Poster Session

The Public Library of Science (PLOS) has this two page document that lays out 10 simple rules for a good poster (it was created for Computational Biology, but don't let that stop you - it's useful for any kind of poster session!). If your poster follows these rules, you should be fine.

In brief, the 10 rules are:

Rule 1: Define the Purpose
Rule 2: Sell Your Work in Ten Seconds
Rule 3: The Title Is Important
Rule 4: Poster Acceptance Means Nothing
Rule 5: Many of the Rules for Writing a Good Paper Apply to Posters, Too
Rule 6: Good Posters Have Unique Features Not Pertinent to Papers
Rule 7: Layout and Format Are Critical
Rule 8: Content Is Important, but Keep It Concise
Rule 9: Posters Should Have Your Personality
Rule 10: The Impact of a Poster Happens Both During and After the Poster Session

George Hess of North Carolina State University put together this interesting scale for evaluating posters. Check yours against these criteria to see if you're on the right track.

North Carolina State University also created this slightly more elaborate scoring sheet, which is extremely useful for grading the clarity of your poster.

The Research Symposium at Tennessee State University provides this useful form. It has grading criteria for both the poster and the presentation.