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Tag: thesis contribution

Nathan

Push & Pull

Daily Post

Your success is partly the result of many actions that push your work forward and create your thesis contribution.

Your examiners will want to know all about this at your viva: the story of your research, the actions that got it done and the result now that your thesis is finished.

The actions that push your work forward also pull you along. Through the process you learn, understand more and become a capable researcher.

Your examiners will want to know all about this at your viva as well: what you know, what you can do, how you think and more.

Remember in viva prep to reflect on and review both your thesis and yourself.

Nathan

How Original!

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Or, original how?

What makes your work new? What makes it different to everything that came before?

It’s not enough to say that your thesis has something in it. It has to be a new something.

How do you explain the originality of your work? What words helps you to convey that to your reader or your audience? (and do the words change depending on who you’re talking to?)

If you’ve submitted then the words in your thesis are fixed. You can still explore how you can communicate and demonstrate what makes your research an original contribution. Make notes, rehearse with questions and of course think some more!

How is your thesis contribution original? How does that relate to what makes it significant?

Nathan

Your Contribution, Simply

Daily Post

To reach submission you must have made a contribution: you must have done something. Reflecting before the viva and making notes, even using a simple question, can be quite powerful.

To begin with, three simple questions: Why did you do it? How did you do it? What did you do?

If you’re looking to dig a little deeper with simple questions, consider the following:

  • Why is your contribution valuable?
  • How do you know your contribution makes a difference?
  • What does your contribution mean for others?

These are simple to ask, but could have complex responses. Notice too that they are aiming at the same thing – your contribution – but from different perspectives.

By reaching submission you must have done something. Use questions in your preparation to help you explore that something and find useful ways to think about it and share it with others.