Champlain Valley Regional Science Fair

IV. Visual Display

You want to attract and inform. Make it easy for interested spectators and judges to assess your study and the results you have obtained. You want to ‘catch the eye’ of the judges and convince them that the research is of sufficient quality to deserve closer scrutiny. Most displays or boards have three sections and are free standing. For the most part, the displays are put on a table. Most judges get a chance to look at the board before the interviews. Make the most of your space using clear and concise displays. You never get a second chance to make a first impression!

 

Finalists’ projects inclusive of all materials and supports are limited to the following dimensions:

Depth (front to back) 30 in. (76 cm)
Width (side to side) 48 in. (122 cm)
Height (floor to top) 108 in. (274 cm)

The maximum height of your poster display (table to top) cannot exceed 72 in. (183 cm).

 

Helpful hints for display:

a) Current Year: Make sure the board reflects the current year’s work only. Prior year’s data books are permitted at your project.

b) Good Title: Your title is an extremely important attention-grabber. A good title should simply and accurately present your research and depict the nature of the project. The title should make the casual observer want to know more.

c) Take Photographs: Many projects involve elements that may not be safely exhibited at the Fair, but are an important part of the project. You might want to take photographs of important parts/phases of your experiment to use in your display. Photograph or other visual images of human test subjects must have informed consent. Credit must be given for all photographs.

d) Be Organized: Make sure your display follows a sequence and is logically presented and easy to read. Reach out to the ‘skim-reader’. A glance should permit anyone (particularly the judges) to locate quickly the title, abstract, experiments, results and conclusions. When you arrange your display, imagine that you are seeing it for the first time. Highlight your results using key graphs that show the relationships of the two variables tested. Use the graphs to give a ‘picture’ of the data for your viewers. These graphs will provide an easier method of viewing the data rather that just seeing the recorded quantitative data.

e) Eye-Catching: Make your display stand out. Use neat, colorful headings, charts and graphs to present your project. Pay special attention to the labeling or graphs, charts, diagrams, photographs, and tables to ensure that each has a title and appropriate label describing what is being demonstrated. Anyone should be able to understand the visuals without further explanation.

f) Correctly Presented and Well-Constructed: Be sure to adhere to the size limitations and safety rules when preparing your display. Make sure your display is sturdy, as it will need to remain intact for quite a while. You must also consider the weight of the project for shipping (if moving on to TRSEF). It can be very costly to ship a heavy board. Keep your materials light, but strong.

Please Note: The judges are judging your research, not the display. So don’t spend an excessive amount of time or money on the board. You are being judged on the science