Abstract
Poster sessions—also known as science markets—play an increasingly important part in the presentation of the results of scientific investigations at symposia and congresses. However, it often appears that scientists, technical communicators, and graphic designers have hardly any idea of the purpose of a poster session. This paper deals with several aspects of this fairly new phenomenon. The willingness of the visitor at a poster session to read a particular poster is determined by his interest in the subject, the structure and quantity of the scientific information involved, and the presentation as such. The person presenting the poster can influence only the last three factors. The poster can best be designed on Din A3 format (29.7 cm × 42 cm) and photographically enlarged to poster size (1 m × 1.5 m). A science market with posters may also contribute to improve scientific communication within a research institute, in combination with the conventional in-house presentations.