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Defending Your Dissertation: A Guide

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Written by Luke Wink-Moran | Photo by insta_photos

Dissertation defenses are daunting, and no wonder; it’s not a “dissertation discussion,” or a “dissertation dialogue.” The name alone implies that the dissertation you’ve spent the last x number of years working on is subject to attack. And if you don’t feel trepidation for semantic reasons, you might be nervous because you don’t know what to expect. Our imaginations are great at making The Unknown scarier than reality. The good news is that you’ll find in this newsletter article experts who can shed light on what dissertations defenses are really like, and what you can do to prepare for them.

The first thing you should know is that your defense has already begun. It started the minute you began working on your dissertation— maybe even in some of the classes you took beforehand that helped you formulate your ideas. This, according to Dr. Celeste Atkins, is why it’s so important to identify a good mentor early in graduate school.

“To me,” noted Dr. Atkins, who wrote her dissertation on how sociology faculty from traditionally marginalized backgrounds teach about privilege and inequality, “the most important part of the doctoral journey was finding an advisor who understood and supported what I wanted from my education and who was willing to challenge me and push me, while not delaying me. I would encourage future PhDs to really take the time to get to know the faculty before choosing an advisor and to make sure that the members of their committee work well together.”

Your advisor will be the one who helps you refine arguments and strengthen your work so that by the time it reaches your dissertation committee, it’s ready. Next comes the writing process, which many students have said was the hardest part of their PhD. I’ve included this section on the writing process because this is where you’ll create all the material you’ll present during your defense, so it’s important to navigate it successfully. The writing process is intellectually grueling, it eats time and energy, and it’s where many students find themselves paddling frantically to avoid languishing in the “All-But-Dissertation” doldrums. The writing process is also likely to encroach on other parts of your life. For instance, Dr. Cynthia Trejo wrote her dissertation on college preparation for Latin American students while caring for a twelve-year-old, two adult children, and her aging parents—in the middle of a pandemic. When I asked Dr. Trejo how she did this, she replied:

“I don’t take the privilege of education for granted. My son knew I got up at 4:00 a.m. every morning, even on weekends, even on holidays; and it’s a blessing that he’s seen that work ethic and that dedication and the end result.”

Importantly, Dr. Trejo also exercised regularly and joined several online writing groups at UArizona. She mobilized her support network— her partner, parents, and even friends from high school to help care for her son.

The challenges you face during the writing process can vary by discipline. Jessika Iwanski is an MD/PhD student who in 2022 defended her dissertation on genetic mutations in sarcomeric proteins that lead to severe, neonatal dilated cardiomyopathy. She described her writing experience as “an intricate process of balancing many things at once with a deadline (defense day) that seems to be creeping up faster and faster— finishing up experiments, drafting the dissertation, preparing your presentation, filling out all the necessary documents for your defense and also, for MD/PhD students, beginning to reintegrate into the clinical world (reviewing your clinical knowledge and skill sets)!”

But no matter what your unique challenges are, writing a dissertation can take a toll on your mental health. Almost every student I spoke with said they saw a therapist and found their sessions enormously helpful. They also looked to the people in their lives for support. Dr. Betsy Labiner, who wrote her dissertation on Interiority, Truth, and Violence in Early Modern Drama, recommended, “Keep your loved ones close! This is so hard – the dissertation lends itself to isolation, especially in the final stages. Plus, a huge number of your family and friends simply won’t understand what you’re going through. But they love you and want to help and are great for getting you out of your head and into a space where you can enjoy life even when you feel like your dissertation is a flaming heap of trash.”

While you might sometimes feel like your dissertation is a flaming heap of trash, remember: a) no it’s not, you brilliant scholar, and b) the best dissertations aren’t necessarily perfect dissertations. According to Dr. Trejo, “The best dissertation is a done dissertation.” So don’t get hung up on perfecting every detail of your work. Think of your dissertation as a long-form assignment that you need to finish in order to move onto the next stage of your career. Many students continue revising after graduation and submit their work for publication or other professional objectives.

When you do finish writing your dissertation, it’s time to schedule your defense and invite friends and family to the part of the exam that’s open to the public. When that moment comes, how do you prepare to present your work and field questions about it?

“I reread my dissertation in full in one sitting,” said Dr. Labiner. “During all my time writing it, I’d never read more than one complete chapter at a time! It was a huge confidence boost to read my work in full and realize that I had produced a compelling, engaging, original argument.”

There are many other ways to prepare: create presentation slides and practice presenting them to friends or alone; think of questions you might be asked and answer them; think about what you want to wear or where you might want to sit (if you’re presenting on Zoom) that might give you a confidence boost. Iwanksi practiced presenting with her mentor and reviewed current papers to anticipate what questions her committee might ask. If you want to really get in the zone, you can emulate Dr. Labiner and do a full dress rehearsal on Zoom the day before your defense.

But no matter what you do, you’ll still be nervous:

“I had a sense of the logistics, the timing, and so on, but I didn’t really have clear expectations outside of the structure. It was a sort of nebulous three hours in which I expected to be nauseatingly terrified,” recalled Dr. Labiner.

“I expected it to be terrifying, with lots of difficult questions and constructive criticism/comments given,” agreed Iwanski.

“I expected it to be very scary,” said Dr. Trejo.

“I expected it to be like I was on trial, and I’d have to defend myself and prove I deserved a PhD,” said Dr Atkins.

And, eventually, inexorably, it will be time to present.

“It was actually very enjoyable” said Iwanski. “It was more of a celebration of years of work put into this project—not only by me but by my mentor, colleagues, lab members and collaborators! I felt very supported by all my committee members and, rather than it being a rapid fire of questions, it was more of a scientific discussion amongst colleagues who are passionate about heart disease and muscle biology.”

“I was anxious right when I logged on to the Zoom call for it,” said Dr. Labiner, “but I was blown away by the number of family and friends that showed up to support me. I had invited a lot of people who I didn’t at all think would come, but every single person I invited was there! Having about 40 guests – many of them joining from different states and several from different countries! – made me feel so loved and celebrated that my nerves were steadied very quickly. It also helped me go into ‘teaching mode’ about my work, so it felt like getting to lead a seminar on my most favorite literature.”

“In reality, my dissertation defense was similar to presenting at an academic conference,” said Dr. Atkins. “I went over my research in a practiced and organized way, and I fielded questions from the audience.

“It was a celebration and an important benchmark for me,” said Dr. Trejo. “It was a pretty happy day. Like the punctuation at the end of your sentence: this sentence is done; this journey is done. You can start the next sentence.”

If you want to learn more about dissertations in your own discipline, don’t hesitate to reach out to graduates from your program and ask them about their experiences. If you’d like to avail yourself of some of the resources that helped students in this article while they wrote and defended their dissertations, check out these links:

The Graduate Writing Lab

https://thinktank.arizona.edu/writing-center/graduate-writing-lab

The Writing Skills Improvement Program

https://wsip.arizona.edu

Campus Health Counseling and Psych Services

https://caps.arizona.edu

https://www.scribbr.com/

Swath and Dive: A pattern for PhD defense presentations

In recent times I’m having the fortune of seeing several of my own doctoral students approach the end of the doctoral journey (yes, it does end!). As they submit the dissertation and prepare for their defense, there is one piece of advice I find myself giving again and again, about how to tackle the impossible task of presenting multiple years of research work in less than one hour. In this post, I describe a “presentation design pattern” for thesis defenses, which builds upon classic conceptualization exercises advocated in the blog. I also illustrate it with an example from my own thesis defense presentation, more than ten years ago (gasp!).

I still vividly remember when I had to prepare my defense presentation, how I tried to shoehorn tons of concepts into an impossibly small number of slides… which still were too many for the 45-minute talk I was supposed to give at the defense. After several rehearsals (with an audience!) and lots of feedback from my colleagues and advisors, I finally stumbled upon a solution. Later on, I have found that a similar structure was also helpful to other doctoral students preparing their defenses.

The rest of the post takes the form of a presentation design pattern , i.e., a description of “a problem that occurs over and over again in our environment, and […] the core of the solution to that problem, in such a way that you can use this solution a million times over, without ever doing it the same way twice." 1 (a concept originally proposed in architecture, and later used in software engineering, pedagogy and many other fields). I have called this pattern Swath and Dive (for reasons that will become obvious in a minute).

The context: when is this pattern applicable?

When you have to prepare an oral presentation for a doctoral dissertation defense. This pattern is especially helpful if the research is a bit complicated (e.g., composed of multiple contributions , multiple studies, or using multiple research methods) and it is not obvious what contents to include/exclude from the presentation.

What is the problem? What forces are at play?

The main problem this pattern tries to solve is the seeming impossibility of showing 3+ years of research work in less than one hour. While time restrictions and structure for the defense are different in different countries, typically 25-60 minutes are allocated for the presentation. This limited time is a key force at play, but there are others as well:

The sheer volume of a thesis dissertation’s contents (typically, a 100-500 pages document), which itself is a condensation of years of hard research work.
Defending PhD students need to prove to the jury that they are now competent, independent researchers (i.e., they master the literature of their topic, are able to apply a research methodology and think critically about the results ).
The varying levels of expertise and familiarity of the jury members with the concrete thesis topic.
The varying levels of knowledge that jury members have of the dissertation materials (i.e., did they read the dissertation document in full? with what level of attention?). While all members are supposed to have read the document, in practice there is a lot of heterogeneity in compliance.

The typical end product of these forces is what I call the “skimming” approach to the defense presentation (see picture below): The presentation provides only a very high level overview of the main elements of the dissertation document (sort of like a table of contents). More often than not, too much time is spent in the introductory and related literature parts of the presentation (which are somehow “safe”, less likely to be criticized – another instance of avoidance at work in the PhD ), and time runs out when the student is getting to the really interesting part for the jury (the student’s own work). This approach of course has the critical flaw of not showcasing enough of the student’s own abilities and research outcomes.

Skimming: picking just a shallow top layer, increasingly shallow as time runs out

Skimming: A typical approach to selecting thesis defense content

How to avoid “skimming” your dissertation? Enter Swath and Dive .

The solution: Swath and Dive

What I propose in this pattern is to structure the presentation in a different way, a way that tries to balance the need for an overview of the dissertation and (at least some of) the richness of the investigation and the hard work the student has put behind it. The proposed structure goes like this:

A swath is “a long broad strip or belt” of grass, often left by a scythe or a lawnmower. In the context of a dissertation defense presentation, this is where the student gives the overview of the main elements of the thesis: key related scientific literature , main research questions , contributions to knowledge the dissertation makes, etc. Long-time readers of the blog will recognize these key elements as the components of the CQOCE diagram , one of the key reflection exercises in the “Happy PhD Toolkit” to (iteratively) understand and discuss with supervisors the overall view of the thesis. Aside from those key elements, probably some notes about the research methodology followed (which are not part of the canonical CQOCE diagram exercise) will also be needed.

In a sense, the Swath is not so different from the typical “skimming” mentioned above. There are several crucial differences, however: 1) when developing the Swath , we need to keep in mind that this is only a part (say, 50%) of the presentation time/length/slides; 2) the Swath should give equal importance to all its key elements (e.g., avoiding too much time on the literature context of the thesis, and making the necessary time for the student’s own research questions, contributions and studies); and 3) the Swath does not need to follow the chapter structure of the dissertation manuscript, rather focusing on the aforementioned key elements (although scattering pointers to the relevant chapters will help orient the jury members who read the dissertation).

Then, within this high-level Swath describing the dissertation, when we mention a particular contribution or study, it is time to do…

This part of the presentation is where the student selects one study or finding of the thesis and zooms in to describe the nitty-gritty details of the evidence the student gathered and analyzed (if it is empirical research), how that was done, and what findings came out of such analysis. The goal here is to help the audience trace at least one of those high-level, abstract elements, all the way down to (some) particular pieces of the raw data, the evidence used to form them.

How to select which part to Dive into? That is a bit up to the student and the particular dissertation. The student can select the main contribution of the dissertation, the most surprising finding, the largest or most impressive study within the work, or the coolest, most novel, or most difficult research method that was used during the dissertation process (e.g., to showcase how skillfully and systematically it was used). The student should give all the steps of the logic leading from low-level evidence to high-level elements – or as much as possible within the time constraints of the presentation (say, 30% of the total length/time/slides).

An essential coda: Limitations and Future Work

Although this didn’t make it to the title of the pattern, I believe it is crucially important to keep in mind another element in any good defense presentation: the limitations of the student’s research work, and the new avenues for research that the dissertation opens. These two areas are often neglected in crafting the defense presentation, maybe with a single slide just copy-pasting a few ideas from the dissertation manuscript (which were themselves hastily written when the student was exhausted and rushing to finish the whole thing). Yet, if the student convinced the jury of her basic research competence and knowledge during the Swath and Dive part, a big part of the jury questions and discussion will focus on these apparently trivial sections.

When doing the limitations, the student should gloss over the obvious (e.g., sample could have been bigger, there are questions about the generalizability of results) and think a bit deeper about alternative explanations that cannot be entirely ruled out, debatable aspects of the methodology followed… squeeze your brain (and ask your supervisors/colleagues) to brainstorm as many ideas as possible, and select the most juicy ones. For future work, also go beyond the obvious and think big : if someone gave you one million dollars (or 10 million!), what cool new studies could continue the path you opened? what new methods could be applied? what experts would you bring from other disciplines to understand the phenomenon from a different perspective? what other phenomena could be studied in the same way as you did this one? Try to close the presentation with a vision of the brighter future that this research might unleash upon the world.

Give a high level overview of the key elements of the dissertation and a deep dive into at least one interesting finding

Swath and Dive: a different way of structuring your defense presentation

To understand how this pattern could look like, I can point you to my own thesis defense presentation, which is still available online . This is not because the presentation is perfect in any way, or even a good example (viewing it today I find it overcomplicated, and people complained of motion sickness due to its fast pace and Prezi’s presentation metaphor of moving along an infinite canvas)… but at least it will give you a concrete idea of what I described in abstract terms above.

If you play the presentation , you will notice that the first few slides (frames 1-6) just lay out the main construct the dissertation focuses on (“orchestration”), the structure of the presentation and its mapping to dissertation chapters. Then, the bulk of the presentation (frames 7-117) goes over the main elements of the dissertation according to the CQOCE diagram , i.e., the Swath part of the pattern. Within this high-level view of the dissertation, I inserted a short detour on the research methodology followed (frames 25-28) and, more importantly, several Dives into specific findings and the evidence behind them (frames 43-48, 66-72, and 99-112). Then, frames 118-136 provide the conclusive coda that includes the future work (but not the limitations, which were peppered through the Swath part of the presentation – a dubious choice, if you ask me today).

Variations and related patterns

As you can see from the example above, one does not need to follow the canonical version of Swath and Dive (mine is rather Swath and Three Dives ). Yet, paraphrasing Alexander, that is the point of the pattern: to have the core of the idea, which you can use to produce a million different solutions, tailored to your particular context and subject matter.

