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Tag: responding to questions

Nathan

“I Had To”

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Those three words might be true but they will never be enough for a response to a question in your viva.

There’s always a reason and it’s always worth digging into. You always need the “because” or the “why” behind doing things a certain way in your PhD.

 

“I had to” might be the first words that come to mind with something difficult or even something particularly challenging in your research journey. If you know of situations like this ahead of your viva then it will be helpful to consider what else you could say. If it’s a sensitive topic you’ll probably still need to say something more than “I had to” – so think in advance what you might feel comfortable saying.

Nathan

Moments & Pauses

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Your viva is a conversation.

It will have a rhythm and a flow.

The direction is lead to some extent by your examiners with their questions and comments, but you set the pace with your responses.

Pause to think, to breathe, to check and to be sure.

Take a moment to break up what you’re saying.

The viva is a conversation and you want it to flow well – but the viva is an important conversation that needs time. You need time to think well and respond well.

A moment here or there will not increase your viva length dramatically or negatively. Taking a pause to respond well can only help your viva and your performance.

Nathan

Tried & Failed

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There was a two-month period in my maths PhD where I tried and tried to make something work. Here’s my layperson’s description of the problem:

  • Imagine you’re looking at two knotted balls of wool;
  • Your task is to compare them and try to figure out if they’re knotted the same way or differently.
  • Now imagine that while you’re comparing them they start to grow.
  • And they also have lengthening algebraic expressions pinned to them.
  • And every time you stop to take stock you realise your notes have increased dramatically…

I tried a lot of different things. I found some results in the process but I didn’t reach an answer.

I tried and I failed.

 

I thought for a split-second-that-felt-like-forever at my viva that this was going to be a problem.

In Chapter 7 you detail your failure at a problem. That’s interesting.

I can still remember the way my internal examiner said it seventeen years later!

It was an odd way to express a point. It knocked me for a few seconds but really he just wanted to explore the situation:

  • What had I tried and why had it not worked?
  • What did I try next and how far did I get?
  • Why did I stop and what did it all really mean?

These were all good questions. I had a lot to say because there was a lot to talk about.

If any of this seems resonant – although hopefully not the knotted balls of wool! – then prepare for your viva with your problems in mind. If you tried and failed at something then be sure you know why. Be sure you can explain why.

And be sure you realise that while it might have been a problem while you were doing your research it doesn’t have to be a problem at your viva.

Nathan

Making Vs Having

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I feel that many PhD candidates expect they will have to argue a lot in the viva.

Arguing can feel like a loaded term. There are lots of negative associations with the word argument so we need to be clear for viva expectations.

The viva is supposed to be a discussion. Maybe you need to make an argument – presenting ideas and evidence and reasoning – but there should never be a situation where you have an argument.

The idea of having an argument is persistent. Some candidates expect that they will be countering points and questions that their examiners put forward. They feel they will defend their thesis by protecting what they have done and what they have written.

At times you might need to make an argument in the viva: make a case, lay out your thoughts and reasons. Put your view across and listen for your examiners’ thoughts.

Don’t expect that you’ll have to have an argument to be heard.

Nathan

The Tempo

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Pause when your examiners ask a question or make a comment.

Use the time to think and get your thoughts in order.

Remember that you might not have an answer but you can always respond.

 

And also remember that pause, think and respond has a tempo that you can use for every question, not just the tough ones.

 

PS: want to find out more of what to expect at the viva? Then check out the latest issue of Viva Survivors Select, The Expectations Issue. Twenty posts from the Viva Survivors archive plus two new pages of viva help exploring what the viva is like.

Nathan

Yours & Theirs

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Everyone involved with your viva will have opinions.

There’s a lot of truth and certainty by the time you have finished your thesis but you could have plenty of unanswered questions too. Plenty of space for doubt. Plenty of space for wondering. Plenty of space for believing but not knowing for sure.

You will have opinions about some things. Your examiners will too. It’s possible that your opinions will collide or oppose. That’s not as big a problem as you might believe.

Whether you have to defend your view or unpick your examiner’s, start with why. If you need to convince with your opinion ask yourself why you think it is true to motivate your response. If you aren’t sure of your examiner’s point then ask yourself why or ask them why.

Once you know why someone holds their opinion you can understand more. You can figure out what you actually agree with and what you don’t. You can see the root of the problem or understand how to find common ground.

When defending or exploring opinions, start with why.

 

(this works very well outside of vivas too!)

Nathan

In Case Of Emergency

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There’s a relatively small chance that a question at the viva could make you feel like you’re in an emergency.

  • A stressful question.
  • A complicated question.
  • An unclear question.
  • A never-before-considered question.

If your first thought is “I don’t know” or “Aaaaaargh!” it can be hard to figure out how to respond.

Here’s the best advice I can give for those moments: do exactly what you’ve been doing for the non-emergency and non-stressful questions.

 

Whatever the question or comment from your examiners: pause, think it through and then respond. Your response could be an answer, an opinion, sharing an idea or asking a question.

If the question is really simple: pause, think and respond.

If the question is complex: pause, think and respond.

If the question makes you think “Aaaargh!”: pause, think and respond.

 

You don’t need an answer for everything. You do need to engage with every question.

Having one process that you can follow for simple questions and stressful questions makes it easier for you to follow and engage with the discussion in the viva.

Questions can be complicated. Your process for responding to them doesn’t need to be.

Nathan

Saying More

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You can start a response at the viva with, “Well, my supervisor told me to…”

You always need to say something more.

You could talk about why your supervisor advised that. You could reference what stage of your PhD this was. You could unpick what you had already tried. You could say more about how you applied the suggestion. Depending on the situation you might even be talking about what didn’t work and what you then had to do instead!

Your examiners know that you’ve had support. They expect that you were given guidance or told what to do at many stages of your PhD. You can say that but you need to say more to show your role and efforts.

Nathan

Point By Point

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Your examiners will have a lot of questions for you at your viva, along with various comments they will make.

You won’t know them in advance. You can get a sense of what to expect by consulting resources, talking with your supervisors and reflecting on your research. Anything you are asked is purely to help drive the discussion forward and create a space where your examiners can explore you and your work.

 

All of this could make someone feel intimidated but here’s the important thing to remember: you only have to respond to one question or comment at a time. Your examiners don’t serve you twenty questions to start the viva and expect you to keep track of them all. You aren’t given a sheet of comments to work through.

One at a time, point by point, you respond to what your examiners need so that they can confidently say you are good enough.

Nathan

Pause to Think, Think to Respond

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One approach to engaging in the viva could be summarised as pause, think, respond.

  • Pause first to give yourself a moment. Consider the question or comment. Take your time.
  • Think to explore whatever ideas come to mind. Remember what you need. Put ideas together.
  • Respond to the point, clearly. Take your time to say whatever you need to say so that your examiners get what they need.

Another way to look at this is to see that all three points are linked. You pause to think, taking time to be sure of what you need to say. You think to respond well, being reflective and careful.

Pause, think, respond. Pause to think, think to respond. Whichever way resonates, the connection is that a candidate engages well at the viva when they take their time.

It doesn’t need to be a hard question for you to take a few moments to consider what you will say or how you will say it.

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