Skip to Main Content
Mount Royal University

Library

Research Posters

What is a research poster?

A research poster is a visual summary of your work—more detailed than an abstract but shorter than an article. It should be concise, clear, and scannable in a few minutes. Consider your audience when designing.

There may be some differences between posters created for the sciences versus the humanities but the goal is the same.

Key elements of a good poster
  • Catchy title – Grabs attention; include author name(s), institution, and school logo (with permission).
  • Introduction – States your thesis statement, research goals, research motivations, and brief literature review.
  • Methods overview – Summarizes methodology and why it was chosen or why its suitable.
  • Results/discussion – Uses charts, graphs, and images as best suited to highlight key findings.
  • Strong conclusion – Summarizes key findings and suggests future research directions.
  • References – Cite sources, including images, and follow copyright guidelines for displaying images in public areas.
  • Acknowledgements – Thank contributors, supervisors, and funding sources.

Make your poster stand out

Unlike an oral presentation, your poster must visually attract attention to engage viewers. A well-designed layout and clear organization will improve its impact.
Essential design tips

  • Use visuals effectively – Charts, graphs, and images make data easier to understand.
  • Balance colors – Too much color can be overwhelming; too little can make it bland.
  • Font size matters – Ensure text is readable from 5–10 feet away to draw in viewers.

How to organize your poster layout

  • Keep text concise – Use sections and bullet points instead of long paragraphs.
  • Guide the reader’s eye – Posters are often scanned in a >Z pattern or columns—use headings and numbering to clarify the flow.
Recommended reading: Expert design advice
Poster design & presentation best practices
Poster design & presentation best practices
Humanities poster design
Science poster design

Need a Template? Start Here!

Sample posters: Humanities & Sciences

Explore visual examples to inspire your research poster design. Use these as a starting point but adapt them to your own style for the best presentation.

Humanities example

(click for full size)

    
Science example

(click for full size)

Which software should you use?

Quick Guide:

  • PowerPoint = Easy & accessible
  • Google Slides = Best for group work
  • Canva = Creative & user-friendly
  • Illustrator = Advanced graphics & custom design
  • InDesign = Print-ready posters & layouts

You don’t need special design software to create a research poster. These free tools are available to MRU students and easy to learn.

Step-by-step software guides

PowerPoint: How to set up a research poster (With PDF Export)

  • Free for MRU students via Office 365.
  • Your poster is a large PowerPoint slide.
  • Set dimensions: Design → Slide Size → Custom Slide Size.
  • Export for printing: Save as PDF
  • 📖 PowerPoint getting started guide – A beginner-friendly tutorial for using PowerPoint to create research posters.
  • 📖 Step-by-step guide - Making a poster in PowerPoint and exporting to PDF

Google slides: Designing a collaborative research poster 

Canva: Easy online design for posters

  • User-friendly online tool.
  • Basic accounts are free but come with limited feature
  • ⚠ Set dimensions before starting—sizes cannot be changed later
  • Start: Create a Design → Custom Size.
Advanced design software
(Available in the RLLC Computer Commons & 2nd Floor Data Hub)
Illustrator: Best for graphics & custom design
  • Ideal for: Illustrations, logos, infographics, custom typography
  • Used for: Creating scalable vector graphics that integrate seamlessly into posters
InDesign: Best for posters & print layouts
  • Ideal for: Research posters, brochures, booklets, and structured print layouts
  • Offers precise control over text, images, and formatting
  • More technical than PowerPoint or Canva—best for detailed, print-ready layouts
Getting started with inDesign for posters
  • Set up a new document with correct dimensions
  • Import Illustrator graphics for seamless integration
  • Use guides & grids to align content neatly
  • Export as high-resolution PDF for printing
Using Illustrator & InDesign together

✔ Illustrator: Create custom graphics, charts, or illustrations
✔ InDesign: Arrange text and graphics into a polished layout
✔ Best for: Posters requiring both strong visuals and structured text formatting

You made your poster. Now what?

You submitted an abstract, got accepted, did the research and created the poster and now you stand beside your poster waiting for a visitor or adjudicator to ask you about your research.

How to answer questions about your research
   Provided by Anne Scrimger. 
  • ​Listen & clarify. 
    • Pay attention to what the person is asking—do they want an overview or a specific detail?
    • If you're unsure, repeat the question in your own words to confirm before answering.
  • Structure your answer (Intro, Results, Conclusion)
    • Introduction: Introduce yourself, your research topic, and what motivated your study.
    • Results: Highlight the key findings relevant to the question asked.
    • Conclusion: Explain how your results support your research, note any gaps, and mention future directions.
  • Engage your audience
    • Ask if they need more information or clarification.
  • Avoid jargon. 
    • Use simple, clear language unless you're certain the person understands technical terms.
Recommended reading: Conference presentation tips

Infographics

Infographics use images to present information in an efficient and visually appealing way.

Example 

Infographic on women's eye health that uses pie charts and icons to share data

Women's Eye Health Infographic by National Institutes of Health, CC-BY-NC 2.0

Don't forget to cite!

Many online infographics lack proper citations, but as a student, you are responsible for following citation guidelines.

Clarify with your instructor:

  • Should citations be in-text or included in a reference list at the bottom?
  • What citation format (APA, MLA, etc.) is required?

You submitted an abstract, got accepted, did the research and created the infographic and now you stand beside your work waiting for a visitor or adjudicator to ask you about your research.

Tips for answering questions about your infographic (graciously provided by Anne Scrimger)

  1. ​Listen to what the person is asking. Are they asking you for an overview, or do they have  a specific question? Listening is an important skill. If you don’t listen, you cannot answer the question correctly.
  2. Do you understand their question? If you’re not sure then clarify it repeating it back in a different way and look for affirmation from your visitor.
  3. Answer the question using a general three-point format: a) Introduction: Introduce yourself (by name) and what you studied and what motivated your research. b) Results: Describe the relevant results that help to answer the question that they asked. c) Conclusion: Explain how the results supports your case, state any missing pieces of information and describe any further research you intend to do that may add to the answer in the future.
  4. Ask the visitor if they would like to know more about anything you described and whether you answered their question.
  5. Think about your audience. Avoid jargon and acronyms unless you are sure the person knows the terminology.
Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the work of Zahra Premji, who created the inaugural version of this guide in 2016

Copyright

Do you have permission to use this image?

✔ In-class presentations – You can typically use and cite images from the internet.
✔ Public or online presentations – Use only images with explicit reuse permissions (e.g., CC-BY licensed images).

For more information

Librarian

Profile Photo
Brian Jackson

Contact:
Email: bjackson@mtroyal.ca
Phone: 403.440.5032
Office: EL4423X