It is also important to realize that this structuring pattern for thesis defense presentations does not invalidate (rather, complements) other advice on preparing scientific presentations 2 , 3 , 4 and thesis defenses more specifically 5 . It is all very sound advice! For instance, once you have the structure of your Swath and Dive defense presentation, you could use the NABC technique to ensure that the Need, Approach, Benefits and Competition of each of your knowledge contributions are adequately emphasized. And you can rehearse intensively, and with an audience able to come up with nasty questions. And so on…

May you defend your thesis broadly and deeply!

Do you know other defense presentation structures that work really well in your discipline? Have you used Swath and Dive in your own defense successfully? Let us know (and share your examples) in the comments area below! (or leave a voice message)

Header image by DALL-E

Alexander, C., Ishikawa, S., & Silverstein, M. (1977). A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction (Vol. 2). Oxford University Press. ↩︎

Carter, M. (2013). Designing science presentations: A visual guide to figures, papers, slides, posters, and more (First edition). Elsevier/Academic Press. ↩︎

Anholt, R. R. H. (2009). Dazzle ’Em with Style: The Art of Oral Scientific Presentation (2nd ed). Elsevier, Ebsco Publishing [distributor]. ↩︎

Alley, M. (2013). The craft of scientific presentations: Critical steps to succeed and critical errors to avoid (Second edition). Springer. ↩︎

Davis, M., Davis, K. J., & Dunagan, M. M. (2012). Scientific papers and presentations (Third edition). Elsevier/Academic Press. ↩︎

Dissertation
Communication

Luis P. Prieto

Luis P. is a Ramón y Cajal research fellow at the University of Valladolid (Spain), investigating learning technologies, especially learning analytics. He is also an avid learner about doctoral education and supervision, and he's the main author at the A Happy PhD blog.

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Research Tips and Infromation

PhD Defence Process: A Comprehensive Guide

Embarking on the journey toward a PhD is an intellectual odyssey marked by tireless research, countless hours of contemplation, and a fervent commitment to contributing to the body of knowledge in one’s field. As the culmination of this formidable journey, the PhD defence stands as the final frontier, the proverbial bridge between student and scholar.

In this comprehensive guide, we unravel the intricacies of the PhD defence—a momentous occasion that is both a celebration of scholarly achievement and a rigorous evaluation of academic prowess. Join us as we explore the nuances of the defence process, addressing questions about its duration, contemplating the possibility of failure, and delving into the subtle distinctions of language that surround it.

Beyond the formalities, we aim to shed light on the significance of this rite of passage, dispelling misconceptions about its nature. Moreover, we’ll consider the impact of one’s attire on this critical day and share personal experiences and practical tips from those who have successfully navigated the defence journey.

Whether you are on the precipice of your own defence or are simply curious about the process, this guide seeks to demystify the PhD defence, providing a roadmap for success and a nuanced understanding of the pivotal event that marks the transition from student to scholar.

Introduction

A. definition and purpose:, b. overview of the oral examination:, a. general duration of a typical defense, b. factors influencing the duration:, c. preparation and flexibility:, a. preparation and thorough understanding of the research:, b. handling questions effectively:, c. confidence and composure during the presentation:, d. posture of continuous improvement:, a. exploring the possibility of failure:, b. common reasons for failure:, c. steps to mitigate the risk of failure:, d. post-failure resilience:, a. addressing the language variation:, b. conforming to regional preferences:, c. consistency in usage:, d. flexibility and adaptability:, e. navigating language in a globalized academic landscape:, a. debunking myths around the formality of the defense:, b. significance in validating research contributions:, c. post-defense impact:, a. appropriate attire for different settings:, b. professionalism and the impact of appearance:, c. practical tips for dressing success:, b. practical tips for a successful defense:, c. post-defense reflections:, career options after phd.

Embarking on the doctoral journey is a formidable undertaking, where aspiring scholars immerse themselves in the pursuit of knowledge, contributing new insights to their respective fields. At the pinnacle of this academic odyssey lies the PhD defence—a culmination that transcends the boundaries of a mere formality, symbolizing the transformation from a student of a discipline to a recognized contributor to the academic tapestry.

The PhD defence, also known as the viva voce or oral examination, is a pivotal moment in the life of a doctoral candidate.

PhD defence is not merely a ritualistic ceremony; rather, it serves as a platform for scholars to present, defend, and elucidate the findings and implications of their research. The defence is the crucible where ideas are tested, hypotheses scrutinized, and the depth of scholarly understanding is laid bare.

The importance of the PhD defence reverberates throughout the academic landscape. It is not just a capstone event; it is the juncture where academic rigour meets real-world application. The defence is the litmus test of a researcher’s ability to articulate, defend, and contextualize their work—an evaluation that extends beyond the pages of a dissertation.

Beyond its evaluative nature, the defence serves as a rite of passage, validating the years of dedication, perseverance, and intellectual rigour invested in the research endeavour. Success in the defence is a testament to the candidate’s mastery of their subject matter and the originality and impact of their contributions to the academic community.

Furthermore, a successful defence paves the way for future contributions, positioning the scholar as a recognized authority in their field. The defence is not just an endpoint; it is a launchpad, propelling researchers into the next phase of their academic journey as they continue to shape and redefine the boundaries of knowledge.

In essence, the PhD defence is more than a ceremonial checkpoint—it is a transformative experience that validates the intellectual journey, underscores the significance of scholarly contributions, and sets the stage for a continued legacy of academic excellence. As we navigate the intricacies of this process, we invite you to explore the multifaceted dimensions that make the PhD defence an indispensable chapter in the narrative of academic achievement.

What is a PhD Defence?

At its core, a PhD defence is a rigorous and comprehensive examination that marks the culmination of a doctoral candidate’s research journey. It is an essential component of the doctoral process in which the candidate is required to defend their dissertation before a committee of experts in the field. The defence serves multiple purposes, acting as both a showcase of the candidate’s work and an evaluative measure of their understanding, critical thinking, and contributions to the academic domain.

The primary goals of a PhD defence include:

Presentation of Research: The candidate presents the key findings, methodology, and significance of their research.
Demonstration of Mastery: The defence assesses the candidate’s depth of understanding, mastery of the subject matter, and ability to engage in scholarly discourse.
Critical Examination: Committee members rigorously question the candidate, challenging assumptions, testing methodologies, and probing the boundaries of the research.
Validation of Originality: The defence validates the originality and contribution of the candidate’s work to the existing body of knowledge.

The PhD defence often takes the form of an oral examination, commonly referred to as the viva voce. This oral component adds a dynamic and interactive dimension to the evaluation process. Key elements of the oral examination include:

Presentation: The candidate typically begins with a formal presentation, summarizing the dissertation’s main components, methodology, and findings. This presentation is an opportunity to showcase the significance and novelty of the research.
Questioning and Discussion: Following the presentation, the candidate engages in a thorough questioning session with the examination committee. Committee members explore various aspects of the research, challenging the candidates to articulate their rationale, defend their conclusions, and respond to critiques.
Defence of Methodology: The candidate is often required to defend the chosen research methodology, demonstrating its appropriateness, rigour, and contribution to the field.
Evaluation of Contributions: Committee members assess the originality and impact of the candidate’s contributions to the academic discipline, seeking to understand how the research advances existing knowledge.

The oral examination is not a mere formality; it is a dynamic exchange that tests the candidate’s intellectual acumen, research skills, and capacity to contribute meaningfully to the scholarly community.

In essence, the PhD defence is a comprehensive and interactive evaluation that encapsulates the essence of a candidate’s research journey, demanding a synthesis of knowledge, clarity of expression, and the ability to navigate the complexities of academic inquiry. As we delve into the specifics of the defence process, we will unravel the layers of preparation and skill required to navigate this transformative academic milestone.

How Long is a PhD Defence?

The duration of a PhD defence can vary widely, but it typically ranges from two to three hours. This time frame encompasses the candidate’s presentation of their research, questioning and discussions with the examination committee, and any additional deliberations or decisions by the committee. However, it’s essential to note that this is a general guideline, and actual defence durations may vary based on numerous factors.

Sciences and Engineering: Defenses in these fields might lean towards the shorter end of the spectrum, often around two hours. The focus is often on the methodology, results, and technical aspects.
Humanities and Social Sciences: Given the theoretical and interpretive nature of research in these fields, defences might extend closer to three hours or more. Discussions may delve into philosophical underpinnings and nuanced interpretations.
Simple vs. Complex Studies: The complexity of the research itself plays a role. Elaborate experiments, extensive datasets, or intricate theoretical frameworks may necessitate a more extended defence.
Number of Committee Members: A larger committee or one with diverse expertise may lead to more extensive discussions and varied perspectives, potentially elongating the defence.
Committee Engagement: The level of engagement and probing by committee members can influence the overall duration. In-depth discussions or debates may extend the defence time.
Cultural Norms: In some countries, the oral defence might be more ceremonial, with less emphasis on intense questioning. In others, a rigorous and extended defence might be the norm.
Evaluation Practices: Different academic systems have varying evaluation criteria, which can impact the duration of the defence.
Institutional Guidelines: Some institutions may have specific guidelines on defence durations, influencing the overall time allotted for the process.

Candidates should be well-prepared for a defence of any duration. Adequate preparation not only involves a concise presentation of the research but also anticipates potential questions and engages in thoughtful discussions. Additionally, candidates should be flexible and responsive to the dynamics of the defense, adapting to the pace set by the committee.

Success Factors in a PhD Defence

Successful defence begins with a deep and comprehensive understanding of the research. Candidates should be well-versed in every aspect of their study, from the theoretical framework to the methodology and findings.
Thorough preparation involves anticipating potential questions from the examination committee. Candidates should consider the strengths and limitations of their research and be ready to address queries related to methodology, data analysis, and theoretical underpinnings.
Conducting mock defences with peers or mentors can be invaluable. It helps refine the presentation, exposes potential areas of weakness, and provides an opportunity to practice responding to challenging questions.
Actively listen to questions without interruption. Understanding the nuances of each question is crucial for providing precise and relevant responses.
Responses should be clear, concise, and directly address the question. Avoid unnecessary jargon, and strive to convey complex concepts in a manner that is accessible to the entire committee.
It’s acceptable not to have all the answers. If faced with a question that stumps you, acknowledge it honestly. Expressing a willingness to explore the topic further demonstrates intellectual humility.
Use questions as opportunities to reinforce key messages from the research. Skillfully link responses back to the core contributions of the study, emphasizing its significance.
Rehearse the presentation multiple times to build familiarity with the material. This enhances confidence, reduces nervousness, and ensures a smooth and engaging delivery.
Maintain confident and open body language. Stand tall, make eye contact, and use gestures judiciously. A composed demeanour contributes to a positive impression.
Acknowledge and manage nervousness. It’s natural to feel some anxiety, but channelling that energy into enthusiasm for presenting your research can turn nervousness into a positive force.
Engage with the committee through a dynamic and interactive presentation. Invite questions during the presentation to create a more conversational atmosphere.
Utilize visual aids effectively. Slides or other visual elements should complement the spoken presentation, reinforcing key points without overwhelming the audience.
View the defence not only as an evaluation but also as an opportunity for continuous improvement. Feedback received during the defence can inform future research endeavours and scholarly pursuits.

In essence, success in a PhD defence hinges on meticulous preparation, adept handling of questions, and projecting confidence and composure during the presentation. A well-prepared and resilient candidate is better positioned to navigate the challenges of the defence, transforming it from a moment of evaluation into an affirmation of scholarly achievement.

Failure in PhD Defence

While the prospect of failing a PhD defence is relatively rare, it’s essential for candidates to acknowledge that the possibility exists. Understanding this reality can motivate diligent preparation and a proactive approach to mitigate potential risks.
Failure, if it occurs, should be seen as a learning opportunity rather than a definitive endpoint. It may highlight areas for improvement and offer insights into refining the research and presentation.
Lack of thorough preparation, including a weak grasp of the research content, inadequate rehearsal, and failure to anticipate potential questions, can contribute to failure.
Inability to effectively defend the chosen research methodology, including justifying its appropriateness and demonstrating its rigour, can be a critical factor.
Failing to clearly articulate the original contributions of the research and its significance to the field may lead to a negative assessment.
Responding defensively to questions, exhibiting a lack of openness to critique, or being unwilling to acknowledge limitations can impact the overall impression.
Inability to address committee concerns or incorporate constructive feedback received during the defense may contribute to a negative outcome.
Comprehensive preparation is the cornerstone of success. Candidates should dedicate ample time to understanding every facet of their research, conducting mock defences, and seeking feedback.
Identify potential weaknesses in the research and address them proactively. Being aware of limitations and articulating plans for addressing them in future work demonstrates foresight.
Engage with mentors, peers, or advisors before the defence. Solicit constructive feedback on both the content and delivery of the presentation to refine and strengthen the defence.
Develop strategies to manage stress and nervousness. Techniques such as mindfulness, deep breathing, or visualization can be effective in maintaining composure during the defence.
Conduct a pre-defense review of all materials, ensuring that the presentation aligns with the dissertation and that visual aids are clear and supportive.
Approach the defence with an open and reflective attitude. Embrace critique as an opportunity for improvement rather than as a personal affront.
Clarify expectations with the examination committee beforehand. Understanding the committee’s focus areas and preferences can guide preparation efforts.
In the event of failure, candidates should approach the situation with resilience. Seek feedback from the committee, understand the reasons for the outcome, and use the experience as a springboard for improvement.

In summary, while the prospect of failing a PhD defence is uncommon, acknowledging its possibility and taking proactive steps to mitigate risks are crucial elements of a well-rounded defence strategy. By addressing common failure factors through thorough preparation, openness to critique, and a resilient attitude, candidates can increase their chances of a successful defence outcome.

PhD Defense or Defence?

The choice between “defense” and “defence” is primarily a matter of British English versus American English spelling conventions. “Defense” is the preferred spelling in American English, while “defence” is the British English spelling.
In the global academic community, both spellings are generally understood and accepted. However, the choice of spelling may be influenced by the academic institution’s language conventions or the preferences of individual scholars.
Academic institutions may have specific guidelines regarding language conventions, and candidates are often expected to adhere to the institution’s preferred spelling.
Candidates may also consider the preferences of their advisors or committee members. If there is a consistent spelling convention used within the academic department, it is advisable to align with those preferences.
Consideration should be given to the spelling conventions of scholarly journals in the candidate’s field. If intending to publish research stemming from the dissertation, aligning with the conventions of target journals is prudent.
If the defense presentation or dissertation will be shared with an international audience, using a more universally recognized spelling (such as “defense”) may be preferred to ensure clarity and accessibility.
Regardless of the chosen spelling, it’s crucial to maintain consistency throughout the document. Mixing spellings can distract from the content and may be perceived as an oversight.
In oral presentations and written correspondence related to the defence, including emails, it’s advisable to maintain consistency with the chosen spelling to present a professional and polished image.
Recognizing that language conventions can vary, candidates should approach the choice of spelling with flexibility. Being adaptable to the preferences of the academic context and demonstrating an awareness of regional variations reflects a nuanced understanding of language usage.
With the increasing globalization of academia, an awareness of language variations becomes essential. Scholars often collaborate across borders, and an inclusive approach to language conventions contributes to effective communication and collaboration.

In summary, the choice between “PhD defense” and “PhD defence” boils down to regional language conventions and institutional preferences. Maintaining consistency, being mindful of the target audience, and adapting to the expectations of the academic community contribute to a polished and professional presentation, whether in written documents or oral defences.

