Posters can be presented on their own, similar to a silent presentation or a visualized publication. There are a lot of posters on the walls of research institutes; either once created for a congress or presenting a summary of a research group's achievements.

Different ways of presenting

There are different types of presentations (e.g. at congresses or conferences). Similar to a presentation, one could use a method where the entire audience is supposed to walk from one poster to another while each author gives a short introduction (often there are just a few minutes at the author's disposal). The second method provides for the audience to walk around freely (poster bazaar), while authors are supposed to give information on their posters for a certain time. They should not give a speech but answer questions or inform interested persons about specific details. The third method is presenting poster transparencies by means of projectors, very similar to other presentations.

Are there any rules when presenting a poster?

Generally, there is no difference between giving a presentation and presenting poster; the rules are basically the same. The most important thing is to provide a good view of your poster. The author (or speaker) should also always refer to the poster (e.g. by pointing to images or text passages). Laser pointers are useful when presenting projected posters but not when standing right next to it.

An advantage of a poster bazaar is the fact that you have the possibility to immediately respond to questions of the audience. It is not common to read out loud or take notes; a poster as aide memoire is more than adequate.