Preparing for your viva voce examination workshop University of Brighton Doctoral College PRDP Mark Erickson, Director of Postgraduate Studies Ursula O’Toole, Examinations Officer 24 th May 2018
Workshop outline • Introductions – how close to viva are you? What is your topic? • What is the viva and why do we have them? • Examination arrangements and thesis submission • Viva examinations – roles and responsibilities • Viva questions and format • Viva outcomes and responding to examiners’ feedback • How to prepare for and handle the viva examination – hints, tips and strategies • Pair work – defend your thesis to your colleague • Advice from graduates
What is a viva and why do we have them? WHAT? • A formal examination with formal outcomes • An oral ( viva voce = ‘live voice’) defence of your (written) thesis Also • An opportunity for you to discuss your project in depth with experts • A chance to explain your innovative and original contribution WHY? • Amongst other reasons a viva is: • an efficient mechanism for examiners to resolve doubts about your thesis, • confirms that the thesis is an original contribution, • confirms that the thesis is valid and useful work, • shows that it comprises good quality data (where appropriate), • confirms that the work is yours
Exam arrangements and thesis submission
Process and Stages • Discuss with supervisors who would be suitable internal and external examiners • Supervisors initiate examination arrangements process on PhD Manager • Doctoral College confirms the arrangements • Submit your thesis – check and stick to our regulations • Doctoral College will arrange a viva date
Viva examinations – roles and responsibilities • External examiner: (likely to be) a subject / topic specialist with a proven research and publication track record in this area. Their role is to question your thesis to ensure it is of an appropriate standard. • Often starts with questions that are about the original contribution to the discipline / subject • Internal examiner: an expert in at least one aspect of your thesis (subject / topic, but could be methodological expert) who is part of your home institution. • Often asks questions about the methodology and more general areas of the research
Viva examinations – roles and responsibilities • Independent chair: is precisely that, an independent observer who ensures that you are given a fair hearing, that examiners have addressed all their initial concerns and questions, and that the rules and regulations of the Doctoral College and the University are adhered to. • They are also responsible for your welfare • Supervisor: your supporter and your note taker. They have guided you through the research and are here to help you through the final stage through being an ally who is present. • Supervisors are not allowed to participate in the viva proceedings unless specifically asked to answer queries by the examiners or the chair. • Attendance is optional and is your decision
Viva format and likely questions • Viva examinations are preceded by a meeting where the two examiners, helped by the chair, will decide on what questions need to be asked and who will ask them. • Process: although a formal examination vivas are quite ‘relaxed’ in their format and there is not set structure. You will be invited in, sit down and get comfortable, there are introductions and then either: • The external examiner will ask you to ‘tell us about your project’ or • In some disciplines you will be invited to make a presentation to the examiners. If this is the convention in your discipline (it is not common) you will have been told well in advance and will have practiced this presentation. • BUT – this may not happen! Be prepared for different initial questions
Openers… • The following are all possible questions that can be used at the start of a viva – and you should (must?) be able to answer all of these: • What is the original contribution that your thesis makes? • What is the idea that binds your thesis together? • What is the main methodological development in your thesis? • What is the main theoretical influence on your thesis? • What are the major debates and issues that your thesis addresses? • Why did you choose this body of literature? • Remember: if you haven’t read it, don’t cite it! • Why is your thesis important?
Original Contribution? • What is your original contribution? • This can be difficult to identify until the very final stages of writing up. • However, your Research Plans, Transfer / Secondary APR documents, and Abstract will all provide useful materials that will help you to clarify, and then state your contribution • Answering these questions can help to identify your original contribution; they also provide a good template for your abstract. • What did you do? • Why did you do it? • How did you do it? • What did you find? • Where does that take you and your academic community?
Methods and methodology • Although the examiners are subject specialists, you are the person in the room with the most expertise in the specific research topic / subject / set of experiments and results. For this reason, and because a PhD is a ‘training / apprenticeship’ model, viva questions often default to discussions of method and methodology. • Possible questions: • Research design decisions? • Theoretical influence? • Methodological orientation? • Why this choice of investigative procedure and not others? • What could be improved in your methodology? Strengths and weaknesses? • Ethical considerations – how did you address these?
Findings • So – what did you actually find and what makes this significant? • Context your findings are located within and how far can you generalise? • Why have you represented your findings in this way? What other methods could you have used? • Which are the most significant findings? • How do your experimental results from your different studies link together? • Have you published your findings – where? Or why not? Will you? • What is your original contribution?
Conclusions and endings • What is your original contribution? • What are the limitations of your work? • What are the next steps in your research – where does it lead us? • What are the (policy?) implications of your work? • What is the most important outcome from your work? • Why should you be awarded a PhD? • What should we have asked you?
Viva outcomes a) that the candidate be awarded the degree for which they are registered; b) that the candidate be awarded the degree for which they are registered subject to minor amendments being made to the thesis. Minor amendments can either take the form of minor editorial corrections or minor deficiencies, for which the maximum time permitted is normally twelve weeks c) that the candidate be permitted to re-submit for the degree and be re-examined with or without an oral examination. The maximum time for re-submission for re-examination is normally 18 months for full-time students and 24 months for part-time students; d) that the candidate be not awarded the degree and be not permitted to be re-examined; e) in the case of a PhD examination, that the candidate be awarded the Degree of MPhil subject to presentation of the thesis amended to the satisfaction of the examiners. The maximum time permitted for re- submission as MPhil is normally 12 months.
Responding to examiners • 80% of viva outcomes are ‘minor amendments’. • You will receive comprehensive instructions from examiners – follow these very closely or have an exceptionally good reason for not following these very closely. • Tell the examiners what you have done in the form of • A revised thesis and • A covering letter • The same principles apply in the case of ‘revise and resubmit’. • Do NOT contact the examiners directly if you have queries
Preparation for your viva
Preparation and planning • About two weeks before your viva have a mock viva • Your supervisors can arrange this • The mock viva panel will read your thesis and ask viva-type questions • This is a good chance to 1. Rehearse your performance for the real viva 2. Identify difficult areas in your thesis which may require stronger defence than others 3. Identify things that are likely to need correction: be prepared to address these • The mock viva gives you a good insight into how your examiners are likely to be thinking: predict what your real examiners’ responses to your thesis will be. • This is important in all academic work, not just in vivas
Ten days before • Read through your thesis, annotate it and write notes on it • Have an index of your thesis in your head so you can go straight to relevant sections during your viva • Prepare your answers to the key questions
Day and night before your viva • Do something with your friends / family / colleagues • Go to the cinema? • Take a long walk? • Don’t look at your thesis or notes • Eat well and get a good night’s sleep
Coping with your viva
Recommend
More recommend