Is PhD Defense a Formality?

While the PhD defence is a structured and ritualistic event, it is far from being a mere formality. It is a critical and substantive part of the doctoral journey, designed to rigorously evaluate the candidate’s research contributions, understanding of the field, and ability to engage in scholarly discourse.
The defence is not a checkbox to be marked but rather a dynamic process where the candidate’s research is evaluated for its scholarly merit. The committee scrutinizes the originality, significance, and methodology of the research, aiming to ensure it meets the standards of advanced academic work.
Far from a passive or purely ceremonial event, the defence involves active engagement between the candidate and the examination committee. Questions, discussions, and debates are integral components that enrich the scholarly exchange during the defence.
The defence serves as a platform for the candidate to demonstrate the originality of their research. Committee members assess the novelty of the contributions, ensuring that the work adds value to the existing body of knowledge.
Beyond the content, the defence evaluates the methodological rigour of the research. Committee members assess whether the chosen methodology is appropriate, well-executed, and contributes to the validity of the findings.
Successful completion of the defence affirms the candidate’s ability to contribute meaningfully to the academic discourse in their field. It is an endorsement of the candidate’s position as a knowledgeable and respected scholar.
The defence process acts as a quality assurance mechanism in academia. It ensures that individuals awarded a doctoral degree have undergone a thorough and rigorous evaluation, upholding the standards of excellence in research and scholarly inquiry.
Institutions have specific criteria and standards for awarding a PhD. The defence process aligns with these institutional and academic standards, providing a consistent and transparent mechanism for evaluating candidates.
Successful completion of the defence is a pivotal moment that marks the transition from a doctoral candidate to a recognized scholar. It opens doors to further contributions, collaborations, and opportunities within the academic community.
Research presented during the defence often forms the basis for future publications. The validation received in the defence enhances the credibility of the research, facilitating its dissemination and impact within the academic community.
Beyond the academic realm, a successfully defended PhD is a key credential for professional advancement. It enhances one’s standing in the broader professional landscape, opening doors to research positions, teaching opportunities, and leadership roles.

In essence, the PhD defence is a rigorous and meaningful process that goes beyond formalities, playing a crucial role in affirming the academic merit of a candidate’s research and marking the culmination of their journey toward scholarly recognition.

Dressing for Success: PhD Defense Outfit

For Men: A well-fitted suit in neutral colours (black, navy, grey), a collared dress shirt, a tie, and formal dress shoes.
For Women: A tailored suit, a blouse or button-down shirt, and closed-toe dress shoes.
Dress codes can vary based on cultural expectations. It’s advisable to be aware of any cultural nuances within the academic institution and to adapt attire accordingly.
With the rise of virtual defenses, considerations for attire remain relevant. Even in online settings, dressing professionally contributes to a polished and serious demeanor. Virtual attire can mirror what one would wear in-person, focusing on the upper body visible on camera.
The attire chosen for a PhD defense contributes to the first impression that a candidate makes on the examination committee. A professional and polished appearance sets a positive tone for the defense.
Dressing appropriately reflects respect for the gravity of the occasion. It acknowledges the significance of the defense as a formal evaluation of one’s scholarly contributions.
Wearing professional attire can contribute to a boost in confidence. When individuals feel well-dressed and put-together, it can positively impact their mindset and overall presentation.
The PhD defense is a serious academic event, and dressing professionally fosters an atmosphere of seriousness and commitment to the scholarly process. It aligns with the respect one accords to academic traditions.
Institutional norms may influence dress expectations. Some academic institutions may have specific guidelines regarding attire for formal events, and candidates should be aware of and adhere to these norms.
While adhering to the formality expected in academic settings, individuals can also express their personal style within the bounds of professionalism. It’s about finding a balance between institutional expectations and personal comfort.
Select and prepare the outfit well in advance to avoid last-minute stress. Ensure that the attire is clean, well-ironed, and in good condition.
Accessories such as ties, scarves, or jewelry should complement the outfit. However, it’s advisable to keep accessories subtle to maintain a professional appearance.
While dressing professionally, prioritize comfort. PhD defenses can be mentally demanding, and comfortable attire can contribute to a more confident and composed demeanor.
Pay attention to grooming, including personal hygiene and haircare. A well-groomed appearance contributes to an overall polished look.
Start preparation well in advance of the defense date. Know your research inside out, anticipate potential questions, and be ready to discuss the nuances of your methodology, findings, and contributions.
Conduct mock defenses with peers, mentors, or colleagues. Mock defenses provide an opportunity to receive constructive feedback, practice responses to potential questions, and refine your presentation.
Strike a balance between confidence and humility. Confidence in presenting your research is essential, but being open to acknowledging limitations and areas for improvement demonstrates intellectual honesty.
Actively engage with the examination committee during the defense. Listen carefully to questions, respond thoughtfully, and view the defense as a scholarly exchange rather than a mere formality.
Understand the expertise and backgrounds of the committee members. Tailor your presentation and responses to align with the interests and expectations of your specific audience.
Practice time management during your presentation. Ensure that you allocate sufficient time to cover key aspects of your research, leaving ample time for questions and discussions.
It’s normal to feel nervous, but practicing mindfulness and staying calm under pressure is crucial. Take deep breaths, maintain eye contact, and focus on delivering a clear and composed presentation.
Have a plan for post-defense activities. Whether it’s revisions to the dissertation, publications, or future research endeavors, having a roadmap for what comes next demonstrates foresight and commitment to ongoing scholarly contributions.
After successfully defending, individuals often emphasize the importance of taking time to reflect on the entire doctoral journey. Acknowledge personal and academic growth, celebrate achievements, and use the experience to inform future scholarly pursuits.

In summary, learning from the experiences of others who have successfully defended offers a wealth of practical wisdom. These insights, combined with thoughtful preparation and a proactive approach, contribute to a successful and fulfilling defense experience.

You have plenty of career options after completing a PhD. For more details, visit my blog posts:

7 Essential Steps for Building a Robust Research Portfolio

Exciting Career Opportunities for PhD Researchers and Research Scholars

Freelance Writing or Editing Opportunities for Researchers A Comprehensive Guide

Research Consultancy: An Alternate Career for Researchers

The Insider’s Guide to Becoming a Patent Agent: Opportunities, Requirements, and Challenges

The journey from a curious researcher to a recognized scholar culminates in the PhD defence—an intellectual odyssey marked by dedication, resilience, and a relentless pursuit of knowledge. As we navigate the intricacies of this pivotal event, it becomes evident that the PhD defence is far more than a ceremonial rite; it is a substantive evaluation that validates the contributions of a researcher to the academic landscape.

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How to Rehearse Your Thesis Presentation

A new set of presentation slides is like a program that has never been executed. It probably contains bugs. It reduces the pain for all stakeholders, and most importantly yours, if you test it to discover (and fix) its bugs before exposing it to its audience.

My test process for presentations has three steps. The first one is alone, like a developer test of a program. The second one is in front of a test audience, like an acceptance test done by representative users. The third one is with your supervisor.

Step One: Alone

The first rehearsal step is to give the presentation to an imaginary audience.

If possible, I give it in the location in which the actual presentation will take place, since this allows me to get a feel for the room. I connect my laptop to a projector. I start my slides and my timer. I speak out loud. I even greet my imaginary audience when I start the presentation, to rehearse the first sentences of my talk. I then talk through all slides. When I am done, I stop the timer.

This rehearsal uncovers these types of problems:

My spoken transition from slide n to slide n+1 is unclear or bumpy.

I keep switching back and forth between slides as I talk. This indicates that I should reorder them.

My explanation of a slide is too complicated, I go in circles or ramble.

I mention a point early, forgetting that it appears on some later slide. This makes it hard to understand when I say it first, since there are no visuals to back it up, and boring when it appears again later.

I forget an example or anecdote that I had planned for my narrative.

I take too much or too little time. (10% too long is okay, since one typically goes a little faster on later attempts, especially if an audience is present.)

Immediately after the presentation, I write down a list of all problems I noticed. Only when the list is complete do I start fixing them.

Fixes to these problems fall in two categories: slides and narrative. Slide problems are fixed by changing the slides. For narrative problems, I create slide notes, e.g. to remember a good vocal transition to the next slide. These slide notes are visible in the presenter mode on my laptop when I give the presentation the next time.

I consider this rehearsal as passed, if I can give the presentation to my imaginary audience without major glitches. Sometimes this works on the first attempt. Often, however, it takes me several attempts to complete.

In some cases, I notice halfway through a rehearsal that the presentation has a fundamental problem. Maybe the example does not work. Or the argument I want to make falls apart. I then abort the rehearsal and rework the draft and the slides. I then have to repeat this rehearsal from the start, however.

Step Two: Test Audience

The second rehearsal step is to give the presentation to a test audience.

Two to four persons make the perfect test audience size. A single person can miss too many problems or be too subjective. More than four add little value but complicate the rehearsal, since everybody wants their say. Personally, I prefer three test audience members.

The test audience comments are the more helpful, the more similar the test audience is to the audience of the final presentation. Computer science students are thus preferable over parents over grandparents. However, take what you can get. A rehearsal in front of your grandparents is still far better than no rehearsal in front of an audience.

I use this process for test presentations with an audience:

Hand out pen and paper, including a printout of the slides. It is easiest to note down visual slide problems on the slides themselves. It also allows you to collect the notes afterwards.

Plan at least three times the amount of time of the presentation for the entire meeting (e.g. 60min rehearsal meeting to test a 20min presentation).

Give presentation as “live” as possible: in actual room; slides on a projector; laptop in presenter mode; if you plan to use a flipchart in the final presentation, use a flipchart now, too.

Have one test audience member measure the time.

Allow clarification questions, but avoid discussions about the content, or meta-discussions about the presentation, until you have finished the last slide.

After the presentation, collect feedback in two rounds.

Every participant mentions all high level points, i.e. feedback that is not specific to a single slide. E.g. Body language, talk speed, story line, … For high level points, it makes sense to repeat them, even if another participant has mentioned them before. This gives you a sense of importance of the high level points.

Walk through the entire presentation slide by slide. For each slide, the participants give you all the feedback they took down. For these points, each participant should only mention issues that have not been mentioned before, to save time.

Take your own notes of all the feedback (even if you collect the participant’s notes afterwards; parts are often intelligible). This is crucial. Often, you are still in the tunnel after giving the test presentation. You will not remember all points, even important ones, if you do not take them down.

Ask clarification questions, but do not argue or defend your presentation. You are not obliged to incorporate feedback. In any case, however, accept it gracefully. If you fight against it. Otherwise, you will get less feedback.

Conclude the meeting, after all points have been discussed. Then work through the feedback list and treat each single item. (It is okay to discard an item, it is your presentation, after all.)

Step Three: Your Supervisor

Try to get your supervisor to act as test audience. His opinion is paramount, not only since it directly affects your mark, but also because he knows your topic, contributions and the audience of your final presentation. He can thus point out omissions, excessive detail and other structural problems.

I suggest to do this rehearsal after the other rehearsals . First, this allows your supervisor to focus on major problems, since he does not get distracted by superficial ones (since they were removed by the earlier rehearsals). Second, while the rehearsal typically does not affect the mark (this is the basic idea of a rehearsal, after all), it subconsciously always leaves an impression. You supervisor will very likely appreciate that you did (or did not) rehearse the presentation.

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Published by elmarjuergens.

Informatiker, Software-Analyst, Sprecher, Wein- und Biertrinker. View all posts by ElmarJuergens

Navigating the PhD Defense: Strategies for a Successful Presentation

Embarking on the journey of a PhD is a remarkable feat, and the pinnacle of this journey is the dreaded yet exhilarating PhD defense. As you stand on the cusp of this pivotal moment, the culmination of years of research and dedication, it's normal to feel nervous and apprehensive. I dreaded that moment from day 1 of my PhD trajectory.

Preparing for an event that makes me nervous helps me best to calm my nerves. However, whenever I asked others on how to prepare I often heard “don’t worry, you got this! You are the expert!”. They are probably right and mean well – but such a statement is not too helpful to an over-preparer like myself. Preparing calms down my nerves so I needed to know HOW.

That is why in this blog post we'll delve into some practical advice and strategies to help you prepare for your defense and face the challenges with confidence.

Prepare for the known

Layman talk: One of the most essential components of your defense is the layman talk, where you explain your research to a non-specialist audience. This is your chance to showcase your ability to communicate complex ideas in a clear and engaging manner. Thorough preparation of the layman talk is crucial. Rehearse your talk multiple times in front of friends, family, or colleagues who are not familiar with your field. Their feedback can help you refine your delivery. When printing your layman talk, ensure it's single-sided to avoid awkward moments during your presentation. You wouldn't want to unintentionally (not) flip pages during your talk (yes, learn from my mistakes….). And remember, – at least in the Netherlands – you can read out your layman talk. You are safe. Practice it well and you start off you defense in a great way that leaves you time to get settled on stage and calm the nerves.

Think of allllll the questions you’ve heard over the past years: Throughout your PhD research journey, you've encountered a plethora of questions – from curious friends and family to critical colleagues at conferences. Take a moment to reflect on these questions and the recurring inquiries that have shaped your understanding of your own work. Compile these questions in a ‘question sheet’ as a valuable resource to tap into during your defense preparation. These questions often mirror the queries that your committee might pose. By addressing these inquiries proactively, you're arming yourself with a robust defense strategy.

Mock defense, invite your best critiques: Before the curtain rises on the main event, host a mock defense. This practice run allows you to simulate the real defense experience and receive feedback from your trusted peers and mentors. Invite those who aren't afraid to ask tough questions and provide constructive criticism. This rehearsal not only helps you refine your responses but also offers a chance to iron out any presentation glitches or nerves that might arise. Mock defenses provide a safe space to identify areas of improvement and build your confidence for the actual defense. Add the questions you encounter to a ‘question sheet’.

Know Your Committee: Facing questions from your committee is an integral part of your defense. I’d suggest to investigate the research interests of your committee members. This will give insight into the types of questions they might ask. It's also a good idea to ask their PhD candidates, your peers or mentors for their input on potential questions they expect from certain committee members. Again, add those questions to your ‘question sheet’.

Eventually you should be left with a little booklet of possible questions and good answers to those. Whereas you surely tackle many of those already in your dissertation, some of them are new and now you have a prepared answer for them. Maybe it’s even possible to bring that ‘question sheet’ + answers to your defense.

Prepare for the unknown

Of course, sometimes you can prepare as much as you want but there might come a question that throws you off. Here are some strategies you could refer back to in case of emergency.

Three Key Messages: Have three main takeaways from your research that you can seamlessly revert to in case you feel overwhelmed or need to refocus your response.

Special Case Scenarios : If you encounter a question you're unsure about, consider sharing a specific example or case study from your field work. While it might seem cliché, it's a practical approach to demonstrate your understanding and practical application of your research. Redirecting a question to a specific, intriguing aspect of your field work can be an effective way to respond thoughtfully.

Embracing the "Recite Your Dissertation" Approach: While the idea of reciting your entire dissertation might sound monotonous, it's a method with a purpose. By revisiting the core elements of your research, you ensure that your committee is well-acquainted with your key findings and contributions. The defense is not there to produce new knowledge, but it should be an investigation and test of your current work.

