TOWARDS EFFECTIVE POSTER PRESENTATIONS: AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Purpose –

The aim of this paper is to introduce the topic of poster presentation as legitimate area of academic study and practice within the marketing discipline.

Design/methodology/approach –

The paper presents the output of one part of a research project that reviewed the state of knowledge and practice within poster presentation as a dissemination medium for research information. The results of the literature search are presented as an annotated bibliography.

Findings –

The literature search reveals a sizeable body of material on the use of poster presentation as a dissemination media, indicative of a set of key themes that guide good practice in poster design, construction and presentation. It also includes material that has studied the use of poster design and presentation exercises as pedagogical devices.

Research limitations/implications – The research on which the paper is based is limited by virtue of not offering a more complete survey of contemporary poster presentation practice across the sciences. It draws observations from the author’s attendance at several marketing and management‐related conferences where poster presenters have been interviewed and examples of poster presentation have been collected. However, in the sciences, especially the medical sciences, poster practice is well‐established and in some cases moving towards digitisation. Practical implications – The aesthetics of poster design remain unclear in the case of poster design for the dissemination of scientific information. However, a set of templates has been produced based on the close study of a database of over 600 poster designs and ten years’ experience of using posters as teaching tools for research training. A methodology for poster design has also been developed known as “The Block Architecture Method of Poster Design”. It uses the software Powerpoint and Photoshop to develop poster design electronically. Originality/value – The bibliography will help interested teachers and students explore the various issues surrounding poster design, construction and presentation. It will also help to understand some of the advantages of using poster‐design exercises as creative and critical devices in a pedagogical context.