San Diego Chapter of the ASA
Sixth Statistical Careers Day
San Diego State University
April 30, 2005



Fifth Annual Poster Competition at Statistical Careers Day

DESCRIPTION: The purpose of a statistical poster is to visually tell a story using data about some phenomena, to reveal to the viewer the conclusions that are drawn. Since a poster does not have a narrator to tell the story, the poster must stand-alone; it should not have to be explained. For this reason, special care must be taken to present ideas clearly. Not only must the viewers understand the individual graphics, but they must also understand the relationships among the graphics, and how the graphics address the question(s) being studied. The poster should demonstrate that the scientific method of solving a problem has been used. Keep in mind the following questions: (1) Was there a carefully focused question or questions? (2) Were the appropriate data collected? (3) Were the data analyzed appropriately? (4) Were the correct conclusions drawn?

CATEGORIES and PRIZES: Entries may be submitted in one of the following three categories: high school, undergraduate and graduate levels. Prizes (amounts and types will be announced in March) and certificates will be awarded to first, second, and third place winners. Certificates will be awarded for honorable mention.

RULES:

  1. Posters will measure between 18 and 34 inches high and 24 and 36 inches wide.
  2. Posters must be attached to heavy weight paper, such as cardboard.
  3. Layers of paper on posters must be attached securely.
  4. Posters must be the original design and creation of the entrants themselves. Computer graphics may be used.
  5. Subject matter is the choice of the participant(s) or their classmates. An example of the original data, brief descriptions of the method of collections and purpose of the experiment must be taped to the back of the poster. (Cite references for published data.)
  6. Students may work individually or in teams. Maximum team size is four. For teams with members from different educational levels, the highest educational level determines the entry category.
  7. Register your poster by April 25, 2005 by sending the title of the poster and names of all team members to Dr. Rich Levine at ralevine@sciences.sdsu.edu.
EVALUATION: Judges will evaluate the posters on:
  1. Overall impact of the display for eye-catching appeal and visual attractiveness; for its ability to draw in the viewer to investigate the individual graphs.
  2. Clarity of the message's demonstration of important relationships and patterns, obvious conclusions, and ability to stand alone, even without the explanatory paragraph on the back.
  3. Appropriateness of the graphics for the data and of the statistical analysis.
  4. Creativity