Lastly, take your time: The Power of Poise and Thoughtfulness

During your defense, it's essential to maintain a composed demeanor. Remember, it's perfectly acceptable to take a moment to collect your thoughts before responding to a question. Avoid rushing through your answers; instead, take your time to formulate thoughtful responses that showcase your expertise and understanding.

As you approach your PhD defense, it's important to remember that it's not just a test of your knowledge and research but also an opportunity to demonstrate your ability to communicate and engage with your audience. By preparing a compelling layman talk, anticipating and strategizing for potential questions, and embracing the core messages of your research, you can navigate this challenge with confidence and grace. And, yes, finally I’m going to repeat what you have heard so many times before: your defense is a celebration of your academic journey and a stepping stone to your future endeavors. So, stand tall, take your time, and shine brightly as you showcase the fruits of your labour to your committee and peers. Best of success! You got this.

Lisa-Marie Kraus

As part of the Becoming a Minority (BaM) project, funded by ERC and led by prof. dr. Maurice Crul as PI., Lisa-Marie Kraus conducted her PhD research at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and defended her dissertation in October 2022. Her research interests concern the experiences of people without a migration background in European majority-minority cities.

PhD Network

The IMISCOE PhD Network aims to strengthen research and network opportunities for doctoral researchers in the field of migration. The Network has several dedicated working groups, each with active members who plan and carry out activities relevant for PhD migration scholars.

Latest Blogs

Towards engaged migration research: unpacking positionality, inequalities and access, on participatory filmmaking in borderlands (ii), non-refoulement in judicial hands: weighing the stance of the uk supreme court vis-à-vis the indian supreme court, ethnographic tool(kit)s in practice: navigating fieldwork with refugee populations in india, it takes more than two doing transdisciplinary research on migration management and refugee struggles.

Preparing For Your Dissertation Defense

13 Key Questions To Expect In The Viva Voce

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) & David Phair (PhD) . Reviewed By: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | June 2021

Preparing for your dissertation or thesis defense (also called a “viva voce”) is a formidable task . All your hard work over the years leads you to this one point, and you’ll need to defend yourself against some of the most experienced researchers you’ve encountered so far.

It’s natural to feel a little nervous.

In this post, we’ll cover some of the most important questions you should be able to answer in your viva voce, whether it’s for a Masters or PhD degree. Naturally, they might not arise in exactly the same form (some may not come up at all), but if you can answer these questions well, it means you’re in a good position to tackle your oral defense.

Viva Voce Prep: 13 Essential Questions

What is your study about and why did you choose to research this in particular?
How did your research questions evolve during the research process?
How did you decide on which sources to include in your literature review?
How did you design your study and why did you take this approach?
How generalisable and valid are the findings?
What were the main shortcomings and limitations created by your research design?
How did your findings relate to the existing literature?
What were your key findings in relation to the research questions?
Were there any findings that surprised you?
What biases may exist in your research?
How can your findings be put into practice?
How has your research contributed to current thinking in the field?
If you could redo your research, how would you alter your approach?

#1: What is your study about and why did you choose to research this in particular?

This question, a classic party starter, is pretty straightforward.

What the dissertation or thesis committee is assessing here is your ability to clearly articulate your research aims, objectives and research questions in a concise manner. Concise is the keyword here – you need to clearly explain your research topic without rambling on for a half-hour. Don’t feel the need to go into the weeds here – you’ll have many opportunities to unpack the details later on.

In the second half of the question, they’re looking for a brief explanation of the justification of your research. In other words, why was this particular set of research aims, objectives and questions worth addressing? To address this question well in your oral defense, you need to make it clear what gap existed within the research and why that gap was worth filling.

#2: How did your research questions evolve during the research process?

Good research generally follows a long and winding path . It’s seldom a straight line (unless you got really lucky). What they’re assessing here is your ability to follow that path and let the research process unfold.

Specifically, they’ll want to hear about the impact that the literature review process had on you in terms of shaping the research aims, objectives and research questions . For example, you may have started with a certain set of aims, but then as you immersed yourself in the literature, you may have changed direction. Similarly, your initial fieldwork findings may have turned out some unexpected data that drove you to adjust or expand on your initial research questions.

Long story short – a good defense involves clearly describing your research journey , including all the twists and turns. Adjusting your direction based on findings in the literature or the fieldwork shows that you’re responsive , which is essential for high-quality research.

You will need to explain the impact of your literature review in the defense

#3: How did you decide on which sources to include in your literature review?

A comprehensive literature review is the foundation of any high-quality piece of research. With this question, your dissertation or thesis committee are trying to assess which quality criteria and approach you used to select the sources for your literature review.

Typically, good research draws on both the seminal work in the respective field and more recent sources . In other words, a combination of the older landmark studies and pivotal work, along with up-to-date sources that build on to those older studies. This combination ensures that the study has a rock-solid foundation but is not out of date.

So, make sure that your study draws on a mix of both the “classics” and new kids on the block, and take note of any major evolutions in the literature that you can use as an example when asked this question in your viva voce.

#4: How did you design your study and why did you take this approach?

This is a classic methodological question that you can almost certainly expect in some or other shape.

What they’re looking for here is a clear articulation of the research design and methodology, as well as a strong justification of each choice . So, you need to be able to walk through each methodological choice and clearly explain both what you did and why you did it. The why is particularly important – you need to be able to justify each choice you made by clearly linking your design back to your research aims, objectives and research questions, while also taking into account practical constraints.

To ensure you cover every base, check out our research methodology vlog post , as well as our post covering the Research Onion .

You have to justify every choice in your dissertation defence

#5: How generalizable and valid are the findings?

This question is aimed at specifically digging into your understanding of the sample and how that relates to the population, as well as potential validity issues in your methodology.

To answer question this well, you’ll need to critically assess your sample and findings and consider if they truly apply to the entire population, as well as whether they assessed what they set out to. Note that there are two components here – generalizability and validity . Generalizability is about how well the sample represents the population. Validity is about how accurately you’ve measured what you intended to measure .

To ace this part of your dissertation defense, make sure that you’re very familiar with the concepts of generalizability , validity and reliability , and how these apply to your research. Remember, you don’t need to achieve perfection – you just need to be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of your research (and how the weaknesses could be improved upon).

Need a helping hand?

#6: What were the main shortcomings and limitations created by your research design?

This question picks up where the last one left off.

As I mentioned, it’s perfectly natural that your research will have shortcomings and limitations as a result of your chosen design and methodology. No piece of research is flawless. Therefore, a good dissertation defense is not about arguing that your work is perfect, but rather it’s about clearly articulating the strengths and weaknesses of your approach.

To address this question well, you need to think critically about all of the potential weaknesses your design may have, as well as potential responses to these (which could be adopted in future research) to ensure you’re well prepared for this question. For a list of common methodological limitations, check out our video about research limitations here .

#7: How did your findings relate to the existing literature?

This common dissertation defense question links directly to your discussion chapter , where you would have presented and discussed the findings in relation to your literature review.

What your dissertation or thesis committee is assessing here is your ability to compare your study’s findings to the findings of existing research . Specifically, you need to discuss which findings aligned with existing research and which findings did not. For those findings that contrasted against existing research, you should also explain what you believe to be the reasons for this.

As with many questions in a viva voce, it’s both the what and the why that matter here. So, you need to think deeply about what the underlying reasons may be for both the similarities and differences between your findings and those of similar studies.

Your dissertation defense needs to compare findings

#8: What were your key findings in relation to the research questions?

This question is similar to the last one in that it too focuses on your research findings. However, here the focus is specifically on the findings that directly relate to your research questions (as opposed to findings in general).

So, a good way to prepare for this question is to step back and revisit your research questions . Ask yourself the following:

What exactly were you asking in those questions, and what did your research uncover concerning them?
Which questions were well answered by your study and which ones were lacking?
Why were they lacking and what more could be done to address this in future research?

Conquering this part dissertation defense requires that you focus squarely on the research questions. Your study will have provided many findings (hopefully!), and not all of these will link directly to the research questions. Therefore, you need to clear your mind of all of the fascinating side paths your study may have lead you down and regain a clear focus on the research questions .

#9: Were there any findings that surprised you?

This question is two-pronged.

First, you should discuss the surprising findings that were directly related to the original research questions . Going into your research, you likely had some expectations in terms of what you would find, so this is your opportunity to discuss the outcomes that emerged as contrary to what you initially expected. You’ll also want to think about what the reasons for these contrasts may be.

Second, you should discuss the findings that weren’t directly related to the research questions, but that emerged from the data set . You may have a few or you may have none – although generally there are a handful of interesting musings that you can glean from the data set. Again, make sure you can articulate why you find these interesting and what it means for future research in the area.

What the committee is looking for in this type of question is your ability to interpret the findings holistically and comprehensively , and to respond to unexpected data. So, take the time to zoom out and reflect on your findings thoroughly.

#10: What biases may exist in your research?

Biases… we all have them.

For this question, you’ll need to think about potential biases in your research , in the data itself but also in your interpretation of the data. With this question, your committee is assessing whether you have considered your own potential biases and the biases inherent in your analysis approach (i.e. your methodology). So, think carefully about these research biases and be ready to explain how these may exist in your study.

In an oral defense, this question is often followed up with a question on how the biases were mitigated or could be mitigated in future research. So, give some thought not just to what biases may exist, but also the mitigation measures (in your own study and for future research).

#11: How can your findings be put into practice?

Another classic question in the typical viva voce.

With this question, your committee is assessing your ability to bring your findings back down to earth and demonstrate their practical value and application. Importantly, this question is not about the contribution to academia or the overall field of research (we’ll get to that next) – it is specifically asking about how this newly created knowledge can be used in the real world.

Naturally, the actionability of your findings will vary depending on the nature of your research topic. Some studies will produce many action points and some won’t. If you’re researching marketing strategies within an industry, for example, you should be able to make some very specific recommendations for marketing practitioners in that industry.

To help you flesh out points for this question, look back at your original justification for the research (i.e. in your introduction and literature review chapters). What were the driving forces that led you to research your specific topic? That justification should help you identify ways in which your findings can be put into practice.

#12: How has your research contributed to current thinking in the field?

While the previous question was aimed at practical contribution, this question is aimed at theoretical contribution . In other words, what is the significance of your study within the current body of research? How does it fit into the existing research and what does it add to it?

This question is often asked by a field specialist and is used to assess whether you’re able to place your findings into the research field to critically convey what your research contributed. This argument needs to be well justified – in other words, you can’t just discuss what your research contributed, you need to also back each proposition up with a strong why .

To answer this question well, you need to humbly consider the quality and impact of your work and to be realistic in your response. You don’t want to come across as arrogant (“my work is groundbreaking”), nor do you want to undersell the impact of your work. So, it’s important to strike the right balance between realistic and pessimistic .

This question also opens the door to questions about potential future research . So, think about what future research opportunities your study has created and which of these you feel are of the highest priority.

Discuss your contribution in your thesis defence

#13: If you could redo your research, how would you alter your approach?

This question is often used to wrap up a viva voce as it brings the discussion full circle.

Here, your committee is again assessing your ability to clearly identify and articulate the limitations and shortcomings of your research, both in terms of research design and topic focus . Perhaps, in hindsight, it would have been better to use a different analysis method or data set. Perhaps the research questions should have leaned in a slightly different direction. And so on.

This question intends to assess whether you’re able to look at your work critically , assess where the weaknesses are and make recommendations for the future. This question often sets apart those who did the research purely because it was required, from those that genuinely engaged with their research. So, don’t hold back here – reflect on your entire research journey ask yourself how you’d do things differently if you were starting with a blank canvas today.

Recap: The 13 Key Dissertation Defense Questions

To recap, here are the 13 questions you need to be ready for to ace your dissertation or thesis oral defense:

As I mentioned, this list of dissertation defense questions is certainly not exhaustive – don’t assume that we’ve covered every possible question here. However, these questions are quite likely to come up in some shape or form in a typical dissertation or thesis defense, whether it’s for a Master’s degree, PhD or any other research degree. So, you should take the time to make sure you can answer them well.

If you need assistance preparing for your dissertation defense or viva voce, get in touch with us to discuss 1-on-1 coaching. We can critically review your research and identify potential issues and responses, as well as undertake a mock oral defense to prepare you for the pressures and stresses on the day.

Psst… there’s more (for free)

This post is part of our dissertation mini-course, which covers everything you need to get started with your dissertation, thesis or research project.

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Research aims, research objectives and research questions

12 Comments

Very interesting

Interesting. I appreciate!

Really appreciating

My field is International Trade

Interesting

This is a full course on defence. I was fabulously enlightened and I gained enough confidence for my upcoming Masters Defence.

There are many lessons to learn and the simplicity in presentationmakes thee reader say “YesI can”

This is so helping… it has Enlightened me on how to answer specific questions. I pray to make it through for my upcoming defense

Lovely to hear that 🙂

Really educative and beneficial

Interesting. On-point and elaborate. And comforting too! Thanks.

Thank you very much for the enlightening me, be blessed

Thankyou so much. I am planning to defend my thesis soon and I found this very useful

Very interesting and useful to all masters and PhD students

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Preparing for your PhD thesis defence

As you start thinking about the end stages of your PhD, it’s important to understand the processes and timelines related to the thesis defence so that your degree completion is not delayed. Even if your thesis defence seems far away, there are several planning considerations you can consider early on to help the end stages of your PhD go smoothly.

On this page you will find videos, tools, and information about what the PhD thesis defence is , timelines for the PhD thesis defence , and tips for a successful PhD thesis defence .

All PhD students should also ensure that they read the PhD thesis examination regulations and review the thesis preparation guidelines prior to their oral defence. If your thesis defence will be conducted remotely, you should also review the process for a remote thesis defence .

What is the PhD defence?

Understanding the purpose, processes and possible outcomes of the thesis defence can help you feel more prepared for the defence itself. In this video, you’ll learn about what the defence is, who’s there, what happens, and the deliberation and range of possible outcomes.

Transcript - Demystifying the thesis defence at University of Waterloo (PDF)

You may wish to learn more about some of the topics discussed in this video. Here are some helpful links to learn more:

Examination committee members (including the external examiner): Visit the PhD thesis examination regulations section on the PhD thesis examining committee for more information about the committee members, including information about the external examiner and conflicts of interest.

Closed thesis defences and non-disclosure agreements: Visit the PhD thesis examination regulations section on guidelines for thesis examination without public disclosure for more information about closed thesis examinations.
Thesis defence decisions and outcomes: Visit the PhD thesis examination regulations section on decisions for additional information about decisions and outcomes.
Thesis submission: Visit the thesis submission webpage for information about the thesis submission process, including approvals that must be obtained before submitting your thesis.
UWSpace: Visit the Library’s UWSpace webpage for information about what UWSpace is and how to submit, or deposit, your thesis to UWSpace.

Timeline to defence

Early planning considerations.

