility of the University's scholarship and to support faculty, staff and graduate students in all disciplines who choose to publish in open access journals that require author-fees for accepted manuscripts.

KU School of Medicine

Office of Graduate Medical Education
University of Kansas Medical Center
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Fax: 913-588-0240