CALL FOR POSTERS: ERROR06*

http://www.error06.econ.vt.edu/

"Why Posters Are Best"

CLARK GLYMOUR

CMU, Philosophy

Professional meetings in scientific disciplines have held poster sessions for many years. Increasingly, researchers tell me they would usually prefer to present their work in a poster session. It works on both sides: my own experience as an audience member is that I get a lot more from posters than from talks.

Here's why:
1. As an audience member, I seldom know when I go into a talk whether I will be interested, bored or infuriated, but once in, barring rudeness, I'm stuck. Woe is me--I might have to listen to someone read their paper. Readings are for poetry. With a poster session, I can quickly survey the offerings to find what really interests me, and save a lot of time and annoyance.

2. When a speaker speaks, there are usually ten minutes or less of questions, or a commentary and questions. The commentator rarely asks what I want to know, and the speaker rarely answers. I may, or may not, get my 30 seconds of question and answer. With a poster, the interested audience can press for and listen to details, and the poster giver can actually learn something from interested people.

3. With a poster, poster givers and audience can actually start to work things out together, right there. I've seen it several times.
WANTED

Posters
4. All anyone really gets from an oral presentation is a vague idea that they might be interested in learning more. With a poster, the poster giver can have the written paper right there.

5. With a poster session, both audience and poster giver actually meet and talk. With a speech, the speaker speaks and disappears into the crowd. If I am interested in what she has to say, or in knowing more about her interests, I must stop her in a corridor while she looks around for someone more important with whom to talk.

*EXTENDED: Poster Submission deadline: February 28, 2006

(Accepted posters will have conference lodging and a portion of expenses defrayed.)