judging criteria for presentation

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Oral Presentation Criteria

Your task is to translate the information from your research paper or project into an engaging, succinct 15- minute oral presentation (5 additional minutes may be used to address audience questions).  your presentation will be evaluated according to both the quality of the content and the presentation style.  please review the oral presentation judging form to see the judging criteria., what should i include in my presentation .

This will depend on the kind of research project you conducted. In general, your presentation should include the following information:

• An introduction to explain the purpose of your work, i.e., research question, thesis.
• An explanation of why your question or problem is important.
• A description of your methods of gathering information and your analysis of this information (the ways in which you attempted to answer the question, or examine or solve the problem).
• The results of your research and your conclusion

Focus on the essential information required to help the audience understand what you learned, how you learned it, and why it was important to learn. If you use media or visual aids, please make sure that the necessary technology will be provided. Seek advice from your faculty mentor to assist you in making specific decisions about what to include or exclude.

Criteria you will be judged upon

Each exhibit will be given a score from 10 (excellent) to 0 (poor) based on ten different criteria.  More specifically, 10 - 9 = Excellent, 8 - 7 = Very Good, 6 - 5 = Average, 4 - 3 = Inadequate, and 2 - 0 = Poor.  Each judging form will include the project number, the name of the judge, the individual score for each criterion, the total points awarded (out of 100), and a space for comments (one for each criterion) to be shared with the student(s).

Note that if a required component (criterion) is missing, a 0 will be given for that component of the project.

• Introduction
• Media & Visual Aids
• Preparation
• Connection with Audience
• Question & Answer Session

How should I organize my presentation? 

• First, interest your audience in your project by identifying your research question and establishing the importance of your research.
• Second, preview the main points of your presentation to prepare the audience to hear and remember your speech.
• BODY: The main body of your presentation will comprise most of your speech. It should have clearly identifiable, well-connected points that develop out of your paper.  The kind of main points will depend upon the kind of research conducted in your paper, i.e., quantitative or qualitative, or descriptive. Quantitative research requires data collected through an experiment or survey. Qualitative or descriptive research involves an examination or development of an idea or theory, an analysis of a problem, or the creation of a work of art, music, literature, or poetry.
• Summarize your main points.
• End with a powerful line that reinforces the importance of your research.
• TRANSITIONS: In addition to basic structure (introduction, body, and conclusion, you can improve the organization of your presentation by using transitions from one section to the next and from one main point to the next. Transitions provide clear guides to your audience as they listen to you.

How should I deliver my presentation? 

Keep in mind that your research is what matters most. While effective delivery can enhance a strong research project, good delivery cannot improve weak research!

Dress professionally and strive to deliver your presentation extemporaneously. That means do not read from your paper and also do not memorize your presentation. Instead, work at internalizing it by planning, preparing and practicing. Know your material so well that you can speak with authority about it without having to read sentences or memorize specific words.  You are welcome to use note cards to help guide you during your presentation by citing a few keywords and phrases rather than full sentences.

Delivery tips: 

• Practice your presentation several times (at least 10 times, even 20)
• Practice it out loud.
• Practice it in front of your faculty mentor.
• Practice it in front of a mirror.
• Practice in front of friends, family members, your pets, anyone who will listen.
• If you have visual aids, practice your speech using them.
• Time your speech when you practice to ensure it fits the 15-minute time limit.

Lastly, what matters most is your research, what you have learned, how you learned it, why it was important to learn. The emphasis is on your research – not on you.

(Adapted from the PSU Beaver Undergraduate Research Fair)

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• Judging Criteria for Oral Presentations

Judges will use a seven-point scale to judge presentations on the following criterion (statement): Comprehension & Content (first three statements)

• The speaker provided clear background and significance to the research question
• The speaker clearly described the research strategy/design and the results/findings of the research
• The speaker clearly described the conclusions, outcomes and impact of the research, and was able to answer audience questions

Engagement & Communication (last three statements)  

• The oration was delivered clearly, and the language was appropriate for a non-specialist audience
• The PowerPoint presentation was well-organized and enhanced the presentation
• The presenter conveyed enthusiasm for their research, articulated thoughtful answers to questions, and captured and maintained the audience’s attention
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Judging Criteria

Guide for judges.

