MECM90038 Chap.11 Research Posters and Creative Communication
Research Posters and Creative Communication
The research poster and presentation is worth 10% and is equivalent to 500 words, delivered across Weeks 10, 11 and 12. This chapter sets out the four parts the Padlet poster must contain and where each comes from in your earlier submissions, the split of marks between poster and talk, the three poster criteria, the five-minute limit and the work-in-progress upload date.
It also explains the AI rule for this task, which allows Padlet's built-in AI to create visuals but nothing more substantial. Finally it covers the Week 10 argument that creative communication is an ethical research practice, because research too often leaves its participants unaware of what it produced. Because the talk format was flagged for change, the chapter also tells you what to confirm on Canvas.
What this chapter covers
- 01
Four poster parts: background, methodology, preliminary findings and what comes next
- 02
Reusing literature review and methodology content instead of new research
- 03
Eight marks for the poster and two for the presentation
- 04
Content, layout and style as the three poster criteria
- 05
Work-in-progress upload, tutorial talks and a strict five-minute limit
- 06
Creative communication as ethical practice, following Hague's critique of research
Worked example · free
Planning a five-minute poster talk
- 1Open in about 45 seconds with the background: the renting debate and the gap the literature review found.
- 1Spend about one minute on method: three podcasts, the episodes chosen and how they were coded.
- 1Give the preliminary findings about two minutes, pointing at the poster's table rather than reading it aloud.
- 1Close in about 45 seconds with what comes next, keeping roughly 30 seconds spare.
Key terms
- Research poster
- A research poster presents a project's rationale, method, findings and next steps as a single visual page. In this subject it is built on Padlet and accompanied by a short talk.
- Work-in-progress poster
- A work-in-progress poster is an unfinished draft uploaded before the talks so tutors and peers can respond to it. The lecture plan sets its Padlet upload for 9 October 2026.
- Creative research communication
- Creative research communication shares findings in accessible, engaging forms beyond the journal article. The Week 10 lecture links it to an ethical duty toward the people research involves.
- AI declaration
- An AI declaration is a short statement acknowledging how generative AI tools were used in an assessment. It usually follows the reference list.
Research Posters and Creative Communication FAQ
Do I need to do new research for the poster?
No. The Week 10 slides say the content should come from the other phases of your project: the literature review for background, the methodology report for method, and your analysis so far for findings. The added effort lies in paraphrasing, organising and presenting that material clearly, and the reference list is submitted separately from the poster.
How long can my poster presentation be?
The Week 10 slides give five minutes as the maximum and warn that presenters will be cut off. Because the Week 4 slides also flagged a change to the poster talk format, check the current arrangements on Canvas. Rehearsing with a timer and planning a few spare seconds protects the conclusion from being lost.
Can I use AI to make images for my poster?
Yes, within limits. The lecture plan lets you use the AI tool built into Padlet to create visuals for the poster. It does not allow AI to produce substantial parts of an assessment that would present as your own ideas, research or analysis, and any AI use should be acknowledged in a declaration after the reference list.
When do poster presentations happen?
The lecture plan places the work-in-progress upload in Week 10 and poster presentations in the Week 11 tutorials, with further presentations in Week 12 during the tutorial or lecture, marked as still to be confirmed. The Week 10 slides describe Week 11 tutorial attendance as compulsory, so confirm your own slot on Canvas.
What do markers reward in a poster's design?
The layout and design criterion asks whether the information is attractive to look at, easy to read and quick to follow, with visual elements that support rather than distract from the content. The slides recommend tables, graphs and images. Design sits alongside content accuracy and clean, error-free writing within the poster's eight marks.
Assessment move
Open your literature review and methodology side by side and highlight the two or three sentences in each that a stranger would need to grasp your project. Rewrite each set as a panel of no more than eighty words. Draft one table or graph for your preliminary findings, since visuals are encouraged. Upload the work-in-progress version to your tutorial's Padlet by 11:59pm on 9 October 2026, then read the comments it attracts.
Rehearse the talk twice with a stopwatch, trimming until it fits well inside five minutes. Before presenting, check Canvas for the current talk format.
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