Well before your defence date, there are several considerations to think about that can help make the end stages of your degree go smoothly and ensure your defence date and degree completion are not delayed:

Being aware of formatting requirements will save you time on revisions later on – the last thing you want to be doing before submitting your thesis to UWSpace is updating page numbers or your table of contents! Consider using the Microsoft Word or LaTeX thesis template produced by Information Systems & Technology.
The Dissertation Boot Camp can help you develop effective writing practices and strategies for completing your thesis, while the three-part Rock Your Thesis workshop series will provide practical guidance for planning, writing, revising, and submitting your thesis project. You can also book an individual appointment to do backwards planning with an advisor. They can help you utilize the planning tools most effectively, while providing hands-on guidance and feedback.
If you are using third-party content, including your own previously published work in your thesis, or seeking intellectual property protection (for yourself or another involved party), there may be implications for your thesis or defence. Learn more about copyright for your thesis , and email [email protected] for help with copyright questions related to your thesis.
Depending on your departmental or discipline’s norms, you may require approval from your entire committee, or just your supervisor. Ensure you talk with your supervisor and/or committee early on to confirm processes and timelines, so you’re not surprised later.
Depending on your departmental or discipline’s norms, your supervisor may select an external examiner themselves, or they may seek your input. Talk to your supervisor early on about this process, as in some faculties the external examiner may need to be vetted and approved as early as the term before you wish to defend. Remember that there are conflict of interest guidelines around the appointment of the external examiner , and the PhD candidate should not be in communication with the external examiner prior to the defence.
A PhD thesis must be on display for a minimum of 4 weeks prior to the defence date. To accommodate, you may need to submit your thesis as early as 6-8 weeks prior to your defence. Review your faculty specific backwards planning tool for the thesis submission deadline in your faculty and learn more about the display period in the PhD thesis examination regulations.
After your successful thesis defence, you will likely have some required revisions to your thesis. It’s important to understand revision timelines , especially if you’re hoping to become “degree complete” before a tuition refund or convocation deadline. Find tuition refund and convocation deadlines in the important dates calendar .
Following your thesis defence, there are several steps to be taken before your final, approved thesis is accepted in UWSpace. Ensure that you’re aware of these thesis submission steps and timelines in advance.

Backwards planning tools

Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs, in collaboration with the Faculties, have prepared faculty specific backwards planning tools to help PhD candidates map out the timelines related to their thesis defence and degree completion.

Select your faculty below to download a PDF copy of the backwards planning tool. We encourage you to discuss your ideal timelines with your supervisor(s) and your department graduate program co-ordinator.

Faculty of Health backwards planning tool (PDF)
Faculty of Arts backwards planning tool (PDF)
Faculty of Engineering backwards planning tool (PDF)
Faculty of Environment backwards planning tool (PDF)
Faculty of Mathematics backwards planning tool (PDF)
Faculty of Science backwards planning tool (PDF)

Tips for success

The PhD thesis defence is the culmination of years of hard work! The tips outlined in this video, compiled from recent PhD graduates and experienced thesis defence chairs, cover tips for preparing for your defence, day-of logistics, and defending successfully.

Transcript - Your Thesis Defence: Tips for Success (PDF)

Will your PhD thesis defence be held remotely? We’ve compiled additional tips for success specifically related to the remote defence.

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Dissertation Defense

Dissertation Defense: Home

Begin Your Preparations

Plan ahead to set yourself up for success, rehearse your presentation, prepare for the day.

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Jump to DSE Guide

Your dissertation defense is an important event: the culmination of years of hard work and research. Most of the work that students do on their dissertations is written, so many students feel a bit anxious and unprepared as they work toward the speaking component of their dissertation defense presentation. Here are a few simple things to keep in mind as you begin to prepare:

This is your moment and is all about the work you have done, which you should be very proud to present.
You are the expert on your specific study. While your committee members are experts in their fields, you are the expert on the unique research that you have completed.
You want to be prepared and feel good about the experience, both during and after the defense.
You will have chances to present at conferences in the future, so this process is excellent practice.

The dissertation defense is a type of live performance, almost like a musician would give. With that analogy in mind, consider the following tips.

Best of luck to you as you prepare for your dissertation defense!

What will you need during the defense?
Where will you be during the defense? For example, is there a place away from noises and other distractions that would work best for you?
Plan for any “what if…?” situations. For example, what will you have as a back-up plan if there is a sudden technical glitch?
Use screen-recording software, such as Kaltura Capture available in NCUOne, to record yourself while you practice narrating your PowerPoint presentation. You may want to do this multiple times so that you can improve and become more confident each time you rehearse.
Do a self-critique of your recorded presentation rehearsal(s). For example, many students find that they speak more quickly than they think they do, while others notice speaking quirks when listening to themselves on a recording. Finding these little things now will make you more confident on the day of your defense.
Ask for others, such as trusted friends, family members, or fellow students to critique your recorded presentation. They may see things that you don’t notice, and may also give you positive feedback and encouragement.
You may also want to rehearse live in front of others (in person or online using Skype, etc.) before your defense.
Don’t over-rehearse (just like a musician).
Intro from Chair.
PowerPoint presentation (usually around 30 minutes) from the candidate.
Questions from SME/Chair, and perhaps others.
Deliberation process (private, between SME/Chair).
Powerpoint.
Notes (Tip – Since you will be sharing your screen, you will not be able to have your presentation notes visible on the screen, so either print them out or have them on an additional monitor).
Technology needs (Test your microphone volume, battery/power on your computer, PowerPoint capabilities/software, location of presentation files on your computer, etc.).
Anything you need to feel comfortable (a glass of water and a comfortable chair, for example).
On the day of your defense, be sure to arrive early so that you can test your set-up and have everything ready to go.
Let your Chair take the lead and set the stage for your performance. You have worked hard to get to this significant day.

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Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs

PhD Defense

Preparing for a PhD Defense

Table of contents, preparing to start, nominate a faculty member to serve as chair for your defense, selecting a defense date, international students and work visas, registration categories for defense, dissertation writing and guidelines, preparing your dissertation for defense, registering your dissertation for the final oral exam, know the rituals.

Use PowerPoint

Public Lecture

Dress Professionally

Items to Bring to the Defense

The Closed Examination

Address Questions with Confidence

Student Status

Final corrected copies of the dissertation, publishing your final dissertation, binding your final dissertation, before defense.

Before you can start your thesis you must:

Complete all courses, exams, and research requirements
Meet with your advisory committee to ensure that everyone agrees that the work is ready to defend
Decide on a date for the defense
Inform your graduate administrator that you have started the process to prepare for your defense

A chair is appointed for each PhD oral defense to monitor and promote fairness and rigor in the conduct of the defense. To help eliminate pre-established judgments on the candidate’s work, the chair should be from a different program/department than the student. For more information about chair responsibilities, read the instructions for the chair .

You must identify a faculty member to serve as chair for your defense. The chair must be:

A current full-time faculty member at assistant professor rank or higher
Outside the department offering the degree program, or outside your advisor's department (interdisciplinary degree programs only)
Someone who has not had prior involvement in your research

The selection of the chair is subject to the approval of the department/program, th Arts, Sciences and Engineering dean of graduate education and postdoctoral affairs, and the University dean of graduate studies.

The chair must be physically present during the entire defense, including the public oral presentation (if applicable) and the questioning session. The chair is welcome to read and comment on the dissertation and/or the defense presentation, but this is not required. The chair does not need to be an expert in your research area.

It is your responsibility to get a copy of the final dissertation to the chair at least one week prior to the defense.

You should begin scheduling the actual defense date three months in advance to ensure that your advisor, committee members, and chair are able to be present and that rooms are available on the date and time selected.

Defenses can be held on any day the University’s Graduate Studies Office is open (not weekends, evenings, holidays, or the days between Christmas and New Year’s). Check the academic calendar for important dates and deadlines.

Use the PhD calendar to determine the deadline dates for getting your paperwork to the Office of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs and department committee.

When all committee members and your chair agree to a specific date and time for the defense, inform your graduate administrator as soon as you possibly can, but no later than six weeks prior to your defense date . Your graduate administrator will advise you of any program-specific requirements for the defense as well as work with you to prepare for your thesis defense. They will also help you determine who will schedule the room for your thesis defense.

You should provide your committee members at least two weeks to read and comment on your dissertation before the date you need to register your dissertation.

Participating Via Video Conferencing

While you, your advisor, and the chair must all be physically present in the room for the defense, other committee members are allowed to participate in the defense remotely via Skype or other video conferencing technology so long as all committee members agree to the arrangement. This must also be approved by the AS&E dean of graduate education and postdoctoral affairs and the University dean of graduate studies before the dissertation is registered for defense.

Someone other than you and your committee must handle the IT setup and be on standby for any problems. If anyone involved finds that remote participation is interfering with the defense, he or she can request that the defense be rescheduled.

We strongly recommend that international students meet with an International Services Office (ISO) representative as soon as permission to start writing is granted. The ISO will provide information on visa options, documentation, and timelines for applying for a visa for employment in the United States.

You will register for one of the following categories while preparing your defense:

999: Dissertation —Indicates the PhD student has completed all of the requirements for the degree except the dissertation and is in residence as a full-time student
995 : Continuation of Enrollment —Indicates the PhD student has completed all of the requirements for the degree except the dissertation and is not in residence as a full-time student

See the registration page for more information about these categories.

The Preparing Your Doctoral Dissertation manual is a great resource to help you bring your dissertation up to the required standard of organization, appearance, and format for the University of Rochester. Before preparing the defense copy of your dissertation, check the contents of the manual carefully to help avoid mistakes that can be time-consuming and costly to correct.

Before beginning your dissertation, you should consult with your advisor for your department or program’s preferred style guide (APA, MLA, Chicago).

Including material produced by other authors in your dissertation can serve a legitimate research purpose, but you want to avoid copyright infringement in the process. For detailed instructions on avoiding copyright infringement, please see ProQuest’s Copyright Guide .

The University requires that you provide copies of the dissertation to your committee members and exam chair. You should check with your committee members to see if they prefer printed or electronic copies (or both). Printed copies do not need to be printed on heavyweight, expensive paper unless there is the need to do so for figures and images.

Printing and binding a dissertation can be expensive. You can use the Copy Center or FedEx Office to print and bind your dissertation.

In order to register your dissertation, you or your graduate administrator will need to create a record on the Graduate Studies PhD Completion website . This record will include:

Degree information
Past degrees
Contact information
The defense version of your dissertation as a PDF
Other relevant documents

The version of your dissertation attached to your online record is considered the registration copy.

When your PhD completion record is finalized, committee members will receive emails with links to access your record and approve your dissertation to progress to defense. You’ll need to provide copies of the dissertation identical to the registration copy to all members of your committee, including the chair, at least two weeks before the record is finalized. Everyone but the chair is required to comment or sign off on the dissertation before it is submitted.

There may be deadlines for registering your dissertation specific to your program. Consult with your graduate administrator to ascertain those deadlines and follow them carefully.

After all committee members have provided their approval, your thesis will be reviewed by your faculty director/department chair, the AS&E dean of graduate education and postdoctoral affairs, and the office of the University dean of graduate studies. When all of these officials have approved your committee and dissertation for defense, your dissertation is considered registered. You will be able to track these approvals in your online record and will receive a confirmation email when approvals are complete.

The GEPA Office and the AS&E dean of graduate education and postdoctoral affairs, as well as the University Graduate Studies Office, may make corrections to the PDF of your dissertation. This annotated copy of your dissertation, along with the original version, will be stored in the PhD completion website. You are not allow to distribute updated versions of your dissertation prior to the defense, but be sure to incorporate any corrections before uploading your final dissertation to ProQuest®.

After the defense, if the committee has required major revisions to be approved by one or more of its members, it is your responsibility to provide them with the corrected final version for their approval. They will be asked to submit written confirmation of that approval to the University Graduate Studies Office. Failure to do so could delay conferral of your degree.

After the defense, you will receive additional instructions by email for completion of all PhD degree requirements.

It is important to walk into the defense knowing that your committee wants you to pass. Even if criticism is harsh, it is meant to be constructive. The defense is not solely an opportunity for the committee to compliment and congratulate you for the work you have done. It is also meant to challenge you and force you to consider tough questions.

The Defense

The best way to prepare for your defense is to regularly attend the defenses of your colleagues throughout your graduate program, not just several weeks prior to your own defense.

You can also talk to people in your department who already defended to find out what their defenses were like. You should also speak with your advisor to get a sense of his/her specific expectations of a defense.

Guidelines for Presentations

Use PowerPoint or Other Software to Create Slides

You should prepare a presentation of the research that comprises the thesis. Your slides should encapsulate the work and focus on its most salient contributions. In preparing, ask yourself these questions: “What do I want people to know about my thesis? What is the most important information that I can present and talk about?”

Here are some basic tips:

Use text large enough to be read by the audience (especially text from figures)
Ensure graphics and tables are clear
Don’t clutter your slides—if necessary, have things come up on mouse clicks
Use spell check and proofread your slides
Practice your presentation with your peers
Work on pronunciation, if required
Time your presentation to ensure it will fit the allotted time while allowing time for questions

If your defense includes a public lecture, we recommended that you do a trial run a day or two before in the room that has been booked for your lecture. This will allow you to familiarize yourself with the space and the equipment and to address any problems that arise during the trial run.

Plan your public lecture to allow enough time for questions. Present enough information so that the audience understands what you did, why you did it, what the implications are, and what your suggestions are for future research.

Friends and family are welcome to attend your public lecture. Faculty and students in the audience are given the opportunity to ask questions.

Plan to dress professionally for the defense in the same way you would if presenting a paper at a conference or for a job interview. You will be standing for a long time on the day of your defense. You might want to keep this in mind when selecting the shoes you will wear for your defense.

Essentials for your public lecture include:

Your presentation
A laser pointer
A copy of your dissertation
A pen or pencil
A bottle of water

You will be asked to leave the room while your committee reviews your program of study, and decides whether:

The thesis is acceptable/not acceptable
Whether members will ask sequential questions or whether each member will be allotted a specific time period for questioning

The person to start the questioning is designated. You will be called back into the examining room and questioning will begin. After all questions have been addressed, you will be asked to leave the room while your committee decides the outcome of the exam. You will be asked to return to the room to be informed of the outcome by the chair of your exam committee.

Listen to the entire question no matter how long it takes the faculty member or student to ask it (take notes if necessary).
Pause and think about the question before answering.
Rephrase the question.
Answer the question to the best of your ability; if you do not know the answer, remain calm and say so in a professional way.
Remember that no one will know the ins and outs of the thesis and your research materials as well as you. You are the foremost expert in the thesis topic and YOU know the research involved. Be positive!

Possible outcomes include:

Acceptable with minor or no revisions (no further approval required)
Acceptable with major revisions in content or format (in this case, one or more committee members must be responsible for overseeing and approving the major revisions before the final copies are submitted)
Not acceptable

After the Defense

You can submit the final corrected copies of your dissertation as soon as you address any remaining comments that were brought up during the defense or noted in the registration copy of your dissertation, which will be returned to you usually within a few days before or after the defense. You can take up to one semester following the defense to address any comments, during which you can remain a full-time student. Your degree conferral date will depend on when you submit the final corrected copies of your dissertation.

