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Nathan

Three Simple Hows For Viva Prep

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On this blog and in my workshops I share a lot of viva prep ideas. No-one needs to follow all of my suggestions: my hope is that the ideas I share spark a path forward. The danger, sometimes, on being presented with lots of options, is that someone might think “I want to do it all!” or “I need to do it all!” or “Oh my gosh, how will I do it all?!”

I spend a lot of time talking and writing about all of the ideas for viva prep; today let me shift gears to give three questions I think can help anyone break down what they will do to prepare for their viva.

Three simple “how” questions:

  1. How much do you need to do?
  2. How much time do you have?
  3. How will you arrange it all?

Focus on you. It doesn’t have to be more complicated than that. There are lots of options but only a few core areas to pay attention to.

Don’t make your viva prep complicated. Just ask three questions to get started.

Nathan

Dos & Don’ts For The End Of The PhD

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Do the work you’re supposed to do…

…but don’t worry if you don’t get every answer to all the questions you had.

Do your thesis as well as you can…

…but don’t stress about the odd typo (you can fix that later).

Do explore who might be a good examiner for you…

…but don’t forget that you don’t get to pick them formally.

Do think about how you’ll manage to prepare before you submit…

…but don’t start preparing until you’ve got the thesis done.

Do take a break after you submit…

…but don’t leave preparation until the day before the viva.

Do read your thesis carefully…

…but don’t feel that you have to memorise it.

Do check out your examiners’ recent publications…

…but don’t stress about the literature in general (there’s only so much time to read papers).

Do find ways to practise answering unexpected questions about your work…

…but don’t have a mock viva if it doesn’t sound useful to you.

Do reflect on your work in as many ways as you can…

…but don’t forget to take breaks while you prepare.

Do go to the viva fixed on the thought that you’ve only got this far through talent and work…

…but don’t forget that there’s a little more work to do, a little more talent to show.

Nathan

Eight Questions About Contribution

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Having trouble putting your research contribution into words? Or want to reflect on it in new ways? Try the following questions to take a fresh look at what you’ve done for your PhD. (and if you’re writing up, these questions might help you to unpick some new thoughts about your work)

  1. What’s the most interesting part of your research?
  2. What do you think will influence other people’s work?
  3. Why had no-one else explored this topic in this way before?
  4. What feedback have you had about your research and its merit?
  5. What do you see the defining contribution of your thesis as being?
  6. What else did you find along the way?
  7. How can your work be best explained?
  8. How could you take your work further?

Spend some time in your viva prep thinking, writing and talking about what your contribution means.

Bonus Question! What kind of difference does your research make to your field now that it is done?

Nathan

Checklist for After

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I’m trying something a little different for a few posts this week. Each post is a checklist of things to do for a different part of the viva process. I started a few days ago with a Checklist for Submission, a Checklist for Viva Prep and yesterday’s Checklist for the Viva. Today we conclude the series with a Checklist for After!

It’s over!

How was it? How do you feel? You might be feeling a bit dazed, a bit tired, a bit hyped or maybe even a bit nonplussed by the viva. Quick checklist for you:

  • I’ve passed!
  • I’m going to do something to celebrate this fantastic achievement!
  • I’ve sketched out a plan to complete the corrections my examiners have given me.
  • I’ve passed!

What’s likely after the viva is you have passed, but you have a little more work to do. Celebrate, but get the work done as soon as possible. You might need to revisit this checklist a few times before it sinks in.

The viva is done. Tick it off your life checklist.

Now, what’s next?

Nathan

Checklist for the Viva

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I’m trying something a little different for a few posts this week. Each post is a checklist of things to do for a different part of the viva process. I started a few days ago with a Checklist for Submission, and yesterday we had a Checklist for Viva Prep. Today we continue with a Checklist for the Viva!

Not long to go now! Are you ready? Compare your current state to the list below:

  • I’ve explored the realistic expectations of the PhD viva in the UK.
  • I did the research; I wrote my thesis.
  • I’ve prepared for my viva.
  • I’ve got the things I need practically for the day.
  • I’ve reflected on where I can find confidence.
  • I’m ready to discuss my research, my thesis and myself with the examiners.

