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Tag: significant original contribution

Nathan

Outside The Box

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PhD researchers have to be creative in some way: a candidate is expected to produce a significant and original contribution through their work.

What makes your work original? In what ways were you creative throughout your PhD? How did you look at things differently? How did you find solutions to problems?

What did you do that no-one has ever done before?

And having stepped out of one box through your work, what does the new box look like?

(and how might you or someone else go further?)

Nathan

Six Questions About Contributions

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Examiners need to explore your significant original contributions to research at your viva.

In preparation for your viva it’s worth reviewing your contributions to think about how you would share them. There’s no right answer or script to use: the words you find in the moment will be enough. In preparation though, reflect on any contribution with the following questions to give you something to consider and speak about:

  • Why did you explore the contribution area?
  • How did you do that?
  • What did you find as a result?
  • When did you do this work?
  • Where did you do this work?
  • Who, if anyone, helped you?

The first three questions, Why-How-What, help to explore what makes the contribution valuable. The second three questions, When-Where-Who, reveal more of the context for the work.

Start with Why-How-What. Dig deeper with When-Where-Who.

No scripts. Just thoughts and ideas to draw from at the viva.

Nathan

Contributions Matter

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“How would you define your significant, original contribution?”

That’s a hard question for a lot of reasons.

It asks for specifics, your opinion and makes an assumption that there is one big thing you’ve done through your research. Personally, I would struggle to respond because I didn’t have a single focus during my PhD: my thesis was a collection of results, not one overall idea that I explored.

It’s a hard question, but it could be rewarding to unpick nonetheless. Reflecting might reveal some helpful ways to share your research with your examiners (and others).

It’s also helpful to reflect on all of your contributions, big and small. Look back over your PhD and think about your results, achievements and victories. What do they all amount to? Whether or not there is a single headline conclusion to point to, what do your contributions mean?

Remember that contributions can be a stepping stone to confidence: recognising what you’ve achieved can be a helpful way to boost how you feel.

 

PS: exploring confidence is a big part of my Viva Survivor webinar – alongside expectations, viva prep and the whole viva process. Registration is open now for my March 27th 2025 session and includes a catch-up recording if you can’t attend live!

Nathan

The Greatest Hits

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What are the best and most valuable references in your bibliography?

What were the biggest achievements of your years working on your research?

What could make the biggest impact now that your thesis is complete?

 

If you reflect on where your work comes from, what you did and where it could go then you have considered the context for your contribution, the contribution and a possible future for it. That’s a good piece of reflection as part of viva prep!

Nathan

New Ideas

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The one thing that every thesis has to have.

Original perspectives. Never-before-seen results and conclusions. Innovation and inspiration. A new take on an old topic or an old approach applied to a new field.

What makes your work original? What new ideas are you sharing in your thesis? What was it like to do something new?

And how confident are you at sharing that with others – including your examiners?

Nathan

More or Different

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There’s always more or different when you do a PhD.

You could have done more of something in your research. You could have done something in a different way.

It’s valid to be concerned about it as you write up your thesis and prepare for your viva. It’s reasonable to expect that examiners might ask about more and different when they meet with you.

Focus first on what you did. The fact that there are other options rests on you necessarily doing something.

Explore why you did what you did rather than something else. In your preparation, take time to be clear and articulate your reasons.

Then in the viva take time to listen to your examiners’ questions. Don’t dismiss them, but do clearly demonstrate the contribution that you’ve made.

Alternatives might be possible but focus on the actual work you’ve done and the difference it makes.

Nathan

Making A Difference

Daily Post, Sabbatical

It’s what you must have done over the course of your PhD.

Your research and thesis must have a significant, original contribution – or, more simply, you must have made a difference. Something now exists that didn’t before and that something matters.

Remember that and be ready to talk about it in your viva.

 

Viva Survivors Summer Sabbatical: I’m taking July, August and September off from new writing to concentrate on other creative projects, so will be sharing a post from the archives every day throughout those months. Today’s post was originally published on October 11th 2022.

Nathan

How You Find Confidence

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You have to look for it.

If you want to feel confident for your viva it’s not enough to hope that you will feel good on the day. You have to do something before then to feel confident.

Reflecting on your PhD journey is a good start. Remembering and reminding yourself of the successes you’ve made and the growth in your knowledge and capability.

Highlight your particular achievements. Make a list and write about why these things matter and help you to feel good.

Explore viva expectations to get a sense of what happens in vivas. Consider how suitable you are to thrive in that situation: talking about yourself and the work you have done.

Decide on specific actions to take in the days leading up to your viva to feel better. What can you do to prompt confident feelings? What can you do to remind yourself of the many successes you’ve had?

It’s not enough to hope you feel confident. You have to search for and find confidence.

Nathan

Steps For Research Reflection

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Reflecting on your research contribution is a very helpful part of viva preparation. Discussing what you have done and what it means is definitely going to come up during your viva!

To make the most out of reflecting on your contribution then try some of the following steps:

  • Set aside time purposefully. Plan occasions when you will reflect.
  • Use questions to prompt deliberate reflection.
  • Write down thoughts or summaries. Thinking alone could lead to forgetting.
  • Make space to come back to your notes or summaries.

The last point is helpful to allow you to refresh your memory or even to build upon what you’ve thought through previously.

Using questions won’t lead to perfect scripts you can read from in the viva, but it will help build the words that will come more easily when you meet your examiners.

Nathan

Value Your Contribution

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A key topic for discussion at your viva is what you’ve been doing for the last few years.

Your examiners need to explore your significant original contribution. They need to ask questions that get you to share what makes your work matter. They need to get you to talk about why it makes a difference. So in preparation for your viva:

  • Reflect on what makes your contribution valuable.
  • Think about how your work connects with the field or disciplines it’s a part of.
  • Explore the difference your research makes.

You can do these sorts of things through reading your thesis, writing notes or summaries and talking about your work. Make sure you find opportunities to talk about your research and respond to questions.

It’s not enough to just think a bit: you have to do more to explore what makes your work special.

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