This assignment is designed to allow you to demonstrate (1) effective communication of original research, and (2) understanding of research methods and results.
For this assignment, you will deliver a poster presentation of your original research. Using the poster of your original research you created in the previous assignment, you will deliver a 5-7 minute presentation of your research. Your presentation should convey the major points of your project and communicate the importance of the research and the questions you addressed. You should use the figures on your poster to guide your description of the methods and results. You should not read from your poster, but rather summarize the main points of your poster and present it conversationally. Lastly, you should be prepared to answer questions and defend decisions made at various points in your research project. You will be graded according to the attached rubric, and evaluation from your peers will also be included as part of your score.
The intended audience for your poster presentation is an undergraduate research conference. You can assume that the audience has a general undergraduate education in natural resources, ecology, or biology, but you should define any terminology specific to your research. Note that after the course, you may present this research at an undergraduate or other research conference.
Tips for poster presentation1
- Your poster presentation should include the necessary background to introduce your topic to a broad audience who may not know much about your topic and should lead directly to the research question you addressed.
- Be sure to read your audience for feedback to ensure that points are understood clearly before moving forward.
- Your presentation should explain why the methods you used and the results you obtained were ideal for answering your question.
- Your presentation should conclude with the overall findings and how they related to your initial question and background information.
- Practicing your presentation is crucial: You should know exactly what all your figures mean and be able to explain them, and you should know all the key points to your research without reading notes.
- Be prepared for questions about your methods or other relevant material. It’s hard to predict what people may ask!
- Dress appropriately. For conferences in biology and ecology, formalwear (suit and tie is unnecessary), but professional and business casual dress is encouraged.
You will be graded based on the following criteria for a total of 20 points.
- Clear description of background information appropriate for audience (4 pts)
- Clear description of methods with justification for their use (4 pts)
- Clear description of research results and their implications (4 pts)
- Professional attitude and appropriate dress (1 pt)
- Fields questions related to research adequately (3 pts)
- Average score from peer-evaluations scaled to maximum of 4 points (4 pts)
Click here for a printable peer-evaluation rubric
| Criteria | Possible | Earned | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction: Clear description of introduction appropriate for a general audience. Introduction should clearly lead from background to research questions | 4 | ||
| Methods: Clear description of methods, including justification for why they are appropriate | 4 | ||
| Results and Discussion: Clear description of results which are related back to original research questions and implications |
4 | ||
| Professional attitude and dress | 1 | ||
| Fielded questions adequately | 3 | ||
| Total | 16 |