Judges will use criteria similar to that used by Toastmasters, International when that organization conducts its international speech contest. Below is a breakdown of the criteria:

Speech Development (structure, organization, support material).

A good speech will be :

• Easy to understand
• Focused (has a purpose)
• Structured (clear beginning, middle, and end)
• Engaging (gets audience attention and drives them to a purpose)
• Supported with relevant examples, facts, etc.

Topic (achieves purpose, holds interest)

• Was the speech subject appropriate for this particular audience?

Stage presence

• Professional appearance
• Body language should support speech through gestures, expressions, posture.
• Speaker moves appropriately
• Speaker exhibits enthusiasm and confidence
• Different pitches, rate, and volume add to richness of speech.
• Words heard and clearly understood.
• Word choices appropriate for audience.
• Language is precise and promotes clear understanding of thoughts
• Use of words is correct in terms of grammar and pronunciation.
• Speaker uses few or no filler words.

Each UURAF category is assigned a judge who is familiar with the respective field. Categories with multiple sections (i.e., biochemistry may have 4 sections of posters) will each be assigned a separate judge. We try to have one faculty judge per 6-8 students so that each judge has ample time to evaluate each project. Graduate students, research associates/postdoctoral fellows, and academic and support staff members will also be visiting presentations and offering feedback to presenters. 

When providing feedback, please remember our commitment to advancing a culture of respect, awareness, and compassion at MSU.

What Students can Expect from Judges

Judges will view your presentation and may ask questions about your research and scholarship. For in-person presentations, judges may ask questions at your poster or at the end of your exhibit or performance presentation. For online presentations, questions may come through a chat function or a discussion session on the event website (Symposium by ForagerOne). We encourage you to respond to questions from judges and visitors promptly.

Judges will be sent instructions by email. All judging materials will be located online. Each judge must complete their evaluations and ranking by 5:00 PM on April 12, 2024, so the Undergraduate Research staff can prepare for the award ceremony. There can only be one first-place winner within each section. When providing feedback, please remember our commitment to advancing a culture of respect, awareness, and compassion at MSU

Sign Up to Judge

• To evaluate onsite at the Breslin Center, click this link to sign up
• To evaluate online, click this link to sign up

Review the options listed and choose the spot(s) you like by March 28. Be sure to scroll through all the options, and select only 1 option per time slot .

Prefer to sign up for opportunities without using SignUpGenius? Contact us at [email protected] for assistance.

Judging Criteria

Presentations will be evaluated on the delivery of the research or creative activity.  A five-point scale is used to judge each criterion: 1 = poor/not addressed; 2 = fair; 3 = good; 4 = great; and 5 = exceptional.  Review this sample judge form to learn more.

Judge Directions

• Evaluations Onsite at Breslin Center - link coming soon
• Evaluations Online at Symposium - link coming soon
• Selecting First Place Winners - link coming soon

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Rules and Judging Criteria

Competition rules and presentation structure.

A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted (no slide transitions, animations or ‘movement’ of any kind; the slide is to be presented from the beginning of the oration).

• No additional electronic media (e.g. sound and video files) are permitted.
• No props (e.g. costumes, musical instruments, laboratory equipment) are permitted.
• Presentations are limited to three minutes maximum. Competitors exceeding three minutes are disqualified.
• Presentations are to be delivered in traditional presentation style.
• Presentations are considered to have commenced when presenters start their presentation through movement or speech.
• Each presentation will be judged using the criteria below.

