[DSG Webinar] Viva voce by Dr. Siti Uzairiah
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Transcript of [DSG Webinar] Viva voce by Dr. Siti Uzairiah
Viva!
What should
I do???
By Sr. Dr. Siti Uzairiah
Mohd Tobi
Senior Lecturer
UTM Razak School of Engineering
& Advanced Technology
Uiversiti Teknologi Malaysia,
Kuala Lumpur.
Overview
a) Before Viva
b) The Viva itself
c) Typical Viva questions
d) After Viva (result)
PhD Thesis
Originality and creativity
Contribution to Knowledge (CTK)
Review of relevant literature (Displays knowledge of
the field & Displays critical judgement)
Statement of the research problem
Methods adopted (data collection & analysis)
Discussion and outcomes
Before Viva
Start a file of anticipated viva questions
It is essential to know your thesis thoroughly
It is a great idea to compile a brief summary of
each section/chapter before you submit (It will
enable you to revise for the viva from the thesis summary rather
than from the thesis itself )
Before Viva
The main preparation for the viva is reading.
Some of the things to prioritise:
Know your thesis inside-out
Be familiar with references cited in your thesis
(Make sure you are familiar with the literature, not
everything you have read during the PhD but the
most important ones)
The examiners could also ask you about the
literature not in the thesis, to test whether you are
widely-read in your area (Look for recent reviews of
related areas, recent publications in the field )
The viva itself
It is a testing event
It is your defence of what you have mentioned
in the thesis
It checks that you know your material
The viva itself
You will therefore be pressed to explain, elaborate and
to justify
The PhD viva is an open book exam – you can bring any
materials you want
Rules
Rule 1 - Keep calm
Rule 2 – It is ok to admit to gaps. No one can do
everything in 3 years!
The viva itself
Handling difficult questions:
If you don’t understand the question, ask for clarification
Treat vague questions as invitations to tell the examiners that you know your area and how it fits into related areas
If they have a misconception about your work, try to explain it
If you really can’t answer a question, be honest; if you have no idea at all, say it
Typical questions
The conclusion chapter is a major one to focus
on in anticipating viva questions – especially
where you criticise your work!
You should relate each question to sections of
your thesis, and have a framework for
answering it worked out before the viva
* Source for typical questions – Nasty PhD viva questions - Andrew Broad, Manchester University
Typical questions
In one sentence, what is your thesis?
Summarise your key findings
What is original about your work?
What are the contributions of knowledge of you thesis?
Typical questions
Who are the main players in A ? (you should cluster together papers written by the same people)
What are the recent major developments in A?
How do you expect A to progress over the next 5 years?
How long term is your contribution, given the anticipated future developments in A?
Typical questions
What are the strongest/weakest parts in your study?
Why have you done it in this way? (you need to justify your approach – don’t assume the examiners share your views)
Why didn’t you do it the way everyone else does it? (this requires having done extensive reading)
Looking back, what might have you done differently? (this requires a careful answer, defending what you have already done!) Tricky question!!!
After Viva – The result…
Just because they ask a lot of questions does not mean you are going to fail
They don’t give away the result before or during viva, but you may be asked to wait around for the result at the end so that they can explain the result to you
Result:
- No correction (submit as it is)
- Minor
- Major
- Re’viva’
Congratulation!
You are now a ‘Dr.’ -
PhD Dr. CT Research Clinic
Contact Information
E-mail: [email protected]
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pa
ges/PhD-DR-CT-Research-
Clinic/309162172453110