How to summarise your research in one slide? Discover the 3MT success formula!
Presenting your research in just three minutes with just one slide. That is the essence of 3MT.
The international 3 Minute Thesis competition challenges doctoral researchers to present their work clearly and convincingly in three minutes.
The new Flemish 3MT edition will be held on 11 December 2024 for researchers from UGhent, UAntwerp, VUB, and UHasselt.
The candidates received advance pitch training from The Floor is Yours.
We are happy to share the success formula for summarising your research in one slide. This formula is useful, not only for 3MT but for any research pitch!
Why one slide?
One slide forces you to think critically about what is really important in your story. It is a visual aid to:
- Capture the attention of your audience.
- Making your message clear and better remembered.
But beware: an overcrowded or confusing slide is counterproductive. The audience needs to immediately understand what they are seeing, without distraction.
So, how best to start?
Step 1: Find your core message and keywords
Start with these questions:
- What is the essence of your research?
- Which keywords belong to it?
For example: participant Sybrien studies microplastics and their interaction with pollutants. Her key message:
“Microplastics interact with dangerous pollutants like mercury and hormone disruptors. I want to understand their interactions in the Scheldt River to know if they potentially worsen the toxicity.”
Her keywords are:
- Microplastics
- Pollutants: mercury and hormone disruptors
- Interaction
- Scheldt River
- Toxicity
These keywords are the ingredients she will use to shape her slide.
The choices she has to make are:
- Do I need them all?
- Can I present them visually?
- Can I add a “wow” effect?
Step 2: Slide Design
Now, it is time to start working on the slide. To do this, you can use three principles. We’ll review them together and immediately apply them to Sybrien’s case.
1. Less is More
Use only the most essential elements. Your audience should mainly listen to you and not get lost in the details on your slide.
Are there elements Sybrien can omit on her slide? Yes.
- Instead of using ‘pollutants’, it is more concrete just to mention ‘mercury & hormone disruptors’.
- ‘Toxicity’ does not necessarily have to be on the slide. She can explain that verbally.
2. Make the message visual
Can you turn keywords into clear images or graphics? One powerful visual can say more than a thousand words.
So Sybrien can easily show ‘Interaction’ visually with a double arrow.
But ‘microplastics’ or ‘mercury & hormone disruptors’ are vague technical terms and difficult to visualise. Therefore, it is better to put those words on the slide.
3. Create a “wow” effect
What makes your slide memorable? A surprising visual can have a lot of impact. After all, consider that the jury has to assess some 30 pitches.
During the workshop, Sybrien received a grandiose tip from another participant. She could portray ‘interaction’ with the iconic image of the two fingers from Michelangelo’s ‘Creation of Adam’.
Why is this a “wow” effect? Because you link a recognisable and powerful image to your research topic. Audiences will feast on that!
I then asked ChatGPT to create an image. Afterwards, I added the words myself.
(Tip: ask ChatGPT to use size 16:9 so the image fits nicely on your slide.)
And what do you think? I would still remove the left bridge because you don’t see it on the Scheldt, which may distract the attention.
Step 3: match your body language to your slide
Your slide is now ready. Now, you must ensure you can deliver the story convincingly. To do this, match your hand movements to what is shown on the slide.
For example, what can Sybrien do?
- The word ‘microplastics’ is to the left of the slide. When she talks about it, it is best to point to her right (which is left for the audience).
- Speaking of ‘interaction’ between the elements, she herself can hold her two fingers together as shown on the slide.
- And when it comes to the Scheldt, she can point to the river on the slide.
What does it deliver?
Even if you don’t participate in 3MT, this exercise is valuable. It forces you to reduce your complex research to a message that even a non-expert understands. And most importantly: so that the message sticks!
Do you dare to take up the challenge? Try summarising your research in one slide, based on your keywords. You will find that this not only sharpens your communication skills but also deepens your own understanding of your work.
Your research in one slide? It can be done!
(And if you suffer from stress for your presentation? Then these stress tips can help you 😉)