What Is a Poster Presentation?
Honoring Ellen Harris-Braun
The Harris-Braun Outstanding Poster Award for Research is named after Ellen Harris-Braun, midwife, computer programmer, and researcher extraordinaire. On October 28th, 2016, Ellen passed away from breast cancer. Ellen was the Director of Database Development for the MANA Division of Research and, together with her husband Eric, designed the data collection software for MANA Stats. The Harris-Braun Outstanding Poster Award was founded in Ellen’s honor, and represents the incredible contributions of Ellen and her family to midwifery and birthing families. Please learn more about Ellen’s life here.
Ed. Note: Please note the that information on this page no longer reflect the current MANA poster submission guidelines. For the current deadlines and submission requirements, please visit the new page here. (Edited March 16, 2018.)
Why Posters?
The Midwives Alliance welcomes submissions of research posters from students and professional researchers. A poster is created to disseminate information from a research project or study, to review best practices or issues in maternal-child health or midwifery care, to communicate an outreach project or initiative, or to summarize the evidence on a particular clinical practice. Posters often look like this:
From the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Department of Kinesiology; poster by Sarah Delany
Posters are displayed at the conference for attendees to peruse at their leisure, and the conference schedule will also denote a designated time(s) when presenters are asked to be by their posters to answer questions and interact with readers. That’s the “presentation” part of the conference’s poster track. This can be an excellent time to share your enthusiasm and expertise, gain support for an initiative, receive feedback on your project.
Here’s a picture of what a poster-presentation session can look like (at a chemistry conference):
From the University of Virginia’s Department of Chemistry
Awards
Beginning in 2014, the Midwives Alliance issues an award for the best poster presentation in each of two categories: student/apprentice poster and graduate/professional researcher poster. Having a poster accepted for presentation is a form of publication. The MANA Divisionof Research will judge the posters.
— In the student/apprentice category, the winning student will receive a free year of membership to MANA, and the student’s advisor and school or preceptor and practice will also be recognized.
— In the graduate/professional research category, the winning student will receive a free year of membership to MANA,and the author’s institutional or practice affiliation as well as advisor or preceptor (if applicable) will also be recognized. In addition, the winner will receive a 30-minute phone consultation on the winning research project with experienced researcher Melissa Cheyney, PhD, CPM, Chair of the MANA Division of Research.
Why wait? Apply now!
If you have an area of expertise or a research project that would be of interest to midwives and others involved in birth, please consider sharing what you know with conference attendees by submitting a poster! If you are attending the conference, please make sure to check out the wonderful posters and see what you can learn.