Judging Criteria

• Clarity :  Did the speaker provide adequate background knowledge to make the talk and the importance of the project understandable?
• Organization : Did the presentation follow a clear and logical sequence?
• Language matches audience :  Was the topic and its significance communicated in a language appropriate to an interested, but non-specialist audience? (For example, did the speaker avoid or explain discipline-specific jargon?)
• Significance :  Did the presenter explain why the project mattered, addressing the impact and results of the research?
• Delivery :  How was the delivery, including pace, enthusiasm, confidence, body language, and dynamism of vocal delivery?
• Visual :  Did the slide enhance the presentation and help to emphasize the primary points of the talk?  Was the slide well designed, clear, legible and concise?
• Engagement :  To what extent did the talk speak to your intellectual curiosity?  Did it make you want to learn more about the topic?

3-Minute Thesis Judging Criteria

Judging format , preliminary round.

Preliminary rounds will be held in-person in February 2024.  Students will be assigned to compete within 5 divisional preliminary rounds:  Humanities, Social Sciences, Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Engineering/Applied Science s. Two preliminary round champions from each divisional group will be selected to move onto the Final Round.

Final Round

Final rounds will be held in-person on Friday, April 12, 4:00-6:00 p.m. EST.  At the Final Round, each of our champions will give a live version of their talk and judging will take place at this event.

For examples, make sure to watch videos of the previous 3MT finalists on  YouTube .

• Only 1 single static PowerPoint slide is permitted (no slide transitions, animations, or ‘movement’ of any description; the slide is to be presented from the beginning of the oration). Do not include your presentation title on the slide.
• No additional electronic media (e.g. sound and video files) are permitted.
• No additional props (e.g. costumes, musical instruments, laboratory equipment) are permitted.
• Presentations are to be spoken word (i.e. no poems, raps, or songs).
• Presentations are limited to 3 minutes maximum and competitors exceeding 3 minutes are disqualified.
• The decision of the adjudicating panel is final.

Judging Criteria

Comprehension & Content

• Did the presentation provide an understanding of the background to the research question being addressed and its significance?
• Did the presentation clearly describe the key results of the research including conclusions and outcomes?
• Did the presentation follow a clear and logical sequence?
• Was the thesis topic, key results and research significance and outcomes communicated in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience?
• Did the speaker avoid scientific jargon, explain terminology and provide adequate background information to illustrate points?
• Did the presenter spend adequate time on each element of their presentation – or did they elaborate for too long on one aspect or was the presentation rushed?

Engagement & Communication

• Did the oration make the audience want to know more?
• Was the presenter careful not to trivialize or generalize their research?
• Did the presenter convey enthusiasm for their research?
• Did the presenter capture and maintain their audience’s attention?
• Did the speaker have sufficient stage presence, eye contact and vocal range; maintain a steady pace, and have a confident stance?
• Did the PowerPoint slide enhance the presentation – was it clear, legible, and concise?
• Did the presentation recording appear clear and free of distracting elements (unnecessary noise, background clutter, etc.)?

Rules For The Three Minutes Thesis Competition (3MT) Presentation and Judging Criteria

Rules For The 3MT Presentation

• The presentation must be no longer than 3 minutes in length, or the competitor will be disqualified.
• The presentation is considered to have begun when the student starts the presentation through movement or speech.
• Presentations should include a single, static slide (no transitions, movement, or animation in the slide). You don’t need to have a slide. Slides are not compulsory.
• No script or cue cards may be used during the presentation; students must recite their presentation by memory.
• No additional props are permitted (i.e. costumes, musical instruments, lab equipment).
• Presentations must be spoken-word (i.e. no poem, rap, song). Note that passages from songs, poems, etc. are acceptable if the presentation requires quoting from such sources, but it is recommended that you limit your use of such quotations.
• No additional electronic media (sound or video files) are permitted within the presentation.

Judging Criteria

Each competitor’s presentation will be assessed according to the criteria listed below.  Please note that each criterion is equally weighted.

• Comprehension Did the presentation help the audience understand the research?
• Engagement Did the oration make the audience want to know more?
• Communication Was the thesis topic and its significance communicated in language appropriate to a non- specialist audience?

