Enjoying Your PhD Viva

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Enjoying Your PhD Viva
My thesis

• Gareth Shaw
• School of Business and Economics
• University of Exeter

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Before the Viva

• Understand the philosophy of your thesis
• Check out your external and internal examiners
• Submission and viva date

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Your Preparations

• Know your key ideas provide yourself with
  summaries of chapters-basic points
• Highlight the key parts of your thesis
• Spot any typos and make a list
• Ask your supervisor to do a mock viva

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The Viva Process

• Examiners will have produced a preliminary report
  before the viva
• This will form the basis of their questions
• Viva is to clarify any uncertain points/ideas
• An opportunity for you to discuss your ideas in
  detail and provide further explanations
• It is a forum for discussion

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The Viva Setting

• Usually 2 examiners, possible chairperson
• Sometimes supervisor
• Not a test of your memory
• You are the expert
• Try to control the pace

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In the Viva

• Three main phases of discussion
• 1.General discussion settling in period
• 2. Period of detail discussions-most
• questions asked here are specific ones
• 3. End point period of reflective discussion
  and looking ahead

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Phase 1 Common Questions

• Why did you undertake this study? Or What made
  you choose this topic?
• In one sentence what is your thesis about?
• What are your key findings?
• What are the innovative/distinctive aspects of
  your thesis?

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Phase 2 Getting into details

• Questions around the conceptual framework
• Questions on the methods used
• Questions on the results and main findings
• Usually now the viva is working through
  sections of the thesis page by page.

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Phase 2 Cont.

• In general terms examiners will look for common
  links between
• Objectives
• Literature
• Methods
• Results
• Key Findings

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Phase 3

• Reflecting back- Would you have done anything
  different ?
• Publication of results
• Discussion of areas for further work