Scientific poster

Posters and short oral presentations have become regular forms of contributions at medical conferences. Frequently, however, posters are seen as second-rate contributions. This article provides suggestions on how to upgrade the status of scientific poster presentations. An important aspect is the placement of posters within the organizational structure of the conference. Another important aspect is that authors and advisory committees of conferences should be guided less by considerations of capacity than by considerations of content in their decision whether a contribution should be presented as a poster or a short oral presentation.