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New Business Concepts Pitch Guidelines | Social Ventures Pitch Guidelines | Ten Questions That You Should Try To Answer  

New Business Concepts Pitch Guidelines

New Business Concepts will be evaluated on the following judging criteria.  

• How well was the concept explained?
• How reasonable, sustainable, and scalable is the new concept?
• Is there a genuine need for the product or service?
• How well was the target market defined?
• What is the size and growth of the market?
• What is the consumers' willingness to pay for the product/service?
• Is the description clear?
• Is the product feasible?
• How easily it can be duplicated?
• Is there a presence of potential substitutes for the product?
• Have the current and potential competitors, competitive response, and analysis of strengths and weaknesses been adequately defined?
• How realistically defined is the marketing plan?
• Does the plan adequately address price, product, place, and promotion?
• Are resources sufficiently allocated for marketing?
• What is the likelihood of securing resources required for production?
• Is there an ability to operate competitively and grow?
• Does the team exhibit the experience and skills required for operation?
• What is the depth and breadth of the team's capabilities?
• Does the team demonstrate the ability to grow with the organization and attract new talent?
• How compelling is the business model?
• Have the resources required for the venture been addressed?
• Has the team clearly and adequately presented a breakeven analysis?
• How reasonable are the financial projections?
• Are there prospects for long-term profitability?
• Did the entrepreneurial team explain funding?
• Were offerings to investors and anticipated returns clearly explained?
• Did the team calculate a realistic valuation?
• How feasible is the exit strategy?
• Did the presenter(s) engage the audience and hold their attention?
• Did the presenter(s) appear to speak with confidence authority?
• Were visual aids (i.e. PowerPoint® slides) clear and valuable?
• Was the pitch exciting and compelling?
• How efficiently did the team allot their time?

Social Venture Pitch Guidelines

Social Ventures will be evaluated on the following judging criteria.  

• Does the proposed venture address a significant and critical social problem?
• Does the proposed venture adequately describe the problem it hopes to address and have defined parameters within which it plans to operate?
• Does the entrepreneurial team possess the skills and experience required to translate the plan into action?
• Can they demonstrated the passion, commitment, and perseverance required to overcome inevitable obstacles?
• Is the team comprised of individuals committed to ethical standards?
• Does the proposal approach the social problem in an innovative, exciting, and dynamic way?
• Does the initiative aspire towards clear, realistic and achievable goals, while thinking big?
• Can it be implemented effectively?
• Are there clear and coherent schedules, milestones, objectives, and financial plans?
• Has adequate attention been given to the way in which the product or service is to be produced and/or delivered?
• Do they have, or can likely secure, the resources required for production?
• Will they be able to operate competitively and grow?
• Does the proposed venture include adequate strategies for fundraising and income generation?
• Does it consider the different dimensions of financial and social sustainability in a conscientious manner?
• How will the implementation of this social venture benefit the community and the multiple stakeholders involved?
• Is there the potential for significant social impact and engagement of the broader community?

* While there is some debate regarding the precise definition of a social venture, and what exactly differentiates it from a traditional for profit business, the Selection Committee and Judging Panel will use the following criteria:

• PRIMARY MISSION - is the organization's primary purpose to serve its owners (New Business Concept) or society (Social Venture)
• PRIMARY MEASURE OF SUCCESS - does the organization measure its success primarily by profitability (New Business Concept) or positive social change (Social Venture)

Ten Questions That You Should Try To Answer

Whether pitching a New Business Concept or a Social Venture, try to address the following ten big questions as completely as possible. Remember, you should not simply talk about a general idea (those are "a dime a dozen"), rather, try to present a concise concept with a clear economic model, convincing everyone that you can actually make it happen.

