Milestone Preparation

Before commencing milestone preparation, please ensure that you complete the below:

  • Mandatory Induction Training and Modules: to be completed within the first six (6) months of commencing candidature. For information on this, please email grs-training@une.edu.au.
  • Supervision Agreement Form: to be completed within three (3) months of commencing candidature.

Milestone Preparation

  1. Discuss date and time of milestone meeting with supervisory team.
  2. Advise the Graduate Research School (GRS) of proposed date and time.
  3. With the guidance of your supervisory team, begin preparing written documentation and oral presentation (if required).

Milestone Written Documentation

Please provide the following documentation to the GRS fifteen (15) business days prior to the scheduled milestone meeting. Failure to provide the required documents in time may result in the cancelation of the milestone.

Review of Written Documentation

Discipline Representative Review

Following the candidate’s written documentation submission, the documents will be sent to a Discipline Representative (nominated by the Principal Supervisor) for independent review prior to the milestone meeting.

Refer to the Discipline Representative page for further information.

Plagiarism and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Check

iThenticate is an online similarity checker that compares text in an uploaded document (such as your Research Proposal or Draft Thesis) with text from a database of scholarly content and webpages.

The iThenticate Similarity Report identifies problematic referencing, such as missing quotation marks, missing citations, and work that is neither cited nor quoted. It also flags academic integrity concerns such as plagiarism.

In addition, this software identifies, detects, and provides a report on the suspected use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

All reports generated by the Graduate Research School will be provided to the HDR Candidate and Supervisors following the milestone meeting for actioning if required.

Oral Presentation Preparation

Prepare a 20-minute oral presentation to be given to the milestone panel and audience for the relevant milestones below:

  • Confirmation of Candidature: outline the project, rationale, proposed thesis structure, budget etc.
  • Mid-Point Review: provide an update on research progress/findings, timelines, budget etc.
  • Thesis Review: deliver update on additional findings and conclusions.

For Mid-Point Review and Thesis Review ONLY:

  • If you have presented at a conference or research seminar since your last HDR milestone, you can submit evidence of this to satisfy the milestone oral presentation requirement.
  • Along with written support from your Principal Supervisor, please submit your evidence to grs-milestones@une.edu.au when sending your written documentation.
Oral Presentation Tips & Tricks

Preparation: Good preparation builds confidence and clarity and the ability to speak formally about your research and findings is very important. Know your audience, understand the expected format, and rehearse your talk several times. Discuss your plan with your supervisors and watch other HDR candidate milestone presentations to get a sense of structure and process.

Engaging the Audience: Draw your audience in by showing the significance of your work. Use active, precise, and concise language, and link new ideas to concepts your listeners will recognise. A confident, relevant opening helps set the tone for the whole presentation.

Visual Aids: Design slides that are clean, clear, and easy to read. Use large fonts, minimal text, and one main idea per slide. Make sure your visuals are visible from anywhere in the room.

Delivery: Aim for a natural, fluent delivery with minimal reliance on notes. Make eye contact, vary your tone, and use gestures comfortably. Enthusiasm for your research helps engage your audience and makes you more confident on the day.

Final Check: Before presenting, run through your slides with your supervisor, confirm your timing, and test all equipment (Eg. Zoom Screensharing).

Handling Questions: Treat question time as part of the presentation, not an afterthought. Practise answering likely questions, listen carefully before responding, and know that it is ok to admit when something is still being researched. Thoughtful, honest answers show understanding and professionalism.