Communicating scientific information clearly and concisely is a required competency of the Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) trainees. Collaborating with TEPHINET, the CDC has developed a package of self-study online scientific communication courses with guidance on developing a poster presentation, an oral presentation, conducting a literature search, and writing a scientific manuscript. These interactive courses help trainees learn and apply principles of effective communication to highlight the main findings for informing diverse audiences. In addition, the learners can benefit from the step-by-step guidance provided throughout their training. The courses offer flexibility and convenience for learners. This page provides access to the "Developing a Poster Presentation" course. The learners can also access additional scientific communication courses listed below: 

• "Conducting a Literature Search" course
• "Writing a Scientific Manuscript" course
• "Developing and Delivering Effective Oral Presentations" course

Course Description and Objectives

For learners preparing a scientific conference poster presentation, the course guides learners on developing poster content, design, and presentation. The course describes how to design an impactful poster and how to present a poster virtually or in person.

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• Describe the development of a poster based on an abstract from a research study.
• Identify the general and specific content of a poster.
• List design principles for developing an impactful scientific poster.
• Evaluate posters using a checklist.
• Explain the presenter's role at an in-person or virtual poster session.

Content 

The course will guide learners through the following steps for developing a poster presentation.

Access

The course is web-based and can be accessed here. 

This course is also accessible offline. For the offline version, please download the zip file.

In order to open the zip file and run the course:

• Step One: Download the zip file
• Step Two: Once it is downloaded, right-click the zip file to extract all
• Step Three: Open the extracted folder
• Step Four: Start each module by clicking the files named "Launch Module" for each