• 1. What's the PROBLEM?
• 2. What's your SOLUTION?
• 3. How large is the MARKET?
• 4. Who is the COMPETITION?
• 5. What makes you so SPECIAL?
• 6. What's your ECONOMIC MODEL?
• 7. How exactly will you achieve SALES?
• 8. Have you assembled a qualified TEAM?
• 9. How will you secure required RESOURCES?
• 10. What are you proposing for an INVESTMENT?

Suggested reading: The Art of the Start by Guy Kawasaki (Penguin 2004), especially Chapter 3, "The Art of Pitching"

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• Community STEM Expo and Awards
• Other competitions
• Frequently asked questions

Imagination

• Determine team size
• Start a lab notebook
• Choose a topic

Preparation

• Ask questions and identify problems
• Develop and use models
• Plan investigations

Investigation

• Document the procedure
• Carry out investigations
• Collect data

Interpretation

• Review the data
• Perform calculations
• Construct explanations and design solutions

Presentation

• Create a project presentation
• Write a final research report
• Competing at fairs

Judging criteria

• Getting help
• Step by step process
• Project fee payments
• Approval before experiment (SRC)
• Human subjects (IRB)
• Display and safety rules
• Ways to Give
• Contribute a Sponsored Award
• Corporate Sponsorship
• Current Donors and Sponsors

SARSEF Fair award winners have been announced!

Throughout SARSEF Regional Fair Week, projects will be evaluated by judging teams and award recipients will be determined. Evaluation criteria have been updated to reflect the latest scientific thinking and parallels the criteria used to judge International Science and Engineering Fair projects. Grand Awards’ judging is conducted using a 100-point scale with points assigned to the research question, design and methodology, execution, creativity, and presentation.

Each section includes key items to consider for evaluation. Students are encouraged to design their presentations in a clear and informative manner to allow thorough evaluation. Judges should take into consideration the grade level when scoring. Judges will also examine any lab notebook samples and, if present, any special forms if SRC permission is required.

Data is important in research. Judges will evaluate the accuracy and thoughtfulness of the data collected. If their data show trends, the student should show intentional analysis and graphically represent those trends clearly. Students must be careful about making predictions outside of the scope of their project — that is, interpreting a cause and effect that they cannot statistically support with their data. In processing data and arguing claims, students should show accurate mathematical thinking and reliable reasoning.

Australian Human Rights Awards 2024

Honour your human rights heroes.

Pay tribute to champions of social justice.

Celebrate the dynamic spirit of our community.

The Australian Human Rights Awards is an inspirational showcase of the best in all of us. The Awards honour and celebrate diverse human rights heroes and significant achievements in protecting and promoting human rights in Australia.

The 2024 Australian Human Rights Awards will open for nominations in July. 

You can join us for the Awards ceremony on Friday 13 December 2024 in Sydney. Tickets will be available later in the year. 

Nominations open soon

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes 

The Awards are your opportunity to honour and promote the work of our unsung heroes of human rights as well our more high profile achievers.

Help shine a light on the work of human rights champions who often go unrecognised for their efforts in advancing and defending human rights in Australia.

2023 Australian Human Rights Awards finalists

Women’s equity and racial equality advocate Juliana Nkrumah AM has been awarded the prestigious 2023 Human Rights Medal. 

Other awards went to:

• Gabriel Osborne (Young People’s Award)
• Northern Pictures (Media and Creative Industries Award)
• Advocacy Tasmania (Community Award)
• Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia (Law Award)

A diverse array of people and organisations from across Australia were selected as finalists for the 2023 Australian Human Rights Awards. There were 260 nominations across five categories.

The award recipients were announced at a gala ceremony and reception in Sydney on Friday 8 December, just two days before International Human Rights Day and the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. You can watch a recording of the livestreamed event.

R ead the media release .

2023 Awards finalist videos

Information about nominations for the 2024 Australian Human Rights Awards will be available in July.

Nominating is easy! You can do it right here using the online form on our website. If you need help with other kinds of formats, please get in touch.

