Tips to survive your Viva Voce / Oral Exam / Defending of your Thesis
The day is finally approaching! Congratulations! Now you might have 1000 questions about how to prepare properly. That´s what worked for me:
Preparations:
1. Discuss the requirements, format, and schedule for your defense with your supervisor. Do you need to prepare a presentation, or will you only be asked questions? If a presentation is required, can everyone participate, or only the examiner?
2. If the defense is (partially) public, attend other defenses to familiarize yourself with the process and take note of your lessons learned. Also, consider asking a few people you trust to accompany you to calm your nerves.
3. Familiarize yourself with your examiner, read their work to understand their philosophical perspective, their area of expertise, and their research approach. Do they use quantitative or qualitative methods? Which paradigm are they using for their research?
4. Research the top 20 questions and highlight them in your thesis (if you are allowed to bring your research documents with you).
5. If necessary, book a room, organize the technical equipment, including a backup, and test your equipment beforehand.
6. Prepare your slides or anything else you may need.
7. Reread your thesis shortly before the day of the exam.
On the day:
1. Dress formally and wear something you feel comfortable in. Confidence is your greatest asset today.
2. Prioritize your daily routines.
3. Hydrate and eat properly.
4. Be punctual and test your equipment if possible. Travel times in particular can have an impact on your time management (traffic jams, missed buses, weather, etc.).
5. Remember that you are the expert in this field. Critical questions mean that someone is interested in your studies! You got this.
Top 20 Questions to defent your Thesis
The questions depend very much on your reviewer. They will start with some simple key questions and go into more detail over time. That is a selection of some possible questions:
1. What is the inspiration behind your research?
2. Why did you choose this particular title?
3. Did your research question evolve during the different stages of your study? If so, how (optional: and why)?
4. What is the importance of your study? How will it contribute to the existing body of knowledge?
5. Which theoretical frameworks shape your work (most)?
6. How would you summarise the main contribution of your thesis?
7. What research findings surprised you? Optional: Where do you adapt or depart from established theory?
8. How do you justify your interpretation of the key results?
9. How does your design address the core research question?
10. How did your research paradigm influence your research?
11. What is the validity of your findings/your research?
12. Justify why your chosen methodology was most appropriate here.
13. How did you ensure consistency across your data collection or analysis?
14. What did you learned from the study you have conducted? If given a chance, would you like to do something different with your research?
15. What are the variables (dependent/independent) in your research?
16. Did you experience any limitations in your research? What are the limitations you have faced during your research/while dealing with your samples?
17. Can your findings be generalised? If not, why?
18. What areas do you suggest for further research?
19. What assumptions underpin the conceptual approach of your research?
20. What will you include if you are told to add something additional to the study?