If you’re unsure about some aspect of the viva – the process, expectations or even something as subjective as the tone – then the answer is simple:
Figure out what questions you need answers for, then find people who can answer them.
If you need to know something then you need to do something.
A frequent comment at my Viva Survivor sessions from candidates is that they don’t know where to find the actual examination regulations for their institution: the document(s) that specify exactly what they can expect from the process and their examiners. What’s needed for submission and by when? Who will be in the room on the day? What does minor corrections mean at their university?
I could always give some general assistance, but didn’t know where exactly where they would be able to find this information. So I decided to find out…
…for every university in the UK.
If you’re looking for your institution’s regulations then check the Viva Regulations page on this site: a list of every university in the UK with a doctoral programme and links to the regulations for most of them. There’s just under twenty at the time of writing which I couldn’t find, but I’ll keep looking. It took me a long time searching around to find many of these, and it will take some time to maintain it, but I figured it was a useful resource to make. I hope you find it helpful!
Want to know what your university expects from the viva process and from you? Click and find out!
And if there’s any other kind of resource that you think would be useful then let me know. It may be something I can work on 🙂
“Is it OK to stalk your external examiner on Twitter?”
I chuckled when I got this question at a workshop. “Stalk” is funny, but they meant follow, which is fine… I couldn’t see why it would be an issue. I can’t imagine there would be an extra restriction on who you follow on Twitter on the lead up to the viva. Unless your external was pseudo-anonymously dropping huge hints with their tweets…
Learning a lot about an interesting bit of research this week! #phdchat #vivasoon
Always nice to see my research referenced in a thesis! #phdchat #vivasoon 😉
There is a difference between “effect” and “affect”! 🙁 #phdchat #vivasoon #page74thirdparagraph
It should be fine. I’ve not seen anything from universities which means you can’t follow your examiners. Don’t DM them, don’t @ them and perhaps don’t RT or favourite their tweets, just to be sure. For avoidance of doubt, check with your university’s regulations.
(meanwhile it’s absolutely fine to follow @VivaSurvivors!)
Talking to friends about their viva experiences is useful. Picking up on bits and pieces of what goes on in vivas while you do your PhD is inevitable.
Generally, candidates have a fair picture of what they need to do procedure-wise; the regulations might not need to be spelled out for you, but if you have any questions, concerns or “what if….” worries:
Your university has one, and it will have a lot of the answers about situations and circumstances that come up around the viva.
Find it. Read it.
Universities have regulations about thesis examination, conditions that they expect. But every viva will be different from every other. Every PhD thesis and every PhD researcher is different from every other. Your viva won’t be like mine: it’ll have the same goals perhaps, but it will be different.
That’s OK.
Every snowflake is different from every other, but we know how to prepare for a blizzard. Your viva is going to be unique, but you can still be ready for the day it comes. Plan a little, prepare a little and you’ll be fine. You’ve come a long way already.