Visualise Your Thesis Competition
The Visualise Your Thesis TM competition is an online audio-visual and multimedia competition that showcases a researcher's project within a 60 second time frame.
What is it?
Visualise Your Thesis (VYT) challenges graduate researchers at any stage of their candidature to present their projects in a 60-second, eye-catching, audio-visual digital display. Using a pre-supplied template, entrants are tasked with developing a striking e-poster presentation that succinctly describes their research and its potential benefits to a non-specialist audience. The competition provides graduate researchers with an opportunity to build and apply their digital literacy skills, ensuring they are workplace-ready, and provides institutions with an opportunity to showcase graduate research.
The competition provides students with an opportunity to build and apply digital literacy skills. By creating a “visual elevator pitch” they will develop crucial employability skills including effective communication, digital literacy, and visual storytelling. They also build their awareness of open access to information and copyright.
2022 finals results
The Deakin finals were held as an in-person and live streamed event in conjunction with the Three Minute Thesis competition on August 18, 2022.
Winners
Deakin Research would like to thank all the entrants for their entries this year and congratulate our winners:
Winner: Himashini Whitley, Faculty of Health: ‘How do children construct their experience of moving around the neighbourhood, and what does this mean for what they think they can or can’t do?’
Equal Runner-Up: Claire Samanna, Faculty of Health: ‘Can exercise improve disc health?’
Equal Runner-Up: Davita Coronel, Faculty of Arts and Education: ‘Skypuppies: Batcare in Melbourne’
People's Choice Winner: Jack Parry, Faculty of Arts and Education: ‘The Object of Life’
International Final
Our winner Himashini as well as each of the winner from the other domestic institutions will compete against each other in an online International Competition final. This will be held in October (dates TBC); details will be advertised shortly. The Visualise Your Thesis prize announcement to take place at the 2022 eResearch Australasia Conference. With social media announcement following event.
How to enter
The 2022 competition has now closed.
Thanks to all who entered and congratulations to our winners.
Please check back for updates on the launch of the 2023 competition.
Why do it?
- Make a one-minute explainer
- Gain skills
- Improve your research profile
- Use it everywhere
- There are prizes
Get on your Socials @VisualiseThesis, https://twitter.com/VisualiseThesis for details and updates.
Prizes
- First place: $3,000
- Runner-up: $2,000
- People's choice award: $500
Check out last year’s Deakin entries to get the idea.
Who is eligible to enter?
The Visualise Your Thesis competition is open to currently-enrolled graduate researchers (including students enrolled in Master Philosophy, Masters by Research, PhD or Professional Doctorate programmes) at any stage of their candidature who are active and attending. Competitors who are eligible on the date of their first presentation in their local competition will be considered eligible for the duration of that year's competition.
Not eligible to enter the competition are -
- Honours students
- Masters by coursework students (even if their program has a research/thesis component)
- Graduate researchers on a leave of absence (i.e. inactive and not attending)
- Lapsed candidates
- Graduate researchers who are employed by your university who may have, or may be perceived to have, influence over the competition outcome, research funding or related resourcing, or an otherwise unfair advantage over the other entrants from your university.
Entries should be unique and original. The resubmission of previous entries is only permitted where substantial revision has occurred.
Rules
Using the Visualise Your Thesis template
A PowerPoint template will be available for you to download via the Visualise Your Thesis CloudDeakin site. You must use this template in your submission.
Technical requirements
- Your presentation will have three slides; one content slide which will be displayed for a maximum of 60 seconds, and two bookend slides
- The bookend slides are set to display for five seconds – you can add additional reference slides if required
- The maximum file size allowed is 100 MB
- You may use a combination of images, music or other audio-visual elements
- Any elements used to create your video must be referenced and comply with the competition’s copyright rules.
- Your entry must be compatible with PowerPoint 2014. Please test your entry before submitting it.
Copyright Requirements
Copyright compliance forms part of the scholarly citizenship segment of the judging criteria. All content included in your entry must be copyright compliant and conform to the guidelines.
Any type of material that meets the guidelines for compliance can be used. These may include:
- Visual: photographs, charts, graphs, animations, sketches, cartoons, etc.
- Audio: music, sound effects, narrative voiceovers, etc.
Check out the CloudDeakin VYT site for the all requirements. Just remember to self-enrol with your student credentials first.
Supervisor approval
You should discuss your Visualise Your Thesis competition participation with your supervisor/advisor. In particular, you should discuss your entry and potential implications for prior publication, patent and grant applications, and intellectual property (IP) rights and responsibilities. If you are working on team-based projects, collaborative projects with your supervisors, or on ongoing programs in large research centres or labs, you need to be aware of, and respect, the IP rights and responsibilities of all individuals involved. Supervisor/advisor approval to enter the competition forms part of your submission checklist, see the 2022 VYT Entrant Pack, page. 10 (PDF, 363.1KB).
Judging criteria
Copyright
Copyright compliance forms part of the scholarly citizenship judging criteria. All content included in submitted entries must be copyright compliant and conform to the guidelines below. Full and correct copyright information is a hurdle requirement for the competition. Training videos and examples will answer most copyright questions and extra help is available from the Library Copyright Officers. Theywill offer a workshops and drop in consultation to assist with attributions and acknowledgements.
For more about copyright requirements, see the VYT Entrant Pack 2022, pp. 6-7.
| Category | Criteria |
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| Content |
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| Impact |
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Deakin University 2021 VYT competition results
- First prize winner: Rebecca Nourse - "Supporting self-management in people with heart failure"
- Equal second place runner-up: Catia Freitas - "Using children's literature to teach marine science concepts", and
- Equal second place runner-up: Lily-Grigsby-Duffy - "Investigating food and beverage price promotions in Australian supermarkets: prevalence, impact on purchase behaviour, and the potential for equitable change"