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Tag: mini-vivas

Nathan

Prep Club

Daily Post

I often describe the work of viva prep as being similar to the work of a PhD. The work has a different focus but it exercises the same knowledge and abilities. For the most part it continues to be something that a candidate would do alone.

But does it have to be work you do solo? Whether or not you have friends and colleagues around you who are also getting ready for their viva, do you know people who could:

  • Be in the same space as you while you read your thesis, so that you’re not alone?
  • Bounce ideas around with you about how to annotate your thesis?
  • Go for coffee and listen to you talk about your research?
  • Help you even more by having a mini-viva with you?

If you know fellow PGRs who are also preparing then even better, but start by considering who your allies are. Start by asking for the support you need, if you need something.

The first rule of Prep Club is you tell other people about your need for Prep Club.

Nathan

A Mini-Viva Reflection

Daily Post

A mini-viva is what I call one possible set of questions from the Mini-Vivas resource that I developed a few years ago. There are 7,776 possible combinations of five questions possible from that resource; of course, in practise this would lead to an even greater number of conversations between a thesis candidate and the person asking the questions.

While I think the best use for this kind of resource is to structure a conversation, as rehearsal for the kinds of questions and the situation one might find in the viva, it can be useful to use the questions as prompts for reflection.

For example, use the resource and take a sheet of paper; divide it into five equal-ish sections and roll the dice. You might find yourself reflecting on the following:

  • Where did your research ideas come from?
  • What did you learn about doing research?
  • What are the core papers that have guided you?
  • What are your main conclusions?
  • What are you taking away from your PhD?

Reflecting and thinking about questions can help, but can also lead to more abstract prep. Writing things down helps more: you’re forced to be concise and clear. Talking, responding to questions helps even more: you get feedback about whether or not you are really communicating – plus you open up the possibility of digging a little deeper.

There are 7,775 more combinations of mini-viva questions at the resource. Take a look and see if it will help your preparation in some way.

Nathan

In Theory

Daily Post

It’s one thing to know all of your research really well, and to know generally what happens in the viva (expectations, structure and so on). You can have a good picture of it all in theory – but then stumble when you come to the reality of being asked questions and being forced to think, ponder, respond and engage.

So practise.

Mock vivas, meetings, seminars, presentations, conversations, impromptu Zoom-meetups, mini-vivas – take and find every opportunity you can to share your research and be asked questions about it.

Theory will only take you so far. Build confidence for the reality of the viva.

Nathan

Two Reflective Mini-Vivas

Daily Post

I’ve been playing around with my Mini-Vivas resource recently: I have ideas for other related game-like resources, and am thinking about how to adapt it for other purposes. I happened to roll some dice to get a few mini-viva sets and the following two struck me as being particularly reflective ahead of a viva…

First Set:

  • Where did your research ideas come from?
  • How did your process change as you did your PhD?
  • How did the existing literature in the field influence you?
  • What are your main conclusions?
  • What publications do you hope to produce?

Second Set:

  • Why did you want to pursue your research?
  • How did your process change as you did your PhD?
  • How does your work build on prior research?
  • What questions would you like to ask your examiners?
  • If you could start again, knowing what you know now, what would you keep the same?

While I think it’s more useful to ask a friend or colleague to prompt you with questions as practice, that’s not always possible. There are several suggestions on the mini-vivas page for how you could use questions by yourself. The sets in this post couple help you to summarise key aspects of your research and get you reflecting on the last few years of work.

A little reflection can go a long way to helping you be ready for your viva.

Nathan

Ladders, No Snakes

Daily Post

I’ve been thinking about my mini-vivas resource recently, exploring how to do more with it, or make it more accessible. Naturally, this gets me thinking about other possibilities for game-like resources. I hope to have more to share with you over the summer.

I don’t think I’ll make a viva prep board game. If I did it would be like snakes and ladders – but without the snakes. Every action you take doing viva prep, big or small, moves you closer to the final square, Ready.

You may make an action that shoots you up a ladder to some higher place because it just makes a big difference. Or you may simply move a couple of spaces forward, on track, making progress.

But there are no snakes. There’s no traps or pitfalls to derail your progress and move you away from the finish. You’re only moving onwards and upwards, closer with each action to being ready for the viva.

With that in mind, what small steps are you taking? What big steps could you attempt? And what are the ladders that send you closer to being Ready?