The day after your defense, you will receive an email from the University dean of graduate studies that provides instructions on how to:

Submit the final corrected copies of your dissertation through ProQuest
Provide authorization for the release of your dissertation through UR Research
Complete a mandatory online exit survey
Verify to the University dean of graduate studies’ office that the dissertation has been submitted

The University of Rochester requires all doctoral candidates to deposit their dissertations for publication with ProQuest Dissertation Publishing and with the University libraries. Hard copies are not required. The library receives an electronic copy of the dissertation from ProQuest, but students must give the University permission to obtain it.

For questions regarding publishing through ProQuest, contact Author Relations at [email protected] or (800) 521-0600 ext. 77020.

Check with your graduate administrator to see if your department wants a bound copy of your dissertation, and, if so, how the cost of binding is covered.

If you want a bound copy for yourself or your family, you can purchase one through ProQuest .

13 Tips to Prepare for Your PhD Dissertation Defense

How well do you know your project? Years of experiments, analysis of results, and tons of literature study, leads you to how well you know your research study. And, PhD dissertation defense is a finale to your PhD years. Often, researchers question how to excel at their thesis defense and spend countless hours on it. Days, weeks, months, and probably years of practice to complete your doctorate, needs to surpass the dissertation defense hurdle.

In this article, we will discuss details of how to excel at PhD dissertation defense and list down some interesting tips to prepare for your thesis defense.

Table of Contents

What Is Dissertation Defense?

Dissertation defense or Thesis defense is an opportunity to defend your research study amidst the academic professionals who will evaluate of your academic work. While a thesis defense can sometimes be like a cross-examination session, but in reality you need not fear the thesis defense process and be well prepared.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/c/JamesHaytonPhDacademy

What are the expectations of committee members.

Choosing the dissertation committee is one of the most important decision for a research student. However, putting your dissertation committee becomes easier once you understand the expectations of committee members.

The basic function of your dissertation committee is to guide you through the process of proposing, writing, and revising your dissertation. Moreover, the committee members serve as mentors, giving constructive feedback on your writing and research, also guiding your revision efforts.

The dissertation committee is usually formed once the academic coursework is completed. Furthermore, by the time you begin your dissertation research, you get acquainted to the faculty members who will serve on your dissertation committee. Ultimately, who serves on your dissertation committee depends upon you.

Some universities allow an outside expert (a former professor or academic mentor) to serve on your committee. It is advisable to choose a faculty member who knows you and your research work.

How to Choose a Dissertation Committee Member?

Avoid popular and eminent faculty member
Choose the one you know very well and can approach whenever you need them
A faculty member whom you can learn from is apt.
Members of the committee can be your future mentors, co-authors, and research collaborators. Choose them keeping your future in mind.

How to Prepare for Dissertation Defense?

1. Start Your Preparations Early

Thesis defense is not a 3 or 6 months’ exercise. Don’t wait until you have completed all your research objectives. Start your preparation well in advance, and make sure you know all the intricacies of your thesis and reasons to all the research experiments you conducted.

2. Attend Presentations by Other Candidates

Look out for open dissertation presentations at your university. In fact, you can attend open dissertation presentations at other universities too. Firstly, this will help you realize how thesis defense is not a scary process. Secondly, you will get the tricks and hacks on how other researchers are defending their thesis. Finally, you will understand why dissertation defense is necessary for the university, as well as the scientific community.

3. Take Enough Time to Prepare the Slides

Dissertation defense process harder than submitting your thesis well before the deadline. Ideally, you could start preparing the slides after finalizing your thesis. Spend more time in preparing the slides. Make sure you got the right data on the slides and rephrase your inferences, to create a logical flow to your presentation.

4. Structure the Presentation

Do not be haphazard in designing your presentation. Take time to create a good structured presentation. Furthermore, create high-quality slides which impresses the committee members. Make slides that hold your audience’s attention. Keep the presentation thorough and accurate, and use smart art to create better slides.

5. Practice Breathing Techniques

Watch a few TED talk videos and you will notice that speakers and orators are very fluent at their speech. In fact, you will not notice them taking a breath or falling short of breath. The only reason behind such effortless oratory skill is practice — practice in breathing technique.

Moreover, every speaker knows how to control their breath. Long and steady breaths are crucial. Pay attention to your breathing and slow it down. All you need I some practice prior to this moment.

6. Create an Impactful Introduction

The audience expects a lot from you. So your opening statement should enthrall the audience. Furthermore, your thesis should create an impact on the members; they should be thrilled by your thesis and the way you expose it.

The introduction answers most important questions, and most important of all “Is this presentation worth the time?” Therefore, it is important to make a good first impression , because the first few minutes sets the tone for your entire presentation.

7. Maintain Your Own List of Questions

While preparing for the presentation, make a note of all the questions that you ask yourself. Try to approach all the questions from a reader’s point of view. You could pretend like you do not know the topic and think of questions that could help you know the topic much better.

The list of questions will prepare you for the questions the members may pose while trying to understand your research. Attending other candidates’ open discussion will also help you assume the dissertation defense questions.

8. Practice Speech and Body Language

After successfully preparing your slides and practicing, you could start focusing on how you look while presenting your thesis. This exercise is not for your appearance but to know your body language and relax if need be.

Pay attention to your body language. Stand with your back straight, but relax your shoulders. The correct posture will give you the feel of self-confidence. So, observe yourself in the mirror and pay attention to movements you make.

9. Give Mock Presentation

Giving a trial defense in advance is a good practice. The most important factor for the mock defense is its similarity to your real defense, so that you get the experience that prepares for the actual defense.

10. Learn How to Handle Mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes. However, it is important to carry on. Do not let the mistakes affect your thesis defense. Take a deep breath and move on to the next point.

11. Do Not Run Through the Presentation

If you are nervous, you would want to end the presentation as soon as possible. However, this situation will give rise to anxiety and you will speak too fast, skipping the essential details. Eventually, creating a fiasco of your dissertation defense .

12. Get Plenty of Rest

Out of the dissertation defense preparation points, this one is extremely important. Obviously, sleeping a day before your big event is hard, but you have to focus and go to bed early, with the clear intentions of getting the rest you deserve.

13. Visualize Yourself Defending Your Thesis

This simple exercise creates an immense impact on your self-confidence. All you have to do is visualize yourself giving a successful presentation each evening before going to sleep. Everyday till the day of your thesis defense, see yourself standing in front of the audience and going from one point to another.

This exercise takes a lot of commitment and persistence, but the results in the end are worth it. Visualization makes you see yourself doing the scary thing of defending your thesis.

If you have taken all these points into consideration, you are ready for your big day. You have worked relentlessly for your PhD degree , and you will definitely give your best in this final step.

Have you completed your thesis defense? How did you prepare for it and how was your experience throughout your dissertation defense ? Do write to us or comment below.

The tips are very useful.I will recomend it to our students.

Excellent. As a therapist trying to help a parent of a candidate, I am very impressed and thankful your concise, clear, action-oriented article. Thank you.

Thanks for your sharing. It is so good. I can learn a lot from your ideas. Hope that in my dissertation defense next time I can pass

The tips are effective. Will definitely apply them in my dissertation.

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Dissertation Defense: Steps To Follow To Succeed

A dissertation defense is arguably one of the most important milestones in every student’s career. While it signals that your tenure as a student is soon about to close, it validates all your efforts towards your thesis.

Being cautious about including all the necessary details is very important to successfully complete your dissertation proposal defense. This article tells you everything that you need to know about writing a defense that can add great credibility to you as a student.

What is A Dissertation Defense?

The first thing that you need to learn is what is a dissertation defense and what is its purpose. In simple terms, it is a presentation made by a student to defend all the ideas and views that are presented in a dissertation.

The presenter must include details like what is the reason for choosing specific research methods, the theory that has been selected for the paper, and other such points. This presentation is made before an audience that comprises of the university committee, professors and even fellow-students. It is met with questions and answers that gives the student an opportunity to provide more clarity on the dissertation in order to convince the committee to approve it.

Stages of a Dissertation Defense

One of the most important dissertation defense tips provided by several professors is to breakdown the process into three steps:

Preparation : This stage involves collection of all the necessary information that must be included in the defense dissertation and making all the arrangements for the actual meeting.
The defense meeting : This is where you decide how you will present the defense. The actual meeting is hugely reliant on the performance, body language and the confidence in your oral defense.
After the defense meeting : This stage, also known as the follow up, requires you to make the necessary revisions suggested by the university committee. You can even provide bound copies of the whole dissertation to distribute among different members of your departments. In the follow up stage, one must also think about expense that are related to publishing the Ph.D. dissertation defense as well as printing additional copies of the manuscript, if required.

How Long is a Dissertation Defense?

The first thing that a student should know is how long does a dissertation defense last? The length has to be carefully calculated to make the impact that you want. One of the most important steps in the dissertation preparation is to understand how much time each department allocates to the closing oral defense. When you plan in the early stages of your dissertation itself, you can write it in a manner that allows you to defend it in the allocated time.

Usually these meetings including the presentation, the oral defense and the question and answer session last for about two hours. In most cases, these two hours also encompass the time needed by members of the committee to deliberate.

How to Prepare for the Dissertation Defense

Now that you know how long is a dissertation defense, the next step is to prepare well enough to make your presentation impressive.

Here are some tips on how to prepare for a dissertation defense:

Watch other students in action to learn about different presentation styles. You can attend defenses of different colleagues in your department as well as other departments in your university.
Get all the details about the deadlines and the rules of your college or university about scheduling your defense.
Scheduling is also a very important part of your preparation. It is important to note that members of the committee and University chairs need to make time for these defences in a very packed schedule. Coordinate the date, venue and time of your defense as early as possible.
Prepare a manuscript adhering to the necessary formatting rules. Review your manuscript thoroughly before you hand it in. During your PH.D, your faculty will also assist you with the defense. For this, they must have a crisp and polished copy of your manuscript.
Most colleges have the facility for a pre-defense meeting. This is the best opportunity to sort out any concerns that you may have about the actual meeting. It is a good idea to ask the chairs what types of questions may be put forward and if there are any problems with the defense that need to be resolved. When you prepare for a pre-defense meeting, think of it as the final one and give it your all.
Put together all the material that you need for the defense. A detailed, yet to-the-point presentation must be prepared.
The final stage of preparation is practicing your presentation over and over again. It is not just the presentation but also the approach towards the questions that you must practice.

Tips To Nail Your Actual Meeting

With these tips you will be one step closer towards a successful defense that will help your dissertation pass and be approved:

All meetings should begin by addressing the chair. Make sure you thank all the committee members and the advisors for the efforts that they have put it. This gives you a professional start to the presentation.
The presentation should cover the following subjects in brief:
The research topic
Literature review
The methods used for analysis
The primary findings of the research
Recommendations of additional research on the subject in the focus.
Do not get rattled by any discussions among the chairs. They will deliberate on any disagreements or topics of interest. This is a part of the process and is not a reflection of the presentation itself.
There are two questions that are commonly asked that you should be prepared for. This includes the weaknesses of the dissertation and the research plans that you have made post-dissertation.
Use subtle gestures when you are talking. Do not overuse your hands when doing so. The whole meeting including the question and answer session should have a very formal appeal.
The tone of your voice must be assertive without making it seem like you are trying to hard. Be clear and enunciate when you speak.

Once the questions have been answered, the committee will leave the room. Then, after the deliberation, you will be informed if your dissertation has passed or not.

For affordable thesis writing assistance , get in touch our team today. The pricing is cheap but students can be assured of top notch quality in all our final products.

Making Sense of the Doctoral Dissertation Defense: A Student-Experience-Based Perspective

Shuhua Chen 3
First Online: 01 January 2011

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An oral defense of a written dissertation is a requirement for most doctoral programs in the world, yet little has been written about this exam. The numerous how-to guides tend to focus on offering “survival strategies” to doctoral students and have largely failed to reveal the nature of the defense. Also missing in these books is doctoral student voices about the experience of defending their dissertation. This chapter explores the nature of the doctoral dissertation defense and its significance in the doctoral experience. It synthesizes ideas from how-to guides, findings from the existing research literature, and findings from the author’s ongoing study. In particular, the chapter draws on interviews with recent PhD graduates as well as observation notes taken by the author (a PhD candidate) from several successful dissertation defenses in order to open up a space for doctoral student voices about this exam. It also raises questions for supervisors and their doctoral students to consider and discuss when preparing for the dissertation defense.

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Please see Further Reading for research literature that is not listed in the References.

All the defenses observed have been passes and all the doctoral candidates interviewed have been asked to make only minor changes.

All of the doctoral candidates were called “Dr. X” right after their dissertation defense.

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Fraser, G., & Rowarth, J. (2007). Preparing candidates for oral examination. In C. J. Denholm & T. D. Evans (Eds.), Supervising doctorates downunder: Keys to effective supervision in Australia and New Zealand (pp. 243–250). Camberwell: ACER Press.

Hartley, J., & Jory, S. (2000). Lifting the veil on the viva: The experiences of psychology PhD candidates in the UK. Psychology Teaching Review, 9 (2), 76–90.

Jackson, C., & Tinkler, P. (2001). Back to basics: A consideration of the purposes of the PhD viva. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 26 (4), 355–366.

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McGill Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. (2009). Thesis preparation and submission guidelines. http://www.mcgill.ca/gps/students/thesis/programs/guidelines/oral . Accessed April 26, 2010.

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Trafford, V. (2003). Questions in doctoral vivas: Views from the inside. Quality Assurance in Education, 11 (2), 114–122.

Trafford, V., & Leshem, S. (2002). Starting at the end to undertake doctoral research: Predictable questions as stepping stones. Higher Education Review, 35 (1), 31–49.

Trafford, V., & Leshem, S. (2008). Stepping stones to achieving your doctorate: Focusing on your viva from the start . Berkshire: Open University Press.

Wellington, J. (2010). Supporting students’ preparation for the viva: Their pre-conceptions and implications for practice. Teaching in Higher Education, 15 (1), 71–84.

Wellington, J., Bathmaker, A. M., Hunt, C., McCulloch, G., & Sikes, P. (2005). Succeed with your doctorate . London: Sage.

Wisker, G. (2005). The good supervisor: Supervising postgraduate and undergraduate research for doctoral theses and dissertations . New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

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Chen, S. (2011). Making Sense of the Doctoral Dissertation Defense: A Student-Experience-Based Perspective. In: McAlpine, L., Amundsen, C. (eds) Doctoral Education: Research-Based Strategies for Doctoral Students, Supervisors and Administrators. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0507-4_6

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Proven Techniques for a Successful PhD Defense

July 13, 2023
12 minute read

Table of Contents Show

Be you, be confident , the importance of time management, working collaboratively with your committee, checklist for understanding your research , know your audience , rehearse, rehearse, and rehearse some more , visual aids are your friends , the q&a dance , handling difficult questions from your committee, speak clearly and confidently: , put things in perspective , prepare for the unexpected , take care of your body , unearth the past , play devil’s advocate , practice makes perfect , embrace the unpredictable , following up with your committee after the defense, never stop learning .

Picture this: you’ve just spent years mastering the art of late-night coffee brewing, diving deep into pools of dense academic literature, and perfecting your ability to sound incredibly smart at dinner parties. Now, the time has come to defend your PhD. Ready for the final boss battle? No worries, hero – we’ve got your back!