All good? Of course you are. You’re ready for your viva.

Tomorrow: Checklist for After!

Nathan

Checklist for Viva Prep

Daily Post

I’m trying something a little different for a few posts this week. Each post is a checklist of things to do for a different part of the viva process. I started yesterday with the Checklist for Submission, and today we continue with a Checklist for Viva Prep!

You’ve worked hard for years and your thesis is done. Check this list below when you’ve spent some time preparing for the viva. What have you done already?

  • I’ve read my thesis carefully all the way through.
  • I’ve made opportunities to practise answering questions.
  • I’ve annotated my thesis in a way that’s useful for me.
  • I’ve explored my examiners’ research.
  • I’ve reflected on my contribution to research.
  • I’ve made summaries to explore my thesis from different perspectives.

Marked some of these off? Then you’re on your way to being viva-ready. You might not need to do something that falls under all of these headings. Think about what will work well for you and when you can get it done.

Tomorrow: Checklist for the Viva!

Nathan

Checklist for Submission

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I’m trying something a little different for the next few days’ posts. Each post will be a checklist of things to do for a different part of the viva process, starting today with the Checklist for Submission!

Are you just about to submit? Step back for a few minutes and see if you’ve covered everything:

  • I have written the best thesis I could.
  • I know who my examiners are likely to be.
  • I know the regulations and process for thesis submission.
  • I have a rough plan of the work I’ll do in preparation for the viva.
  • I have an approximate idea of when my viva is likely to be.

Checked all of these off? Then you’re ready to submit! Congratulations!

Tomorrow: Checklist for Viva Prep!

Nathan

I Can’t Answer

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A recent workshop question about viva questions stood out to me:

“What if my examiners ask me something I can’t answer?”

This is distinct from thinking I don’t know or going blank. If you can’t answer then there is an underlying aspect of the question that means an answer can’t be given. There could be many possible reasons:

  • You might not be able to answer because you don’t have all of the information – so tell your examiners that.
  • You might not be able to answer because the question is not something you have investigated – so tell your examiners that.
  • You might not be able to answer because you decided that question was not worth following – so tell your examiners that – and tell them why.
  • You might not be able to answer their question fully or definitively, because it’s the sort of question to which one can only give an opinion, backed up with an argument and reasons – so do that.

The motivating question for this post is hypothetical. It may never come up in your viva. It’s probably better to invest time in things that you can control or influence. If a question does come up and you can’t answer: tell your examiners. Tell them why. Ask them questions.

Continue being part of the conversation.

Nathan

Butterfly Wings

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Look back over your PhD. It may seem like a straight-line journey has brought you to the finish line. But that’s only one path. There may be lots of ways you could have gone, and lots of times things might not have worked out. What would you have done then?

It can be fruitful to explore this area by using questions. Some of these kinds of questions line up neatly with general areas your examiners might want to explore; others simply lead you to reflect on what you’ve done:

  • How else could you have started your project?
  • How could you have used different methods in your research?
  • How could you have made use of more resources?
  • How would you have managed with fewer resources?
  • How would you have coped if you’d not got the results you’d needed?
  • How else could someone interpret your results?
  • How would you do things differently knowing what you know now?

These kinds of questions help to explore your contribution and how you got it. They also help to strengthen your competence as a researcher.

Butterfly wings flap and the world changes. What then? How else could you have got through your PhD?

Nathan

Eight Hows & Whys To Unpick Your Methodology

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Unpick your methodology before your viva. When you’re preparing, make sure to spend time to get your thoughts and ideas clear. Here are eight hows and whys to get you started on reflecting:

  1. Why did you use the approach that you did?
  2. How well did you think it would work?
  3. Why was it a better choice than other methods you considered?
  4. How did you apply it in the case of your research?
  5. Why did you have confidence in the approach?
  6. How well does it fit with other choices you made in doing your research?
  7. How would you rate it now?
  8. Why might you make changes with hindsight?

Your examiners might ask you direct questions about your methodology in the viva, they might not. But they will discuss your research. If you spend time before the viva getting your thoughts in order, you’ll be in a better position for the discussion.

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