Two Perspectives

I often advise candidates to check out their examiners’ publications before the viva. Maybe they know their work already, maybe not, but either way they can get a sense of where their thinking is at. They can wonder about what assumptions, ideas or biases might inform their examiners’ questions.

If your viva is coming up you could also take it from the other perspective too. Look from your point of view, not your examiners. You don’t have to just think, “what could my examiner ask me?” You can also start from your research and reflect, “what connections can I see between my work and theirs?”

It’s the same area, but a different question to ask, and so different kinds of ideas bubble to the surface.