News
A call for posters at AAPT Conference 2014
The AAPT would like to receive HTA best practice poster presentations at Conference 2014. Newly elected Council members Emma Romeling and Debbie James have produced hint & tips, an entry form and set criteria for submissions.
Hints and tips for a submission
Content of the poster
• Make sure the title and author's/Mortuary’s name are prominent and eye-catching.
• Remember to include your Mortuary’s name.
• Tell a story: provide clear flow of information from introduction to conclusion
• Focus on your major findings - a common fault is to try to cover too much. Few delegates are going to read everything on your poster, so get to the point.
• Use graphs, tables, diagrams and images where appropriate. Use boxes to isolate and emphasise specific points.
• If you add an NHS logo, follow the guidelines provided by your trust.
• Your Medical illustration department may be able to help you.
Design suggestions
• Use all the space at your disposal, but do not cram in the content - white space is an important part of the layout, and good use of it can make a poster elegant and arresting.
• Use colour sparingly - limited use of a few colours is more striking than a 'rainbow' approach. Think about why you are using colour; it is especially useful for emphasis and differentiation.
o Avoid colour combinations that clash (e.g. red on blue) or cause problems for people with colour-blindness (e.g. red and green in proximity).
• Use white or muted colour background (e.g. pastel shades)
• The flow of information should be clear from the layout; if you have to use arrows to indicate the flow, the content could probably be arranged better.
• Clearly label diagrams/drawings and provide references to them in the text where necessary.
• The title text should be readable from 6 metres away - at least 48-point text. (Note that if you are creating your poster in A4 format, to be blown up to A1 format later, the final printed font size will be approximately 3 times the size you are working with.)
• The body text should be readable from 2 metres away - at least 24-point text
• Choose a clear font with large inner space (i.e. the space inside the loops of letters such as 'o', 'd', ‘p'). Good examples are Arial, Verdana, Georgia or Helvetica.
• Serif or sans-serif text? Short answer: it doesn't matter, as long as it's legible. Keep the word count as low as possible.
Completed Entries
• Ensure the poster is NO larger than A3 size.
• A laminated final presentation is to be posted / mailed to: - Mr Gary Miller, The mortuary, Queen Elizabeth hospital, Queen Elizabeth avenue, Gateshead, NE9 6SX no later than the 29th August 2014.
• Email a copy of your presentation & completed entry form to emma.romeling@nhs.net
• All entries will be displayed at the AAPT National Conference in Newcastle on 20th September 2014.
They will be judged by speakers at the Conference and the winning presentation will be displayed on the AAPT website as an example of best practice, a trophy awarded AND the winning organisation is entitled to a free conference place for the 2015 event!