Are you preparing for the 3 minute thesis competition 2024? Well, the pressure to make an excellent presentation and narrate it confidently in a span of 180 seconds is really petrifying. However scary it may sound to you, you should have faith that a simple act of participating in such a competition will make you a better communicator and scientist, regardless of whether you win or not.
As per the Researcher Professional Development platform, a 3 minute thesis challenges the PhD candidates to make a presentation on their research title and shed light on its importance in just three minutes. The presentation must be kept simple, brief and clear for the better understanding of readers.
Since the competition is high, students have to strive extra hard to win. Professional and highly qualified thesis writers online lend a helping hand to them and provide them with an opportunity to stand out and defeat their contesting participants. In this article, we will explore the expert tricks to prepare a flawless 3-minute thesis presentation.
How Do You Prepare Yourself for 3 Minute Thesis Competition 2024? 7 Effective Tips
The rules for the contests organised by different universities vary. You must ensure that you have read the judgement criteria and rules for the specific competition you have joined. The generalised tips we have mentioned here shall help you prepare yourself mentally for the 3 minute thesis contest you are participating in. Let’s explore them in further detail.
1. Tell a Story
In your 3MT competition 2024, the judges will evaluate your ability to explain your research work to a group of non-specialist audience. You should present 3 minute thesis in the form of a narrative which has a definite start, middle and end.
Although it is not easy to condense your research into 3 minutes, it will help if you break down your presentation into smaller sections. The opening sentences should introduce the thesis topic and must be engaging enough for the readers. If you tell it in the form of a story, your readers will naturally be compelled to hear more about your research.
2. Start and End With a ‘Why’
If you review the presentations of several 3 minute thesis winners, you will realise that one thing is common in their work. They all start by explaining the obvious research problem to the audience and make it clear to them why the research needed to be conducted. Then, they take them on a journey to understand the research process. After that, they ended their talk by providing the audience with a vision of the future and reiterating their points about why the research needed to be done. This way, the audience can relate to the issues and they realise that your work has actually contributed to the betterment of the world or future.
3. Display Accessible Ideas
Since the 3MT final presentations are limited and you cannot mention every little detail of your work, you should focus on giving your audience a broad idea of your work. The real challenge here is to find the most interesting elements from your research and tell them to the people.
You should start by giving broad and accessible ideas that do not confuse laymen. Make sure that at each point, the reader understands what you are saying and why it makes sense. If they understand you, they will be excited about your research work.
4. Do Not Rely on the PowerPoint Slides
Relying on the 3MT slides is a trap and you should not fall for it. You should not make the mistake of adding too much text to your slides because it can be confusing for the audience. Also, check if the sound and video files are permitted in the 3 minute thesis rules.
Ensure that you have used minimum written content on your slides, and focus on making your points clear to the readers with your speech, raw visual data, and videos (if permitted). The students who win 3MT contests usually make a powerful impact on the audience via strong presentation skills, not by making great slides.
5. Write For Your Audience
All good 3MT talks are interesting to the audience, and that is precisely what makes them successful. When preparing the content for presentation, you should keep your audience in mind all the time. Avoid adding anything that may confuse them at work. If you buy thesis online from a reputable service provider, you can ask them to provide a summary of the research. Later, you can use those summarised points to prepare for the 3 minute thesis UK contest.
6. Pay Attention to the Body Language
One of the most important 3 minute thesis tips, which you should not ignore at all, is to pay attention to the body language when you are delivering your speech. You must stand straight and with sheer confidence. Make uniform eye contact with the audience and never turn your back towards them.
Also, do not start playing with your hair, as it may be very distracting for the audience. You should also practise the movement of your hands when you are standing on the stage to give the 3MT presentation.
8. Practise and Win
Practice makes a man perfect! Every time you practise your speech, focus on your breathing patterns and try speaking slowly and calmly. In the competition, you will speed up naturally because of anxiety and the urge to win the 3 minute thesis prize. Well, if you really aim to win it, then you must not stumble or forget your lines when delivering the presentation. Practising working well under pressure will dramatically increase your chances of winning the contest!
3 Minute Thesis Examples
Here is a 3 minute thesis slide template for you to review before making your presentation. It has been taken from the source titled Principles Of Scientific Communication. The slide explains the process of using biofuels for transportation:
Here is another example of a slide which shows the invisible corrosion process:
What Is the 3 Minute Thesis Format?
The ultimate format for the thesis in 3 minute competition is to be decided by your university. However, in the student handbook for the competition developed by the University of Queensland, the students can use a single static PowerPoint slide to show their research points. They cannot use additional props and the competitors exceeding 3 minutes while explaining their doctorate research are disqualified.
What Do You Say in a 3 Minute Thesis?
In a 3 minute thesis, according to the University of Sussex, you will highlight the results of your research work. Imagine that you are explaining your entire thesis to a close family friend who is from another academic field. Explain the main concepts and theories about your work and avoid using highly academic language or jargon.
Conclusion
In this article, we have mentioned the rules for the 3 Minute Thesis Competition 2024. However, you should be careful enough to familiarise yourself with the judging criteria and 3MT rules before you start preparing for it from scratch. To assist you with your presentations and work, you should follow the guidelines we have mentioned above.
However, if you are facing any kind of trouble with your work, you should avail of thesis writing services online and acquire the professional assistance of seasoned thesis writers. This way, you can maximise your chances of winning the competition.
