Poster Presentations

General Information

A poster session is a graphic presentation of authors' research and findings. The authors illustrate their data by displaying graphs, photos, diagrams and a small amount of text in a poster format. The authors are available to discuss their work with attendees who are circulating among the displays. The author must remain by his/her poster for the duration of the reception. Handouts may be distributed at the author’s discretion. No audio visual equipment is permitted for poster presentations. The APHA DisAbility Forum for Accessibility Committee has developed additional information to assist you in developing an Accessible Poster Presentation (PDF).

General Information

• Poster abstracts should be no more than 300 words.


• Poster abstracts must be submitted online. The deadline for submitting poster abstracts is 5 p.m., February 12, 2010.


• Authors must provide current, complete contact information, including email, in order to receive notification of status by February 19. If accepted, the corresponding author will receive an email with location, set up / tear down schedule, and other logistical details.


• Handouts may be provided at the author’s discretion.


• Cash prizes will be awarded for the top three posters ($300, $200, and $100). $50 will be awarded for the best designed poster.

Poster Guidelines

• DIMENSIONS: Posters should be no larger than 4' high by 6' wide.


• FORMATTING/POINT SIZE: Title bar should be prominent – no less than 8" high. Poster titles are readable and attractive in the 80 – 90 pt range, up to 96 pt if it will fit in the title bar. Author names should be no less than 40 pt. Text should be bold and in no less than 36 pt; in general, 40 pt or above is preferred and helps readability. Section headers should be slightly larger than body text, such as 44 pt. 


• FONTS: Make sure that fonts chosen are clear and readable from a distance of two yards. Avoid overly elaborate or gimmicky fonts.  Sans serif fonts are somewhat easier to read in a poster format. Good sans serif choices include Arial, Frutiger, Helvetica, Gill, and Calibri. Serif font choices include Georgia and Times New Roman. If the background is dark or colorful, consider using bold white lettering instead of black to increase readability, or go with a lighter background.


• PHOTOS AND TABLES: Make sure that any photos used are good quality and contribute to the overall look of the poster.  Tables should be high resolution and contribute to the content, not duplicate information already discussed in another section.


• TEXT DENSITY: A poster is an abridged, graphic representation of your research, not simply a paper printed in a poster format. Be ruthless when editing the text, keeping in mind that few people want or have time to read large amounts of densely written text. Use bullets, checkmarks, boxes, and other formatting elements to make your text readable and attractive to your audience.


• OVERALL QUALITY: Before printing, look critically at your poster as if you were a conference attendee and not one of the authors. Is it readable? Is it attractive? Do the photos, colors, and fonts make you want to want to stop and read it? Compelling topics and high quality research will always be of interest, but make it easy for your audience to learn about and appreciate your work.

Submission Information

For inclusion consideration in the Healthy People 2010 poster session, please submit your poster abstract by 5 p.m. on February 12, 2010. Decisions will be announced to applicants on or about February 19, 2010.