If an infographic isn’t enough to help convey your ideas… what is the next best thing?
Research posters.
Whether you’re connecting with your employees or sharing important data, creating a research poster can help you engage and inform your audience in a big way.
Learn more about research posters, how they can help you tell your story and how you can create one easily using Venngage’s research poster templates.
Click to jump ahead:
- What is a research poster?
- Research poster templates & examples
- What should a research poster include?
- What are some ways to use research posters?
- Common research poster layouts
- Research poster FAQs
What is a research poster?
A research poster is a visual communication tool that can help you visualize data, summarize complex information or explore detailed processes. Any organization can use research posters for both internal and external needs.
Here’s an example of a scientific poster template:
Need more ideas for presenting your cool science findings? Check out our gallery of awesome scientific poster templates for a little inspiration!
Though “poster” is in the name, research posters are not always printed. Still, if you’re considering making a research poster, it’s a good idea to think about whether you want to print it or not. Otherwise, consider a different format, such as an infographic or social media post if the information only needs to live online.
Related: 12 Types of Posters for Every Business Need [Templates Included]
Research poster templates & examples
Here are some more examples of research poster templates to inspire your next project:
While I always recommend bright, bold colors, those don’t always play well with office printers. So consider saving a research poster template like this one, which is shades of gray, white and black and may help save on ink.
Use this compact research poster template if you want to help your audience get the gist of your research without using a larger sheet of paper.
For students looking to present their research project in a visually engaging way, this simple research poster template can be a game-changer. It allows you to effectively communicate your findings with a clear layout and space for impactful visuals.
Remember that by its nature, a poster is meant to be very eye-catching. Consider using the artwork in this poster, which uses a popular, 3D-esque illustrative style that may make your audience take a second look.
3D visuals are part of our graphic design trend predictions for 2023. Want to know the rest? Check them out here: 8 Graphic Design Trends that Will Dominate 2023
The designer of this poster didn’t create it originally as a research poster, but it’s a good example of how with just a little bit of text, you can make something visually striking and inspiring. Update the copy to include some data visualization and this will be a no-brainer addition to your research report repertoire.
If you’re crafting a research poster to present your environmental findings, check this one out. This ocean conservation poster template dives deep (pun intended!) to show you how to present your findings like a pro.
This next research report template passes what I call the squint test, which is useful when creating a poster. Close one eye and squint the other one when looking at this poster; you see very little text here and (depending on your eyesight), you can probably still make out the general shape of the data. That makes it ideal for a poster, which is designed to be read from a slight distance.
Related: 21+ Poster Background Images and Professionally Designed Templates
What should a research poster include?
The specifics of what to include in a research poster depend on its purpose, but here’s a look at what’s usually involved:
- Title
- Text
- Visuals
- Methodology or sourcing
Let’s explore each element.
Poster title
This could be general, simply describing the topic, or it could be more of a headline, letting readers know the most important information you learned in your research. Or it could ask a question that’s answered in the content. That’s all really up to you.
In this scientific poster template, for example, the title contains the findings of the research:
Brief text
With a poster, you might think you have more room to include a lot of copy, but the opposite is true. Limiting your text to the bare minimum helps the visuals shine and makes your poster more eye-catching. Which brings us to the next point…
Icons, images, charts, graphs and other visuals
Especially with a poster, it’s crucial to engage the readers’ eyes. Otherwise, you’d simply write a report that’s filled with text. So you should use icons or photos if you’re creating a summary research poster and data visualization if your research poster will also include data.
Methodology or sourcing
Information transparency is always important, but it’s especially so with research posters. Users need to know the answer to “Says who” when they read your poster, so be sure to save a small space to explain where you got your information, whether it was an internal or external source.
Need to clearly explain a concept, process or information? Educational posters might be a better option. Grab one of our convenient educational poster templates to jumpstart your informative creation.
What are some ways to use research posters?
A research poster is the vehicle for your information if you have a few key points or data that you want your audience to understand. This begs the question: how is a research poster different from an infographic?
Well, unlike infographics which you often find online, posters are usually printed, and so there’s a natural limit to the amount of space you have.
That means no matter how great your research is, if you want to use a poster to get your message across, you have to consider the amount of content you can fit within the poster template. Here are some ideal ways to use research posters:
Summarize information
This vibrant poster was created to explain a complicated scientific concept, but the end result is anything but complicated. By boiling their information down to its essential elements and using a striking color palette, the designer is able to grab and hold the audience’s attention.
For more tips on poster design, check out our guide: Poster Design Guide: How to Make an Eye-Catching Poster in 2022
Visualize data
Charts, graphs and data, oh my! Numbers are the star of the show when it comes to research posters that visualize data. Whether you’re using line charts, pie graphs or column graphs, consider making your charts and graphs larger than life with a research poster. (Get some more data-heavy inspiration with these research infographic examples.)
For more examples of scientific posters, check out this post: 8 Scientific Poster Examples [and How To Create One]
Spread the word
Research posters can also help you get the word out about important dates. Case in point: the research poster template below. Here, the designer shared important facts and visualized data on Diabetes Awareness Month, making it the best of both worlds when it comes to research posters.
This template doubles as a great event or medical poster. Interested in learning more? Read:
- 20+ Attention-Grabbing Event Poster Templates, Backgrounds & Design Tips
- 10 Event Poster Design Ideas [+ Free Templates]
- 15 Medical Poster Templates for Patient Education
- 45 Free Poster Templates to Captivate Any Audience [100% Editable]
Common research poster layouts
Here’s a look at the most common layouts/formats of a research poster:
Vertical
This cognitive behavior research poster was designed to fit an A4 piece of paper, and it can easily be adapted for letter-sized paper as well.
Horizontal
Using research on alcohol addiction, the designer of this poster chose a horizontal format, which could fit on a letter-sized page or be scaled to work on a tabloid page, which is 17 inches wide and 11 inches tall.
For more information on poster layouts, check out our guide: How to Apply the Right Layout To Your Poster
Research poster FAQs
Do you have more questions about research posters? We’ve got answers.
How do you write a research poster?
When writing the content for a research poster, the most important thing to remember is you need to be brief. Unlike other types of visual communication, with a poster, you have a limited amount of space. So the key is to edit repeatedly until you get down to the shortest amount of text possible.
Is there a poster template in Word?
Microsoft Word offers many poster templates, though whether any would work for research poster purposes depends on your needs and how much text you’ll need to include. However, given that it’s a word-processing tool and not a design tool, Word is less-than-ideal as a place to create an engaging research poster.
How do I make a research poster in PowerPoint?
Create a new slide using the dimensions of a standard letter, A4, tabloid or other print size and add your text, visuals, graphs and other items. Considering that it’s an online presentation tool, though, PowerPoint isn’t the best platform for creating an engaging research poster.
In summary: Make a big impact with your research results by presenting them in a poster
Research posters are an excellent way to inform employees about a complicated topic, share details about sales data or engage your audience using external numbers. Be sure to keep text to a minimum if you really want to draw people in.
Interested in creating a research poster yourself? Sign up for a free Venngage account and choose from our professional, easy-to-edit poster templates:
