Judging a Poster Exhibit

Judges are assigned exhibits at random and therefore, it is likely that judges will be evaluating research outside their areas of expertise.
Student exhibitors have been instructed to make their work understandable to a broad spectrum of the community. Students should be able to explain the purpose, methods, findings and importance of their work in lay terms. Judges are asked to make this objective a focus of their evaluation.
Exhibitors have prepared a short (no more than 5 minute) oral overview of their projects. Judges should allow them to complete their presentations before delving into specific questions about the research.
Immediately after visiting each exhibit, judges should jot down notes about the strengths and weaknesses of the presentation, paying careful attention to the judging criteria. After completing judging, judges will decide on the final scores.
Judges should give equal time to each of the exhibits that they have been assigned. After completing judging of all assigned exhibits, judges should feel free to revisit any exhibits.

Criteria for Judging the Poster Exhibits

Content (50 points; 10 points for each criterion)

Objective or reason for research
Significance to research field
Significance to society
Project design, execution
Interpretation of findings

Display (30 points; 6 points for each criterion)

Clarity of text, graphics, demonstrations
Directness of language
Spelling, grammar, lack of jargon
Suitability for general audience
Ability to be understood without comment

Verbal (20 points; 5 points for each criterion)

Clarity of presentation
Proper use of time allotted
Ability to communicate all relevant features
Ability to answer questions

Scoring

The ranking of an exhibit is accomplished by comparing your scores with those of other judges with overlapping assignments. This scheme provides a chain of scores that allows the comparison of all of the posters. For this procedure to work most effectively, it is important to take the following approach to ranking the exhibits.
Judges should utilize the scoring range, as they would in academic testing, and avoid "grade inflation" or ranking all exhibits with similar scores. A successful/effective presentation should score an 85; a truly outstanding presentation should be ranked in the 90s.

Feedback to Students

After handing in final scores, judges are also asked to provide at least one comment on both the strengths and weaknesses of the poster and presentation. These written comments will be extremely useful to the student.