Community Engaged Research Posters & Infographics: Home

Consult the resources below these tips for more information.

Know Your Audience

• Who?  community leaders, community advocacy members, parents, other stakeholders
• What?  are their interests and concerns? do they want to know? is most relevant to them?
  • Adapt to fit their needs
• Respect cultural norms and customs 

Use Plain Language

• Avoid acronyms and academic "buzz words"
• Avoid scientific or academic specific language
• Consider reading (grade) level 

Clear Communication

• Present the most important points first
• Break complex information into chunks
• Use active voice

Tips for using images and graphics:

• Make graphics relevant but appropriate to audience!
• It is ok to be fun & creative when using graphics to communicate your message
• Infographics or visualizations may best communicate results/findings

Resources:

Resources

Clear communication resources:

• AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Communication Fundamentals
• AAAS Engage with the public and policy makers
• NIH Clear Communication 
• NIH National Cancer Institute's Making Data Talk: A Workbook

Plain Language resources:

• Plainlanguage.gov
  • Checklist for Plain Language
• CDC Plain Language Materials & Resources
• NIH Catalyst: The Training Page - Plain Language Posters

• Speak clearly and make eye contact
• Communicate why your issue/topic is important within the first few sentences
• Do not just read your poster
• Do not overwhelm your audience with information
• As with your poster, avoid use of acronyms or scientific jargon when you speak
• Be culturally appropriate, use relevant examples. 

Resources

• AAAS Engage with the public and policy makers

The Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool  (PEMAT) and User’s Guide

This tool can also be used with posters or infographics.

• Checklist with online score sheet and instructions
• Separate tools for print and audiovisual materials
• Designed as a guide using a systematic method to determine whether patients will be able to understand and act on information.

Infographics are a powerful way to tell a story using data; however, they take some skill to produce. There are a number of popular tools you can use to produce them, including online tools such as Canva or Piktochart or PowerPoint. Here are some resources to get you started.

• AOTA (American Occupational Therapy Association) website search
• UNC- Telling Your SSIP Story in an Infographic
• ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association) website search
• WHO (World Health Organization) infographics:
• CDC (Centers for Disease Control) infographics
• APHA (American Public Health Association) Infographics:
• Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) Infographics

• Consumer Health at HSL
• Health Literacy & Patient Education
• Lecture on Infographics
• Data visualization guide
• Presentations
• Infographics

Contact Us!

Exploring data and communicating findings through data visualization: Lorin Bruckner, Data Visualization Services Librarian

Using plain language and appropriate literacy/health literacy levels:Terri Ottosen, Community Engagement and Health Literacy Librarian

This guide was created by

Grace Pelak, BS, Graduate Research Assistant, Health Sciences Library and MPH Candidate 2021, Gillings School of Global Public Health

Barbara Rochen Renner, PhD, Allied Health Sciences Liaison Librarian

With special thanks to:

Lorin Bruckner, Data Visualization Services Librarian (exploring data and communicating findings through data visualization)

Terri Ottosen, Community Engagement and Health Literacy Librarian (Using plain language and appropriate literacy/health literacy levels)