Posters hold many benefits for presenters and viewers.
by Dale Eric Wurster, Ph.D., FAAPS, President
Among the many successes in AAPS’ inaugural PharmSci 360 were the posters presented throughout the Solution Center. I am proud to say that PharmSci 360 hosted more than 1,500 posters—every one of them a valuable contribution to the great body of knowledge that we, as scientists, build day by day through our research.
The feedback from presenters and attendees on the posters this year was excellent. AAPS has monitored the performance of the posters closely in recent years, asking both presenters and attendees about their experiences, and the survey results this year were in line with what other board members and I heard and saw at the meeting. Seventy-eight percent of presenters indicated that they accomplished their goals during their time in their assigned poster forum. Three quarters of presenters rated their experience with the poster forums as very satisfied (26.62 percent) or satisfied (48.40 percent).
According to AAPS’ survey of poster presenters, the top reasons they presented a poster at PharmSci 360 were to share the science and to discuss the science. I have to say, I too think that is the best part.
Personally, as an educator, I value the power of poster presentations to affect students who, by sharing their research, are joining their peers in pursuit of scientific excellence. More than 58 percent of poster presenters this year were students or postdocs. Also this year, poster presenters reported receiving advice from scientists in their fields and being encouraged by journal editors to submit manuscripts. A couple of anonymous comments from poster presenters capture this experience:
“I was able to talk with people from industry, who gave me insights on my research and also gave me some tricks to incorporate into my future studies.”
“I shared my current research with scientists and Ph.D. students from other countries and groups. We had a very pleasant communication on my research. Meanwhile, my skills on presenting and introducing research have improved.”
I think AAPS’ electronic poster format makes presenting easier for students. Some of the advantages are obvious: From the moment AAPS introduced digital terminals, students have told us how much they appreciate not having to print their posters and transport them, which is both expensive and awkward, especially for any presenter traveling overseas.
What I look forward to seeing over the next few years is the expanded use of the capabilities that electronic posters provide—especially the ability to use animations and video in a poster. Video and animation can magnify the impact of research by showing us processes like a drug docking with a receptor site or giving us a walk-through of novel drug-processing steps. As the community adjusts to the digital poster technology, we will work out any rough spots encountered in presenting digitally and find new ways to use the technology to present more engaging and enlightening posters.
One of the most important metrics we have begun monitoring to evaluate the poster presenters’ experience is how many conversations each of them has. A third of presenters spoke with 6 to 10 people during their assigned hour in 2018, while half spoke with 1 to 5 people. Two percent said no one talked to them about their posters. That low percentage is good, but still leaves room for improvement. We want all of our presenters to experience the excitement of sharing their science with another scientist, and we are working hard to make that a reality.
We are also interested in how presenters use their opportunities. Almost half of presenters (49.11 percent) definitely plan to follow up with people who took an interest in their poster.
Other survey results were also positive:
- Three quarters of both presenters and attendees said that the one-hour designated presentation time was about the right length of time.
- Although the technology is new (AAPS introduced it in 2016), 93 percent of presenters had no difficulty using the poster terminal technology, and 88 percent had no difficulty finding their assigned terminal.
Attendees were just as pleased with the posters. Among the attendees who responded to the postevent survey, 42 percent reported that when looking at posters they focus on a particular topic and look for posters on that subject. This is a welcome 4 percent increase in attendees who are viewing the posters as a scientific resource. Regarding other poster viewers:
- 28 percent window shop, looking for something that surprises or engages them.
- 73 percent talk to poster authors because they enjoy discussing the science
- 1 percent must see every poster!
- Three quarters of poster viewers had little (22 percent) or no (54 percent) difficulty finding a poster they wanted to see.
I was amazed to learn that 12 percent of attendees did not view a single poster this year. They are missing out!
Eighty percent of those who responded to the postevent survey enjoyed the digital poster terminals and cited benefits such as the ability to view or focus on minute details by zooming in, displaying the time remaining in the poster session, and being environmentally friendly.
In addition to the timed sessions for visiting posters on a particular topic, the poster café allowed attendees to view any poster at their convenience. More than a third of attendees (36 percent) used the table-top poster viewing stations in the poster café.
I want to share a few more comments from presenters on their experience in our poster survey:
“It was very interesting to share my science and have so many opportunities to obtain advice on my work.”
“The poster sessions were a great opportunity to communicate my science and receive constructive criticism from a fresh point of view.”
Attendees also shared their reasons for visiting the posters:
“I talk to poster authors to seek collaborators, discuss science, and learn about new trends in the field.”
“I like talking to young scientists who are early in their career.”
Thank you to those who completed the survey. We will continue to review the data and accompanying comments to make digital posters even more useful for presenters and viewers.
I hope you will participate in the 2019 PharmSci 360 poster program, either through submitting an abstract or volunteering to screen abstracts. More than 500 members help to select our posters through the screening process, and their contributions to the meeting are felt in every great conversation that attendees and poster presenters experience. Learn how to submit an abstract or become a screener.