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Introduction to Scientific Research (BIOL 3305/PSYC 3305)

Research Poster Guidelines
Your group will agree on a general topic to research over the course of the semester.
Then, each member of your group will decide to examine a specific aspect of this
topic and prepare a research poster, based on the guidelines described below.
1. Your poster will be prepared and presented as a research proposal that will
include an abstract, introduction, literature review, statement of hypotheses,
method section, predicted results, and references.
2. Use at least five current (last 5 years) peer-reviewed journal articles relevant to
your chosen topic as sources. You may also decide it is necessary to include
additional sources, including those that go back further than five years, to
appropriately address your topic.
3. In the abstract portion of your paper, summarize all the main points of the
proposal concisely and clearly.
4. In the papers introduction, state your rationale for the proposed research. In
other words, why do you want to do this study? It should be concise, clearly
defined, and stated early in the paper.
5. After the introduction, your literature review should describe, in your own
words, the findings from previous research on your topic. You should use peer
reviewed sources (5 peer-reviewed journal articles at a minimum) that are
directly linked to your proposed research.
6. The hypotheses state what you are predicting. They should be clear, testable,
and appropriate to your topic. They should logically follow from the literature
review. Please note: If you are proposing a descriptive or qualitative study, it is
possible that you would not have any specific hypotheses to test. If this is the
case, simply describe what you think you might discover in your study.
7. The Method section clearly describes the proposed study design. How do you
propose to conduct the research? What steps will you take? Sample and
population should be clearly identified. State the appropriate ethical guidelines
you will follow to protect participants from harm and maintain their confidentiality.
You should clearly describe how you plan to analyze your data, appropriately
applying descriptive and/or inferential statistics.
8. In the predicted results section, you should state clearly and fully what you
expect to find. Predicted results should logically follow from the hypotheses.
Implications of predicted findings should be discussed why might your findings
be potentially important?
9. Use proper grammar and spelling. Do a spelling and grammar check using your
word processor and then proofread to further check for errors. Take care that your
writing flows well from start to finish with good paragraph construction. Write it so
that if a classmate were to read your poster, he or she would have no trouble
understanding it.
10.
Follow APA style guidelines. The Writers Harbrace handbook available in the
bookstore will have these guidelines. You may also go to the following web site for
help: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
11.
Your poster should be displayed in a professional manner, expected for
posters presented in academic conferences.

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Introduction to Scientific Research - Research Poster Grading Rubric
Expectations
Meets most

Meets some

Meets few

Meets none

Meets all,
exceeds most

Meets or
exceeds all
Abstract (brief summary of paper) (10 points)
Concise (120 words or less)
Summarizes all the main points of the proposal
Clearly states what proposal is about
Introduction (10 points)
Introduces topic early and clearly explains why it was selected
Guides the reader toward your literature review and hypotheses

10

10

Literature Review (20 points)

Adequate number (at least 5) of peer-reviewed sources
Demonstrates full understanding of previous research
Cited sources are relevant to your topic
Logically leads reader toward hypotheses
Hypotheses (10 points)
Clearly stated and visible to the reader
Testable!
Appropriate to the topic selected.
Logically connected to the literature review
Please note: If you are proposing a descriptive or qualitative study,
and have no specific hypotheses to test, then clearly describe what
you think you might discover in your study.
Method (20 points)
Study design is clearly and thoroughly described
All hypotheses are validly tested
Sample is appropriate and clearly defined.
Plan for data analysis is clear and valid
Ethical guidelines clearly stated
Predicted Results (10 points)
Predicted results clearly and fully stated
Logically follow from the hypotheses
Implications of research clearly discussed
Limitations of research clearly discussed
Describes 2 or more examples of future research possibilities
Writing Style (20 points)

20

16

12

10

20

16

12

10

20

16

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Poster presented in a professional style
Organized effectively throughout
Developed as fully as readers expect
Uses APA guidelines for integrating, attributing, citing, and
documenting all quotes, paraphrases, and summaries
Free of distracting errors in usage, mechanics, punctuation,
sentence grammar, and paragraph formation.

Resources for Printing your Poster 36 by 48

Make Signs
http://www.makesigns.com/SciPosters_Pricing.aspx
http://www.makesigns.com/SciPosters_Templates_OLL.aspx
PosterBrain
www.posterbrain.com
Walgreens
www.walgreens.com
Office Depot
www.officedepot.com