“The PhD defense is not just a ceremony, but the final test in a long, rigorous academic journey. It’s your moment to shine, to demonstrate the depth of your knowledge and to leave a lasting impression.”

Cracking the code to a successful PhD defense doesn’t have to feel like deciphering the enigma of quantum physics (unless, of course, that’s your field of study!). Let’s break down the science of a stellar PhD defense into digestible nuggets of wisdom.

Preparing for Your Defense

Preparing for your defense? Here’s your ticket to acing it! It’s time to buckle up and get ready for a thrilling ride. The end is in sight, and your victory lap is just around the corner.

Breathe . Yup, first things first. It’s important to remember that your PhD defense is not about catching you out. Instead, it’s a celebration of your hard work over the past few years.

Remember, you’re the expert in the room. You know your research better than anyone else, so stand tall and proud.

Enough pep talk, let’s dive into some practical tips!

Practice makes perfect. Conduct a mock defense with your friends, mentors, or the mirror. This will help you anticipate questions and work on your presentation skills.
Know your audience. Who are you speaking to and what interests them? Make sure to tailor your presentation to your audience.
Prepare a killer presentation. Use visual aids, tell a story, and make sure it’s engaging. This isn’t a lecture, it’s a performance.
Be ready to defend your work. You should be able to justify every decision you made in your research.

PhD defense can indeed feel like a ‘defense’. But hey, remember that you’re in the driver’s seat. Control the narrative, defend your decisions, and above all, enjoy the ride.

At the end of the day, your defense is about showcasing your work and your journey. Just be yourself, be confident, and let your passion shine through. After all, this is your story to tell, and no one can tell it better than you can.

Hey, future PhD owner! Let’s chat about time management. It’s like that secret ingredient that turns ordinary instant ramen into a sumptuous gourmet meal.

Time management – two words that can cause a shiver down the spine of even the most diligent student. But fear not, it’s easier than you think, and I’m here to guide you through it.

Picture this. You’re juggling research, writing, and perhaps even teaching – it’s a circus act that would have even the most experienced performers sweating. But with a sprinkle of time management, you can become the ringmaster of your own academic circus.

Plan your work: Outline your tasks for the day, week, or month. It’s like creating a roadmap for your PhD journey – you wouldn’t set off on a road trip without knowing the way, would you?
Set realistic goals: Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your PhD won’t be either. Setting manageable goals can make the process less overwhelming and more rewarding.
Make use of tools: From planners to project management apps, there’s a vast array of tools at your disposal. They’re like your backstage crew, ensuring everything runs smoothly.
Take breaks: This might seem counter-intuitive, but taking breaks can actually boost your productivity. Think of it as the intermission during a play, giving you a chance to recharge before the next act.

Remember, time management isn’t a rigid structure, it’s a fluid entity. It’s about finding what works for you. So, go on, take the reins and manage your time like a pro.

Let’s talk about the dream team behind your PhD success – your committee. They’re not just there to give you the third degree (literally). They’re your intellectual pit crew, ready to help you race to the finish line. So, here’s how you can work effectively with them.

Communication is key: This isn’t a game of ‘hide and seek’. Establish an open line of communication with your committee members. Update them regularly about your progress. Don’t shy away from discussing any obstacles you’re facing. They’re there to help!
Value their feedback: They may occasionally play the role of the ‘bad cop’. But remember, their critiques are meant to help you grow. So, don’t dismiss their feedback. Digest it, discuss it and implement it.
Respect their time: Time is a precious commodity. Respect your committee members’ time by being punctual for meetings, hitting deadlines, and being concise with your queries.

Remember, this is not a solo journey. You’ve got a team of experienced scholars rooting for you. So, let’s buckle up and use their brainpower to your advantage!

Understanding Your Research and Its Implications

Ever felt like you’ve been dropped into a labyrinth and can’t find your way out? That’s often what deciphering the intricacies of your research might feel like. But don’t worry, the key to understanding your research and its implications is simply about breaking things down.

First step , take a deep breath. Your research is your baby, you’ve nurtured it from the idea phase right up to this point. Trust me, you’ve got this.

Right, now let’s look at the bigger picture. Imagine your research as a puzzle. Each piece represents a different element of your work. Some pieces might represent data, others theory, yet others might be your methodology or conclusions. When you piece these together, you can see the full picture of your research and its implications.

Remember, the devil is in the details. So be attentive.

Can you explain your research in layman’s terms? Can your grandma understand it?
Do you know why each piece of data is there, and what it means?
Can you justify your methodologies?
Are you sure of your conclusions, and the implications they have on your field of study?

Answering these questions will help you gain a solid understanding of your research and its implications. This will not only prepare you for your defense but also make you a better researcher. So, go ahead, grab that magnifying glass and start exploring your research puzzle!

Remember, a successful PhD defense is not about knowing everything, but understanding your research thoroughly.

Lastly, don’t forget to take breaks. Even detectives need to step back and let the clues marinate. Your brain too, needs downtime to connect the dots in your research. So, go ahead, take that break. Your PhD will thank you for it!

Presenting Your Research with Confidence

Stepping onto the academic stage to present your research, your heart may feel like it’s playing a flamenco. Fear not, dear scholars, the key to conquering this stage fright lies in confidence, and confidence comes with preparation. Here are our top tips to help you present your research like a Broadway star.

Imagine your academic committee as a theater audience, eager to be impressed. Your job is to deliver a compelling performance. Knowing their interests, their research areas, and anticipating their questions will help you tailor your presentation to captivate their attention.

Even the most accomplished actors rehearse before the curtain rises. Run through your presentation multiple times, in front of a mirror, your cat, or a group of friends. The more familiar you are with your “script,” the more you’ll be able to focus on delivering it with flair.

Use visual aids to spotlight your research findings. Diagrams, charts, and images can speak volumes and give your audience a break from the textual tango. But remember, these are your supporting actors, not the stars of the show. Your research should always take center stage.

Questions from your committee aren’t booby traps, they’re opportunities to show off your knowledge. Think of the Q&A as an improvised dance. Listen carefully to your partner’s (committee’s) steps (questions), then respond with grace and poise. You’ve got the moves, so don’t step on your partner’s toes.

Remember, the stage is yours, the spotlight is on, and the audience is waiting. Show them what you’ve got, and give them a presentation to remember! You’re the star of this academic theater, and this is your time to shine.

Fear not, brave scholar! Facing down a panel of experts can surely feel like fighting dragons in a medieval fantasy. But fret not, for I bring good tidings. Here are some battle-tested strategies to help you deal with difficult questions from your committee and, more importantly, emerge victorious in your PhD defense.

Remember, they’re not your enemy: It might feel like you’re in a gladiatorial arena, but remember, your committee members are there to challenge your work, not to make you personally suffer. They want to see you succeed!
Stay calm: When a particularly challenging question is thrown your way, take a deep breath. It’s totally fine to pause, think, and then respond. No one expects an instant reply.
Don’t bluff: If you genuinely don’t know the answer, it’s okay to admit it. It’s better to confess ignorance than to bluff and risk being caught.
Turn the tables: A good defense is sometimes a great offense. If a question seems difficult, try reframing it or asking for clarification. This shows your engagement and can often lead to a more productive conversation.

But what if the difficult question is from your chair, you ask? No worries, dear reader. Remember, the chair of your committee typically wants you to shine. They’ve invested their time and credibility in you. So, if they’re asking tough questions, it’s usually to make sure you’re ready to represent their tutelage to the world.

Now, go forth, armed with these strategies, and defend your PhD with the confidence of a knight facing down a dragon. You’ve got this!

Practicing Your Presentation Skills

Let’s spill the beans on one secret – a successful PhD defense is a polished performance. But, don’t fret! With a dash of practice, you’ll soon be the Paganini of PowerPoint, the Bernstein of body language.

Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse:

Give your presentation the time it deserves. Rehearse in front of the mirror, your friends, your cat, anyone who will listen. The more you practice, the more comfortable you’ll be in the limelight. Remember, comfort breeds confidence.

Feedback, the Breakfast of Champions:

Don’t shy away from criticism. Ask for feedback on your presentation style, your pacing, your poise. It’s the secret sauce to a smashing performance.

Confucius once said, “Reviewing what you have learned and learning anew, you are fit to be a teacher.” In your case, a PhD holder!

Incorporate Tech:

Make friends with technology. Use tools like Prezi or PowerPoint to create engaging visuals. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words, but a well-designed slide might just be worth a PhD!

Clarity and confidence in your speech are key. Remember, it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. So, articulate, enunciate, and radiate confidence!

Tailor Your Presentation:

Know your audience. Tailor your presentation to your committee, tapping into their interests, their expertise. It’s like giving a rock concert – play the hits they love to hear!

Check Your Equipment:

Nothing spoils a performance like a tech glitch. Test your equipment before the big day. Better yet, have a backup plan. It’s your insurance policy for a smooth show.

As the saying goes, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Don’t let a dodgy projector be your downfall!

With these tips up your sleeve, you’re ready to rock your PhD defense. Break a leg!

Dealing with Nerves and Anxiety

Oh, the butterflies! That sensation in your belly right before you step onto the stage. Don’t let it get the better of you. Here are some tips to help you combat nerves and anxiety.

Breathe: It’s not just for yoga. Deep breathing exercises can help soothe your jitters and clear your mind.
Practice: Familiarity breeds confidence. Rehearse your presentation until you know it like the back of your hand.
Visualize success: Picture yourself nailing your presentation. Visualization is a powerful tool that can help you feel more confident.

Remember, it’s completely normal to feel nervous. Even seasoned professionals get stage fright. What sets the successful ones apart is the ability to manage these nerves.

“The only way to get rid of the fear of doing something is to go out… and do it.” – Susan Jeffers

Here are some more detailed strategies to help you keep your cool:

Yes, your defense is important. But remember, it’s just one day in your academic journey. Don’t give it more power than it deserves.

No matter how much you plan, things can go awry. Be prepared to think on your feet and handle unexpected questions or technical issues with grace.

Get enough sleep, eat well, and exercise. These might seem unrelated to your defense, but taking care of your physical health can significantly reduce stress and anxiety.

In conclusion, nerves are a part of the process. Embrace them, manage them, and let them fuel your performance rather than hinder it.

Anticipating Potential Issues and Preparing for Them

Hey there future PhD Holder! Let’s talk about something we all love – surprises. Well, not all surprises are parties and puppies. Sometime they’re unanticipated questions in your PhD defense. But don’t you worry, we’ve got your back.

Foreseeing potential issues and prepping for them is the knight in shining armor you need to conquer your PhD defense. It’s all about adaptability. You’re a chameleon, changing colors to match the terrain. Or in this case, the questions.

Firstly, dig into the history of past defenses in your department. There’s nothing like a good ol’ history lesson to prepare you for the future. Ask yourself, ‘What questions were frequently asked?’

It’s time to embody your inner critic. Yes, it’s uncomfortable, but oh so effective. Scrutinize your thesis, anticipate questions, and prepare crisp responses.

Hold mock defenses. Your peers and mentors can ask you questions that you haven’t considered. It’s like having your very own PhD defense rehearsal dinner, but without the dinner!

Lastly, accept that you can’t predict everything. And that’s okay. Remember, your PhD isn’t defined by one defense; it’s the culmination of your hard work and dedication. You’ve got this!

So, gear up, put on your armor of preparation, and charge ahead with confidence. The PhD defense battlefield awaits you, and we can’t wait to see you conquer it.

Phew! You’ve just battled through your PhD defense – let’s not let the momentum drop now. The encore of this academic concert is just as vital as the show itself. Here’s how to keep the groove going with your committee, post-defense.

Send a Thank You Note

Let’s start with the basics. Sending a thank you note to your committee members is not only courteous, but also a way to keep the lines of communication open. It’s a humble gesture that speaks volumes of your character and can lay the groundwork for potential future collaborations.

Request Feedback

Just like a chef tasting their own creation, it’s essential to ask for feedback. Reach out, either via email or in person, to your committee members and ask for their inputs. This feedback will help you refine your work further and could be instrumental in your future career.

Keep Them Updated

Remember, your PhD defense wasn’t a whistle-stop tour. It was a journey that your committee members were a part of. Keep them in the loop about your research updates, job hunts, or any subsequent findings. It’s about creating and maintaining connections that could prove valuable down the line.

Recognize and Address any Criticism

Let’s face it – nobody’s perfect. If you received any criticism during your defense, don’t sweep it under the rug. Address it, learn from it, and show your committee that you’re dedicated to ongoing improvement. It’s all part of the learning curve!

So, there you have it! Putting in that extra effort post-defense can make a real difference. It’s all about fostering relationships, receiving feedback, and continuous learning. After all, the end of your PhD defense is just the beginning of the rest of your career journey!

Celebrating Your Success: What to Do Next

Oh, the joy ofPlot Your Next Adventure

With your PhD in hand, the world is your oyster! It’s time to ponder what you want to do next. Whether it’s diving into the world of academia, starting your own research project, or venturing into the corporate jungle, the choice is yours.

Remember, your PhD is not the end of your educational journey, but a stepping stone. Stay curious and keep pushing the boundaries of your knowledge. Embrace lifelong learning and continue to make your mark in the world.

So, dear Doctor, relish your success, share your joy, recharge, and prepare for your next great adventure. After all, this is just the beginning of your incredible journey!

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Prepare to address questions from various perspectives

Most will agree that doctoral candidates who have arrived at the oral defence are actually experts, albeit novice, on the topic of their research. Yet given the format of the public dissertation defence, students are expected to answer questions from those who look at their research from a range of perspectives. Therefore, the defense is a time when they need to think a little bit “outside the box.”

Review the criteria criteria and guidelines for doctoral oral defences on the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website

At the departmental level, there may be discipline-specific norms with respect to the order of questions in the oral defence (e.g., external examiner’s questions first, or last).

To help you prepare your students for the defence, it will be relevant to talk to colleagues about their local experience (and equally, if you are to examine at another university you will need guidance about the particular expectations there).

Think about the examination from the committee members’ points of view

Defence committee members will raise questions from various perspectives (Chen, 2014; Trafford, 2003). Understanding the committee members’ backgrounds can help the student anticipate these perspectives. Discussion of the originality, significance, quality and limitations of the research commonly arises during the defense.

Have a rehearsal that includes a question period

Rehearsal is an invaluable experience for students who are preparing for the oral defense. Practicing the questions below can help prepare for the question period following the oral presentation:

Why did you choose this topic for your doctoral study?
How did you arrive at your conceptual framework?
How did you arrive at your research design?
How would you justify your choice of methodology?
Why did you decide to use XYZ as your main instrument?
How did you select your respondents/materials?
How did you arrive at your conceptual conclusions?
How generalizable are your findings – and why?
What is your contribution to knowledge?
What criticisms would you make of your thesis?
What are you going to do after you gain your doctorate?
Is there anything else that you would like to tell us about your thesis which you have not had the opportunity to tell us during the defense?

Attend at least one defence in your department or program

Attending others’ oral defences, especially those within a few weeks of your defence, is a great learning experience. They provide an opportunity to see what works well and implement that into your defence, learn from situations that did not go well, and get an idea of the types of questions that may be asked.

See the presenting at seminars and conferences page for more presentation tips.

