3MT virtual competitor guide

Write for your audience

• Avoid jargon and academic language.
• Explain concepts and people important to your research - you may know all about Professor Smith’s theories but your audience may not.
• Highlight the outcomes of your research, and the desired outcome.
• Imagine that you are explaining your research to a close friend or fellow student from another field.
• Convey your excitement and enthusiasm for your subject.

Tell a story

• You may like to present your 3MT as a narrative, with a beginning, middle and end.
• It’s not easy to condense your research into three minutes, so you may find it easier to break your presentation down into smaller sections.
• Try writing an opener to catch the attention of the audience, then highlight your different points, and finally have a summary to restate the importance of your work.

Have a clear outcome in mind

• Know what you want your audience to take away from your presentation.
• Try to leave the audience with an understanding of what you’re doing, why it is important, and what you hope to achieve.

What not to do

• Do not write your presentation like an academic paper.
• Try to use shorter words, shorter sentences and shorter paragraphs.
• You can use humour, however be careful not to devalue your presentation.

Revise

• Proof your 3MT presentation by reading it aloud, to yourself and to an audience of friends and family.
• Ask for feedback.
• Ask your audience if your presentation clearly highlights what your research is about and why it is important.

Reference : https://threeminutethesis.uq.edu.au/