Poster presentation - a visual medium for academic and scientific meetings.

Academic poster presentations are used as a medium of knowledge transfer by a wide range of health professional groups. Posters also provide a means of publication for academic and professional contributors. Posters are designed to give a visual representation of an issue that firstly attracts attention, and then conveys an intended message. Whilst the poster medium has become adopted into the publication orthodoxy of the scientific and academic communities, there are acknowledged limitations regarding the depth of knowledge transfer, issues of compilation and production, and the related viewer conception. If treated as a standalone medium, the limitations of a two-dimensional, page limited format may not provide the ideal opportunity to deliver the depth of information required within the academic context. Despite these limitations however, the continued use of posters is justified when supported by author presentation or multi-media resources. This paper aims to provide an overview of the current concept and practicality of academic poster publications. It also outlines by example, some of the wider principles of poster compilation and presentation, for use by those who may utilise the medium at academic and scientific meetings.