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Prepare for viva#

Suggested steps#

  1. Review the university policy and viva procedure.
  2. Review your own thesis, with familiarity of your main sources, explain and defend your methods, and be able to explain your results. Additionally, be able to explain the limitations of your thesis and implications of your work.
  3. If in person, try to visit the room where the viva will take place to familiarise yourself with the space.
  4. Review the work of your examiners. Particularly the most recent work of your external examiner - this is likely to be the most relevant to your thesis, and they are generally the expert in your field.
  5. Start answering questions about your thesis. You can do this by yourself, with your supervisor, or with your peers. Be sure to do it aloud.

Some tips#

  1. It is good that the examiners have questions -- you might learn something from it!
  2. Some of these might actually help with preparing a paper for publication.
  3. The chair is there to make sure that the viva is fair and that the examiners are following the procedure. They might also set some ground rules for the viva. If you ask the chair in advance of the viva, they might be able to tell you what these are -- or you can at least request that they set some ground rules.
  4. Have a think about which journals you might want to publish in, and why. This might be a question that comes up.
  5. Think of which questions you would ask if you were the examiner. This might help you to prepare for the viva. You can also ask your supervisor to do this.
  6. If you are asked a question that you don't know the answer to, it is okay to say that you don't know. You can also ask for clarification if you don't understand the question.
  7. You can try to use your opening presentation to steer the viva in a direction that you are comfortable with. For instance, you could use it to highlight some strengths or weaknesses of your thesis, or pose some questions that you would like to discuss.
  8. Try to anticipate the known knowns and known unknowns.
  9. The questions you are asked may lead into minor or major corrections to your thesis. This is normal.
  10. You can ask for a break if you need one.
  11. Ideally the conversation should go a bit like a game of tennis, with a bit of back and forth.
  12. Generally, if there is likely to be a big problem with your thesis based on the external examiner's report, you will be told in advance.
  13. Usually you go through the thesis chapter by chapter, but this is not always the case.

Question answering strategies#

  1. Answer questions clearly, precisely, and concisely. Then stop talking. In other words, answer the question first, and then elaborate if required.
  2. You don't need to answer questions immediately. It is acceptable to take a moment to think about your answer.
  3. Be wary of using buzz words or jargon. If you do, be sure to explain what you mean.

Resources#

To investigate#

  • The possibility of a mock viva.

Common opening questions#

  • Please explain how you came upon this research topic and why you chose to work on it.
  • Please explain what you have achieved in this thesis.

Tips#

  • Read through your thesis thoroughly about a week before the viva and think through it actively.
  • Even though the examiners will carefully read your thesis, it is unlikely that they know more about it than you.
  • It can be a good idea to brush up on the examiners research close to the event to re-familiarise yourself with their work and where they might be coming from with their questions.
  • Before the event (and into the future), come up with a way to describe your thesis in less than 5 sentences.

Questions from TCD#

  • What is your thesis about?
  • Explain in your own words what you have done in your thesis.
  • What is the contribution of your thesis to scholarly knowledge in your field?
  • Summarise the main findings of your thesis.
  • Why did you choose this topic?
  • Why have you chosen to organise your thesis in this way?
  • Why is the problem you have tackled worth tackling?
  • Is it possible to generalise your findings or are they specific to the particular case you have studied?
  • How have you evaluated your work?
  • How do you know that your results are correct?
  • How do your results compare with the work of others in the field?
  • What have you done to be awarded the degree of PhD?
  • What is original about your thesis?

Questions from TCD that are method specific#

  • Why did you choose this method to anlayse your data?
  • Describe your methodological approach.
  • Would your approach be as effective for other periods or places?
  • What you learned by carrying out your research?
  • What would you do differently if you were to do it again?
  • What are the alternatives to your approach?

Key questions#

  • Why did you choose this topic?
  • What is the main contribution of your thesis?
  • What are the main findings of your thesis?
  • What are the main conclusions of your thesis?
  • What are the main recommendations of your thesis?
  • What are the main limitations of your thesis?
  • What are the main implications of your thesis?
  • What are the main strengths of your thesis?
  • What are the main weaknesses of your thesis?
  • What are the main differences between your thesis and the work of others in the field?
  • What are the main differences between your thesis and the work of your supervisor?
  • What are the main differences between your thesis and the work of your examiners?
  • What are the main differences between your thesis and the work of others in the field?