Background: Academic conference posters are a key communication before journal articles. Attention to visual attributes can enhance academic poster communication.
Objective: This investigation's purpose was to create a visual impression measurement instrument, and then to describe and compare visual impression among scientific posters from an academic conference.
Methods: A mixed-approach rubric was created to quickly measure visual impression of academic posters. Then, posters from a pharmacy education conference were retrospectively reviewed and scored. Visual impression was compared for traditional versus contemporary poster-formats. Various poster characteristics (poster-format, summary statement presence, abstract presence, wordiness, QR-code presence, logical sequencing, visuals) that might have impacted visual communication were coded. These characteristics were regressed onto visual impression scores.
Results: Three-hundred seventy-eight posters were scored with sound inter-rater reliability. Contemporary poster-format scored significantly higher than traditional. Poster-format, abstract absence, lack of wordiness, QR-code presence, logical sequencing, and number of visuals were significant when regressed.
Conclusion: Posters at one academic conference had varied visual impression. While a contemporary poster-format appeared more helpful, it was not a panacea; variation from poor through exemplary was seen with both poster-formats. Posters are not text-filled articles; displaying a combination of visuals/text clearly and concisely can help effective communication with academic posters.
Keywords: Conference; Poster; Visual communication; Visual impression.
© 2024 The Authors.