Participation in the International Congress of Complex Thought includes among its modalities the presentation of posters. The posters area allows the active inclusion of a larger number of participants since the session time is not enough to listen to all proposals of lectures, oral presentations, and discussion panels. However, this is not the only reason that justifies and makes the presentation of posters necessary.

Posters diversify the ways of communicating scientific results. This is not about a text, and let alone about an oral communication. At a time where visual expression and design have incorporated into daily communication, posters bring unique and differentiated possibilities of exchange to the field of communication of scientific results. By applying a personal dose of wit and creativity, we will be able to take advantage of these possibilities.

Some lecturers and researchers give less credibility to this modality, since they consider it as something complementary that goes unnoticed or that has a reduced effect, opposite to oral participations performed in session. We think differently.

The International Congress of Complex Thought incorporates the poster as a modality with broad possibilities. To make these possibilities happen, we have conceived within the same subject matter the strategy of linking the oral sessions and the posters session. In this case, before starting with the oral debates about the subject matter, the relator of the session will make an introductory synthesis of the contents displayed on the posters, so that questions, comments, or contributions in general may be formulated in relation to the posters and be effectively incorporated.

Then, it is very important that your poster is capable of catching the interest of the audience. But, how is this attained? Here are some suggestions for making up posters:

•  No one will know about your poster if they do not approach it and read. Therefore, it is imperative that your poster is appealing and that it produces a visual effect inviting to get closer to it. Think of it in a way that invites to approach it, to observe closely, and to communicate.

•  Consider your poster as a form of visual expression. Do not overload it with text. Think of linking points of knowledge (images and texts), and try to capture the processes on it. Favor images and graphical representation whenever possible.

•  Is your presentation too conceptual and far from a visual representation? Think a bit more, since even the most abstract concepts have always possible visual representations.

•  If, after thinking about the above suggestion, you still perceive your poster in a very verbal manner, you can resort to alternative forms of expression. Nothing prevents you from placing a short account of the contents on the poster, or attached to it on a separate sheet that interlocutors may take with them for a more detailed reading.

•  If you are still not satisfied with your impression of the poster, there is one more strategy. Publish your poster and make up a microposter that interested participants may take with them. You do not know what a microposter is? A microposter is a reproduction of the poster on a small scale, for example in A4 format. If you combine the microposter and the brief account mentioned above, the impact of your poster will increase considerably. (For a more detailed explanation, refer to the article: “El microcartel, una herramienta eficaz para la comunicación científica” (The microposter: an effective tool for scientific communication”) at http://eprints.rclis.org/archive/00001939/).

•  Stay next to the poster for as long as possible. That way, you will be able to answer questions, establish contacts, and shape common interests with other participants.

•  We know that you cannot be in front of the poster all the time, however, do not disregard it. Make contact easy even when you are not present. How? For example, on the bottom of your poster include two pockets: one for participants to place their cards or notes, questions, suggestions, contact information… and the other one with your business card so that participants may take them and establish further contact with your work team. Be audacious; you can also provide small sheets of paper for participants to leave their impressions in writing.