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Nathan

The Defence

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Remember that thesis defence doesn’t mean that you need to protect your work from harm.

Remember you’re not in a courtroom with your thesis on the witness stand.

Defending your thesis means you are tasked with speaking up for a silent book.

The words are all there, but maybe they’re not all clear. The pages are packed but there could be more to say. You have every chapter you need, but your examiners might want to know a little more or talk a little more about the fascinating things you’ve laid out.

In the viva, your task is to continue to support the work you’ve done for a long time. Defending your thesis means supporting the ideas you’ve developed and saying more about why they’re valuable.

Nathan

No Heroics

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Your examiners are looking for a significant, original contribution in your thesis and a conversation with the capable researcher who did the work. For you to meet their expectations you don’t need to have super-researcher powers…

  • Laser Focus: you can cut through an argument or question with a single glance!
  • Ultra Memory: you can recall any fact, piece of data or trivia you have accumulated!
  • Hyper Talents: you have absolute world-leading practical research skills for your discipline!

This doesn’t need to be you. It can’t be anyone. There isn’t a researcher in the world who can meet the impossible standards that worry might set. Your examiners don’t need a hero in the viva: they need a human, capable and dedicated researcher.

They’re looking for you.

Nathan

Questions About Questions

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Your examiners will ask you questions. They have to: it’s an essential part of the viva process. They will share opinions or make statements to encourage you to make a response but they couldn’t get through your viva without asking a question.

Engaging with a question could be as simple as pausing to consider what was asked, thinking about what you’re going to say and then respond as clearly as you can. If a question was surprising or had an unexpected element you might want to reflect further:

  • Did I understand this question correctly?
  • Why is it surprising? (if it is)
  • What do I know about this examiner and their work?
  • What information do I know that might be relevant?
  • What could I check in my thesis that might help?

It would be wrong to expect every question in a viva to be mind-meltingly almost-impossible. They won’t be.

It’s right to remember that if you encounter a tough question that there is a lot you can do to engage and respond.

Nathan

“Not Like I Thought”

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It’s one of the most common things people say about the viva.

I believed my examiners would grill me but instead we just talked about what I had done…

I thought I would go blank but it was just good to be discussing my research…

I expected that I would be there for hours and hours, but it was all done by 1pm…

In my experience there is a massive mis-match between what PhD candidates generally expect from their viva and what happens when they meet their examiners. Typically, this is because the candidate expects it is going to be far more dire an experience than it actually is!

It’s good that vivas tend to work out well, but it would be better if people went to them knowing more of what to expect and thus get ready in a more positive frame of mind.

So what can you do? Don’t just listen to the person on the internet. Talk to your friends. Talk to your colleagues. Talk to your supervisors. Read the regulations. Read blog posts and articles describing real experiences. Through all of this try to arrive at a good, positive idea of the viva that is ahead of you.

Nathan

Timing

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If you check the viva regulations and talk with friends who have been through the process then you can start to appreciate the possible timing of your viva. Ask how long people had to wait for a viva date and how much time they were given to complete corrections.

Details help because at some point it will be your turn, your time – and like everyone your time is filled up already.

You have work and family and friends. You have responsibilities, obligations and the things you actually want to do. You have enough stuff already in your life and with your viva there will be new things to do.

  • You need to arrange a date that works for you.
  • You need to do the work to get ready.
  • You’ll probably have to do work afterwards to make a final version of your thesis.

Check the regulations and ask your friends to get a sense of when and how you’ll need to do things for your viva. Use the information to plan for how this will impact your life.

Nathan

Definite

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Expectations for a viva fall within ranges.

There are common lengths, probable questions and likely areas of interest. It’s not as simple as rattling off a bullet point list of what will happen. There are ranges of aspects to consider and knowing about them helps. Generally, it’s clear to see what’s involved with a viva.

It also helps to remember what is definite about your viva.

You did the work. You wrote your thesis. You developed and became a better researcher. You know who your examiners are. You can prepare for your viva.

There are ranges of expectations for a viva but a lot you can know for sure about yours. Explore and remember all you can about both areas as you get ready to meet your examiners.

Nathan

And Another Thing

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There’s always more.

More research. More prep. More you could say in the viva.

At some point you have to say enough.

You have to figure out and decide when you have enough research and you’ve done enough in your thesis. You can plan in advance, then do the work to know you have completed all the prep you need to be ready. And while you won’t get to tell your examiners that they’ve heard enough, you will be able to communicate what you need!

Still, there is always more. You have to accept that and feel confident that what you have is enough.

Nathan

Viva Omens

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Some things just are, in life and in the viva,

Typos don’t indicate that you’ll face stern questions or tough corrections.

Silence in the viva doesn’t mean that anything is wrong.

If you pause to think then your examiners don’t expect you have a problem.

And if your examiners are subject experts or take a long time to discuss something or if they have done research in something different you are no more likely to face a bad experience.

Some things just are. Typos are simply missed, silence happens when people think and pause. Examiners need to be experienced and can take their time.

None of these are omens of a bad viva or a bad outcome.

Nathan

Spoiler Alert!

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You’ll most likely pass your viva!

It really is the most likely outcome.

Which doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be nervous. It doesn’t mean that there’s nothing to prepare for or you can just take time off until you meet your examiners. And it doesn’t mean that you won’t be challenged by your viva, the preparation, the corrections or anything connected with it.

You’ll most likely pass your viva. Do the work to fulfil that. Be nervous, but work to get ready and be confident. You’ll be challenged, so work to meet that challenge and respond to your examiners’ questions.

Spoiler alert: you’ve got this.

Nathan

Only

Daily Post

I’ll be fine in the viva so long as I’m not asked about Chapter 4…

I can only talk about what I did, I don’t want to talk about hypotheticals…

I’m happy to talk to my examiners but don’t want them to challenge my conclusions…

PhD candidates have told me these things and similar for years. They’re reasonable things to think. They come from a place of concern about whether or not they can manage the task that’s ahead of them. There’s nothing irrational about wanting to do well.

But these thoughts don’t help.

A candidate has no control over what examiners will ask. You might have ideas or hopes of what they will want to talk about in the viva, but you won’t know until you get there.

Focus on being ready to talk whatever the question. Your only job in the viva is to engage with each comment and question as needed.

That’s it.

Hold on to that idea, prepare to be a full participant in the discussion, and you’ll find a far more useful position than holding on to worries and concerns.

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