• Nominations are FREE.
• You can nominate yourself or the organisation you work for or a person or organisation you admire.
• People and organisations can be nominated in multiple categories.
• Nominators whose nominees are chosen as finalists will receive one (1) complimentary ticket to the Awards ceremony in Sydney. Should there be multiple nominators for a chosen finalist, only the first person to submit a nomination for that finalist will receive the complimentary ticket.

Provide a breadth of information. Tell us exactly why your nominee should get an award. What has the nominee accomplished? How has their work made an impact? What’s the broader context of achievements a or contributions? What prompted you to submit your nomination? Provide as much information about their achievements and/or service as possible.

Keep it clear and concise For your nomination to shine, it needn't be long. Aim for quality not quantity. And focus the work that’s specifically related to the reason you’re nominating the person or organisation.

Provide supporting material Supporting material such as photographs, newspaper clippings, and links to blogs/websites are great. But be sure these are relevant to your nomination.

In choosing the recipients for the Awards, consideration is given to the nominee’s achievements in the year prior to receiving the award, as well as their ongoing contribution to the advancement of human rights.

An individual, organisation or community group need only be nominated once to be considered. The number of nominations received per nominee carries no weight in the judging process.

To be eligible for nomination, entrants must have made an outstanding contribution to the promotion and protection of human rights IN AUSTRALIA in at least one of the following areas, and been active in this area between 1 September 2022 and 31 August 2023:

• Taking action to overcome discrimination or infringements of human rights within Australia;
• Encouraging greater harmony between people of different race, sex, sexuality, age or ethnic origin within Australia;
• Enhancing the rights of Indigenous Australians;
• Promoting equal opportunity for people with a disability in Australia; or
• Increasing awareness of issues of injustice or inequality in Australia. 

Eligibility criteria

• Nominees must be an Australian citizen OR have resident status and be living in Australia OR be an organisation or association that is registered in Australia.
• Self-nominations are accepted
• Unsuccessful nominations may be re-nominated in subsequent years 

Category criteria

• People and organisations can be nominated in multiple categories. 
• Nominations for people aged 25 years or under (as of 31 August 2024) will be considered for the Young People's Award
• Eligibility is dependent on the award category and may be open to businesses, groups, organisations and/or individuals.

Judging criteria

Selection panels will consider the following when assessing and comparing nominations against the above criteria:

• Does the nominee contribute to the advancement of human rights issues in Australia?
• Does the entry provide specific examples of their contribution?
• Has the nominee been a leader in this area of work in their community?
• Has the nominee raised community awareness of the issue?
• Has the nominee been able to provide a network of support for the issue?
• What was the outcome of the nominee’s contribution?
• How effective was the outcome?
• Did the nominee overcome any obstacles to achieve their outcome?

Nominees cannot be:

• an employee of the Australian Human Rights Commission
• an employee of a direct supplier of commercial products or services to the Australian Human Rights Commission
• a member of the 2023 Australian Human Rights Awards judging panels
• a partner organisation or an employee of a partner organisation of the 2023 Australian Human Rights Awards

Nominations for all awards must be received by 5pm Monday 4 September 2023, unless otherwise extended.

All submitted nominations and supporting material remain the property of the Australian Human Rights Commission and will not be returned.

The judging panel will select up to four (4) finalists and one (1) winner for each category.

The judges' decision is final and no further correspondence will be entered into.

The person who nominates a finalist will receive one (1) complimentary ticket to the 2023 Australian Human Rights Awards. Only one (1) ticket per nomination.

Should there be multiple nominators for one finalist, the first nomination for that finalist will receive the one (1) complimentary ticket to the 2023 Australian Human Rights Awards event.

Nominees must agree to any reasonable local, state or national marketing and media publicity associated with the 2023 Australian Human Rights Awards.

All finalists will be announced by Monday 16 October 2023.

Finalists are required, where possible, to attend the awards presentation ceremony and will each be given two (2) complimentary tickets to the 2023 Australian Human Rights Awards event.

The winner of each category will be announced at the 2023 Australian Human Rights Awards event in Sydney in December 2023.