Poster Design & Images: Archiving

Scholarly and research posters are typically one-time use items; once the conference or presentation is over, the poster is hung on a wall somewhere or recycled.  However, these "grey" publications often have value as citable items later in the lifecycle of research.  Archiving your poster allows you to:

• Point to a permanent location for your poster
• Cite the actual poster with data and conclusions, not just an abstract
• Archive research that may have value but not result in a published article
• Provide a record or timeline for research progress
• Include official links on reports, CVs, etc.
• Extend the reach of innovations and ideas to a greater, public, audience
• Market the secondary research output of a lab, division, department, or school.

Archiving your poster can be as simple as posting it online in PDF format to your lab or departmental website.  However, for more stable and long-term storage and access, submitting it to an online library such as the Carolina Digital Repository or F1000 Posters is a good idea.