Preparing for and Handling the Viva Authoring a PhD and Developing as a Researcher: the Endgame 24...
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Transcript of Preparing for and Handling the Viva Authoring a PhD and Developing as a Researcher: the Endgame 24...
Preparing for and Handling the Viva
Authoring a PhD and Developing as a Researcher: the Endgame
24 February 2009
Dr Gita Subrahmanyam
Today’s workshop aims …
To give you an overview of the viva process
To give you an opportunity and space for practical preparation
Overall … To de-mystify a seemingly mysterious
process
Agenda
10.10 Fears and needs exercise10.20 Preparing for the viva:
purpose and process10.30 Examiners’ panel and Q&A11.00 Coffee11.15 Preparing for the viva: questions and
dealing with them12.00 Recent students’
experiences and Q&A12.30 Summary and reflections
Fears and needs: brainstorming exercise
Working in your table groups, take 5 minutes to brainstorm your fears about the viva process, and what you would like to get out of this workshop. Brainstorm means include everything, no matter how seemingly spurious.
Nominate a scribe, who should use the giant post-it in front of you to write down the group’s ideas.
The PhD Viva: purposes
Checking it’s all your own work Check you fully understand the work and its
implications Independent professional voice Examiners use the viva to clarify points of
uncertainty Candidates can use the viva to seek advice on
progressing the research further Rite of passage - acceptance into the academy
The PhD viva: process
Selecting the examiners When? Minimum 6-8 weeks after
submission, likely to be longer (3-4 months)
You will be contacted about setting a time, date and place
The PhD viva: process (2)
Examiners each prepare a preliminary report before the viva
In the room: 2 examiners, you, your lead supervisor (unless you decide otherwise)
Take with you: a copy of your thesis, any preparation notes, something to take notes with and on
The PhD viva: process (3)
Outcomes: Pass with no corrections (considered rare) Pass with minor corrections (most common) Referral (18 months to do major corrections) Offered award of MPhil Fail
Examiners will prepare a joint report, which you will see
Recent PhD exam outcomes
According to Research Degrees Unit, from 1 October 2006 to 31 October 2008: 93 PhDs awarded with no corrections 98 PhDs awarded after minor corrections 2 PhDs awarded after major revisions 3 MPhils awarded 2 Fails
The Examiners’ Perspective
Dr Ken Shadlen, Development Studies Institute
Dr Alan Sked, International History
Professor Ian Gordon, Geography
The PhD viva: preparation
Before you submit: examiner selection, produce a good ‘industrial standard’ thesis, ‘rolling synopsis’
After you submit: Re-read and SUMMARISE (chapters and thesis as
a whole) Mark-up thesis highlights Make a list of typos and errors – there will be some! Revise – some of the key works/ideas you made
use of Practise – anticipate likely questions and practise
answering them
What will I be asked?
Not the Spanish Inquisition!
Common viva questions
OriginalityWhat are the most original parts of the thesis?Which propositions would you say are
distinctively your own?How do you think you work takes forward or
develops the literature in this field?What are the “bottom line” conclusions of your
research? How innovative or distinctive are they?
Common viva questions
Origins/Topics
Can you tell us how you came to choose this topic for your doctorate?
Why have you defined the topic in the way you did?
What were some of the difficulties you encountered and did they influence how the topic was framed?
Common viva questions
MethodsWhat are the core methods used in this thesis?
Why did you choose this approach? In an ideal world, are there different techniques you’d have liked to use?
DataWhat are the main sources or kinds of evidence?
Are they strong enough to sustain the conclusions you draw?
How do your findings fit with or contradict the rest of the literature in this field?
Common viva questions
What next?
What are the main implications of your research for the rest of the field?
Dealing with questions
Listen to the question Pause and take your time Talk precisely and move from the
general to the specific Use appropriate rhetorical strategies:
First person and the active voice Speaking in the past tense
Dealing with criticisms
Define-defend (Murray) Defence in depth (Dunleavy)
Keep the faith, but respect and accommodate examiners’ criticisms/suggestions
Remind the examiners of the (limited) scope of a PhD thesis
Talk about making amendments in the context of publication
What next…?
Further reading
P. Dunleavy, Authoring a PhD (Basingstoke, 2003) – chapter 8
R. Murray, How to survive your viva (Maidenhead, 2003)
The PhD Students’ Perspective
Daniel Osei-Joehene, Information Systems
Serena Sharma, International Relations
Lisa Aronsson, International Relations
Omar McDoom, DESTIN