A Revised Mixed-Approach Rubric for the Quality of Academic Posters

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Scientific Communication
• Research Methodology

Background:

• Poster quality at pharmacy conferences is inconsistent.
• A mixed-approach rubric (MAR) was previously developed to assess poster quality.
• Further evidence necessitated a revision of the MAR into the rMAR.

Purpose of the Study:

• To re-evaluate poster scoring using the revised MAR (rMAR).
• To examine attributes differentiating lower-quality from higher-quality posters.
• To validate the psychometric properties of the rMAR.

Main Methods:

• Two faculty raters independently scored 642 pharmacy education conference posters using the rMAR.
• The Rasch Measurement Model was employed for psychometric analysis and quality measurement.
• Linear regression analyzed the relationship between quality measures and poster attributes (sequencing, QR codes, abstract presence, wordiness, format).

Main Results:

• The Rasch Measurement Model confirmed distinct lower and higher quality poster groups.
• The rMAR demonstrated reliable performance across raters.
• Poster quality positively correlated with logical sequencing, QR code use, absence of submission abstract, and reduced wordiness.
• Contemporary poster formats (Persky-style, Billboard-style) were rated higher than Traditional formats.

Conclusions:

• The evidence-based rMAR effectively validates poster quality scores.
• Regression findings reinforce initial MAR results and highlight key quality indicators.
• Poster format selection significantly impacts perceived quality.