How challenging should the defence be?

Research at McGill in which oral defences were observed and candidates were interviewed (Chen, 2012; Chen, 2014) indicated that surprisingly, some doctoral candidates expect and want to be challenged in their oral defences. Participants reported 1-5 difficult questions asked at each of their defences. A main factor in the difficulty level was that questions were asked from the examiner's perspectives, and stemmed from disciplines, paradigms, or frameworks that were less familiar to the candidate (Chen, 2014).

As a student

Do you expect and want to be challenged in your defence?
What types of questions would you find appropriately challenging?

As a supervisor or examiner

How challenging do you think a defence should be?
Do you ask questions with the intent of challenging the candidate?
What types of questions do you think provide an appropriate level of challenge?
How can you prepare a supervisee to expect some challenge during their defence?

Chen, S. (2012). Making sense of the public PhD dissertation defence: A qualitative multi-case study of education students’ experiences. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Chen, S. (2014). Balancing knowing and not-knowing: An exploration of doctoral candidates’ performance of researcher selves in the dissertation defence. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 39 (3), 364-379.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 4.0 International License . Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, McGill University .

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Doctorate Procedure

Defense of the Thesis

Disputation / Defense Image Credit: Marion Kuka

If the dissertation is recommended for acceptance, the doctoral candidate will be requested to make an appointment with the doctoral committee members. The doctoral candidate organises the defense in consultation with the chairperson of the doctoral committee.

Information on the different formats of the disputation (pure presence, hybrid, pure video format) and the requirements to be fulfilled in each case can be obtained from the doctoral office. Disputations generally take place in public, but the doctoral candidate also has the option to exclude the public so that only the doctoral candidate and the doctoral committee may attend the disputation.

Please first clarify possible appointments with the two reviewers because the two reviewers must participate at the disputation in any case. Individual members of the doctoral committee can be exchanged if no date can be found with the appointed members. Please note that the date should also be coordinated with the alternate members, as the disputation will only be valid if the doctoral committee (consisting of four university lecturers and one postdoctoral academic employee) is complete. The alternate members should also keep the date free, so that they can stand in at short notice if one of the main members should spontaneously drop out. It is advisable for each doctoral candidate to contact each member of the doctoral committee in order to enquire whether they would be interested in a copy or an PDF of the thesis.

As soon as the date, time and format of the disputation are fixed, please send an e-mail to the doctoral office to book a suitable room.

The doctoral office sends out the official invitation for defense to the doctoral candidate and to all doctoral committee members approx. 14 days before the date of the disputation and also announces the disputation on the FU's website (so far as the disputation takes place open to the public). The doctoral candidate confirms the date bindingly to all doctoral committee members in advance.

The doctoral committee meets 15 minutes before the defense to jointly evaluate the dissertation and sets the written grade. The defense begins with a lecture of approx. 30 minutes, in which the doctoral candidate presents and discusses the results of his/her thesis in the context of the field as a whole. The doctoral candidate then defends the dissertation by responding to the doctoral committee members' criticism and questions. The discussion must take at least 30 minutes but no longer than 60 minutes. The use of additionally prepared slides during the defense (following the presentation) is not permitted. Only slides that have already been used in the presentation may be used. The recording of the disputation is expressly prohibited.

When determining the grade to be awarded, the outcome of the discussion is in principal more important than priority against the presentation. But the dissertation is also taken primarily in principal into account for determining the overall grade.

You can find an overview of current defenses here .

Answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ) can be found here.

Read on for the next topic ' Publication of the Thesis '.

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Rehearsal: PhD defense

4:00 PM → 4:30 PM Silicon Detector Technologies for Future Particle Collider Experiments 30m Speaker : Florian Michael Pitters ( HEPHY )

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A MARIE SKŁODOWSKA-CURIE ACTIONS (MSCA) Innovative Training Network (ITN)-ID 861137, TraDE-OPT offers 15 PhD positions ( ESR s ) within an innovative training program giving a solid mathematical background in (convex) optimization and data driven modeling combined with employability skills: management, fund rising, communication, and carrier planning skills. The training will be based on three modules: learning by research, learning by courses, learning by doing. Embedded in the TraDE-OPT's training environment, each ESR will be developing an individual research project comprising significant advances in designing efficient algorithmic solutions and a related industry backed project. Learn more here.

TraDE-Opt Spring School

Our Spring School, organized exclusively for TraDE-Opt ESRs and dedicated to quality management and structured problem solving as well as PhD defense rehearsal will take place between March 27 and March 31 2023 at the University of Graz!

The school will feature training and certificate for Level 1 TRIZ (teoriya resheniya izobretatelskikh zadatch, "theory of inventive problem solving"), a set of practical tools for understanding and solving problems in a rigorous and systematic way. The PhD defense rehearsal will include videotaping and group feedback.

!!! STAY TUNED FOR MORE UPDATES !!!

BACK TO OPTIMIZATION

As a way to kick-off after the vacation, some of our TraDE-OPT ESRs have participated in “International conference on optimization and decision science-ODS2022" in Florence, ITALY from August 30th to September 2nd. This was a great chance for them to meet and network with other scientists and talk publicly about their research work. The ESRs have made an active contribution to two of the conference’s invited sessions entitled “Optimization for machine learning 1 and 2". Furthermore, the ESRs also enjoyed the cultural experience by discovering the beautiful city of Florence.

First Successful Workshop

Our first workshop has ended successfully. Thanks to the local organizer at UCLouvain and all participants, who have made great contributions so that everyone has a wonderful week in Louvain La Neuve. This time, all of our ESRs have gained many interesting ideas for their PhD careers as well as preparation to go into job market after graduating. One week seems too short for everyone, but don't worry! The next workshop is already planned and will take place this winter. Stay tuned!!!

Workshop on on Algorithmic and Continuous Optimization

Our first workshop, dedicated to Algorithmic and Continuous Optimization, will take place between July 4 and July 8 2022 at UCLouvain! The workshop will provide an opportunity for TraDE-OPT participants, including all PhD students, to meet in person for the first time. Click below to learn more, including the list of keynote speakers, and more information about the algorithmic bootcamp and job market preparation.

2 PhD positions still open!

The call for PhD positions in TraDE-OPT is still open. We are looking for 2 ESRs . Take a look at the different opportunities in our project and apply!

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Michelle Deprenger-Levin Ph.D. Thesis Defense

Congratulations michelle deprenger-levin for successfully defending your ph.d. degree thesis, michelle deprenger-levin.

Ph.D. Degree Candidate CU Denver Department of Integrative Biology

When: Friday, March 15th, 2024, 12:00pm Where: Science Building, Room 2001

Using demography to inform plant conservation: an examination of uses and pitfalls of conventional population models.

Demography is used to detect and predict population trends and assess the impact of management actions. Demographic data is lacking for many rare and threatened or potentially invasive species. To assess the risk of extinction or potential of establishment for species lacking demographic data, this work sets expectations for near-term dynamics by population structure, population size, and life history. Empirical data can be tested against these expectations. However, population models often fail to predict future dynamics. One cause of error that is rarely addressed in plant populations is imperfect detection. There are extensive models to address imperfect detection for mobile organisms but little attention on which models are appropriate for plant populations. I developed a guide to apply statistical models and field methods to address plant population dynamics while accounting for imperfect detection. I then apply these models to a long-term demographic study of a perennial herb to quantify the impact of ignoring imperfect detection.

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PhD Defence Zahra Atashgahi | Advancing Efficiency in Neural Networks through Sparsity and Feature Selection

Advancing Efficiency in Neural Networks through Sparsity and Feature Selection

Zahra Atashgahi is a PhD student in the department Datamanagement & Biometrics. (Co)Promotors are prof.dr.ir. R.N.J. Veldhuis and dr.ir. D.C. Mocanu from the faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science and prof.dr. M. Pechenizkiy from Eindhoven University of Technology.

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Defending Your Dissertation: A Guide
Jessika Iwanski is an MD/PhD student who in 2022 defended her dissertation on genetic mutations in sarcomeric proteins that lead to severe, neonatal dilated cardiomyopathy. ... If you want to really get in the zone, you can emulate Dr. Labiner and do a full dress rehearsal on Zoom the day before your defense.
Swath and Dive: A pattern for PhD defense presentations
POSTS Swath and Dive: A pattern for PhD defense presentations by Luis P. Prieto, November 11, 2022 - 10 minutes read - 2037 words In recent times I'm having the fortune of seeing several of my own doctoral students approach the end of the doctoral journey (yes, it does end!). As they submit the dissertation and prepare for their defense, there is one piece of advice I find myself giving ...
PhD Defence Process: A Comprehensive Guide for 2024
The PhD defence, also known as the viva voce or oral examination, is a pivotal moment in the life of a doctoral candidate. PhD defence is not merely a ritualistic ceremony; rather, it serves as a platform for scholars to present, defend, and elucidate the findings and implications of their research. The defence is the crucible where ideas are ...
How to Rehearse Your Thesis Presentation
Step Two: Test Audience. The second rehearsal step is to give the presentation to a test audience. Two to four persons make the perfect test audience size. A single person can miss too many problems or be too subjective. More than four add little value but complicate the rehearsal, since everybody wants their say.
Navigating the PhD Defense: Strategies for a Successful Presentation
Embarking on the journey of a PhD is a remarkable feat, and the pinnacle of this journey is the dreaded yet exhilarating PhD defense. As you stand on the cusp of this pivotal moment, the culmination of years of research and dedication, it's normal to feel nervous and apprehensive. ... This rehearsal not only helps you refine your responses but ...
Preparing For A Viva Voce (Dissertation Defence)
Preparing for your dissertation or thesis defense (also called a "viva voce") is a formidable task. All your hard work over the years leads you to this one point, and you'll need to defend yourself against some of the most experienced researchers you've encountered so far. It's natural to feel a little nervous.
Preparing for your PhD thesis defence
The PhD thesis defence is the culmination of years of hard work! The tips outlined in this video, compiled from recent PhD graduates and experienced thesis defence chairs, cover tips for preparing for your defence, day-of logistics, and defending successfully. Watch video on YouTube.
(PDF) Planning and Passing Your PhD Defence: A Global ...
tips from former PhD stude nts and super visors, this book. unpacks the principles and unwritten rules underpinning. the defence. Addressing planning and preparing for the. doctoral defence, and ...
LibGuides: Dissertation Defense: Preparing for the Defense
The dissertation defense is a type of live performance, almost like a musician would give. With that analogy in mind, consider the following tips. ... Do a self-critique of your recorded presentation rehearsal(s). For example, many students find that they speak more quickly than they think they do, while others notice speaking quirks when ...
Getting Ready for the Oral Defence
The PhD oral defence is the last step in your long PhD journey. Defending your thesis in-person in front of a panel of experts is the last essential stumbling block every doctoral researcher needs to surmount. The process from the thesis submission for examination to the actual oral defence date will vary from one university to another; however ...
Preparing for a PhD Defense
Nominate a Faculty Member to Serve as Chair for Your Defense. A chair is appointed for each PhD oral defense to monitor and promote fairness and rigor in the conduct of the defense. To help eliminate pre-established judgments on the candidate's work, the chair should be from a different program/department than the student.
13 Tips to Prepare for Your PhD Dissertation Defense
1. Start Your Preparations Early. Thesis defense is not a 3 or 6 months' exercise. Don't wait until you have completed all your research objectives. Start your preparation well in advance, and make sure you know all the intricacies of your thesis and reasons to all the research experiments you conducted. 2.
Perfect Dissertation Defense: Your Complete Guide
One of the most important steps in the dissertation preparation is to understand how much time each department allocates to the closing oral defense. When you plan in the early stages of your dissertation itself, you can write it in a manner that allows you to defend it in the allocated time. Usually these meetings including the presentation ...
PDF Chapter 6 Making Sense of the Doctoral Dissertation Defense ...
policies on the dissertation defense found that, although the dissertation defense was compulsory for PhD students in all of the 20 institutions examined, few uni-versities could fail students based on their performance in the defense, and there was a lack of clear criteria for candidates' performance (Tinkler and Jackson 2000).
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"The PhD defense is not just a ceremony, but the final test in a long, rigorous academic journey. It's your moment to shine, to demonstrate the depth of your knowledge and to leave a lasting impression." ... It's like having your very own PhD defense rehearsal dinner, but without the dinner! ...
Pre-Defense Process
The Pre-Defense meeting serves as a "dress rehearsal" for the Final Defense presentation and is the opportune time to address any final edits, questions, or concerns leading up to the Final Defense. Prior to scheduling the Pre-Defense, the candidate will provide the complete manuscript to the Chair. When the Chair is satisfied with the ...
The oral defence
Have a rehearsal that includes a question period Rehearsal is an invaluable experience for students who are preparing for the oral defense. ... Making sense of the public PhD dissertation defence: A qualitative multi-case study of education students' experiences. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ...
(PDF) Preparation for the Doctoral Defense: Methods and Relation to
It is uncommon for PhD candidates to attend a course in preparation for the defense. The vast majority (91.6%) of respondents were in this case. A small group (5.5%) of re-
Full article: Doctoral defence formats
The doctoral defence is the oral examination of the doctoral thesis. This event is an important step for doctoral candidates in obtaining their degree. It is important, as in some defence formats such as the UK-style viva voce or, shorter, viva, the performance during the defence forms part of the overall assessment of the thesis.
Oral Dissertation Defense
This is a practice run for my oral dissertation defense for the Doctor of Education (EdD) in Distance Education program at Athabasca University (January 2015)
Defense of the Thesis • Graduate Center / Doctorate • Department of
The defense begins with a lecture of approx. 30 minutes, in which the doctoral candidate presents and discusses the results of his/her thesis in the context of the field as a whole. The doctoral candidate then defends the dissertation by responding to the doctoral committee members' criticism and questions. The discussion must take at least 30 ...
Rehearsal: PhD defense (10 February 2020) · Indico
Rehearsal: PhD defense. Monday 10 Feb 2020, 16:00 → 18:00 Europe/Zurich. 4/1-021 (CERN) 16:00 → 16:30. Silicon Detector Technologies for Future Particle Collider Experiments.
TraDE-OPT ITN
The PhD defense rehearsal will include videotaping and group feedback.!!! STAY TUNED FOR MORE UPDATES !!! BACK TO OPTIMIZATION. As a way to kick-off after the vacation, some of our TraDE-OPT ESRs have participated in "International conference on optimization and decision science-ODS2022" in Florence, ITALY from August 30th to September 2nd. ...
Trevor Carter Ph.D. Degree Thesis Defense
Mailing Address: Campus Box 171 P.O. Box 173364 Denver, CO 80217-3364
Michelle Deprenger-Levin Ph.D. Thesis Defense
Mailing Address: Campus Box 171 P.O. Box 173364 Denver, CO 80217-3364
PhD Defence Zahra Atashgahi
The PhD defence of Zahra Atashgahi will take place in the Waaier building of the University of Twente and can be followed by a live stream. Live Stream. Zahra Atashgahi is a PhD student in the department Datamanagement & Biometrics. (Co)Promotors are prof.dr.ir. R.N.J. Veldhuis and dr.ir. D.C. Mocanu from the faculty of Electrical Engineering ...