A short viva prep exercise: make a list of five to ten concepts or ideas that are fundamental for your research.
Now spend a few minutes defining them, either recording yourself talking about them or writing a few notes. They could be hyper-specific – a genus 2 handlebody was important in my thesis, for example – or much more general:
- What is an equation?
- What is an interview?
- Can you describe an essential piece of equipment for your research?
- How do you define a good method?
- What is “good” data?
Go back to fundamentals and definitions. In the viva you’re called on to explain how you did your research and to show that you’re a good researcher. Perfection is not a realistic state to attain, but do you feel confident about your understanding of basic definitions?
You can.
