3MT

Eligibility Criteria:

• Full-time or Part-time Master’s or Ph.D. students registered in thesis-based programs and
  in good standing are eligible to participate. (Western Regionals/Nationals may require you to be a full-time student)
• Graduate students in course-based programs, visiting students, exchange
  students, and students on leave are not eligible to participate.
• Graduate students at any stage of their program are eligible to participate.
• Graduate students who have convocated are not eligible to participate.
  Graduate students who have already defended their thesis but have not yet
  convocated are eligible to participate.
• Presentations must be based on the primary research the graduate student has
  conducted in their graduate program.
• Graduate students should conduct their presentations in English.
• Graduate students must present live, agree to be photographed and digitally recorded, and allow any recordings to be made public.

Staging and Performance Rules:

• A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted.
• PowerPoint slide should be created using an aspect ratio of 16:9
• No slide transitions, animations or movement of any description are allowed; the slide is to be presented from the beginning of the oration
• No additional electronic media (e.g. sound and video files) is permitted
• No additional props are permitted (e.g. costumes, musical instruments, laboratory equipment)
• Presentations are limited to three minutes maximum; competitors exceeding three minutes are disqualified
• Presentations are to be delivered in regular prose (e.g. no poems, slam poetry, raps, songs, or spoken word presentations)
• Presentations must commence from and remain on the stage
• Presentations are considered to have commenced when a presenter initiates either movement or speech
• The decision of the judging panel is final

Judging Criteria
Each category is weighted equally

Communication

• Did the presenter use non-verbal communication (i.e. eye contact,
  voice modulation, body language) effectively?
• Did the presenter use language and terminology that was clear, jargon-free, and understandable to a general audience?
• Did the presentation follow a logical sequence?
• Did the presenter spend adequate time on each element of their presentation? Did they elaborate for too long on one aspect, or did the presentation feel rushed?

Comprehension

• Did the talk help you to understand the scholarly research being
  undertaken?
• Did the presenter clearly outline the nature and purpose of their research?
• Did the presenter clearly indicate the fascinating or compelling aspects of their research?
• Did the presentation provide an understanding of the background and significance to the research question being addressed?
• Did the presentation clearly describe the impact and/or results of the research, including conclusions and  outcomes?

• Was the talk engaging?
• Did the presenter capture and maintain the audience's attention?
• Did the presenter convey enthusiasm for their work?
• Was the presenter careful not to trivialise or generalise their research?
• Did the talk inspire you to want to know more?
• Did the PowerPoint slide enhance the presentation - was it clear, legible, and concise?