The table above reminds us not to take things too seriously. If you feel that your results are underwhelming, you may consider yourself a member of the academic club, everyone tends to produce results at one point in their research career that they themselves consider underwhelming. For the defense however, the key here is not to focus on the results themselves, but rather on the overall arguments and the overarching discussion that surrounds your results and provides a context to your key points. Be ready to defend and explain anomalies in data, or the specific choices that you made with respect to why you chose a specific research method instead of another. The thesis defense should be viewed as an exercise for you to be able to explain your overall argument and show why it is consistent. Remember that the thesis defense does not exist for you to be criticized with regards to other peoples data or research. As long as you have a strong grasp of your own research topic, you should be able to breeze through the defense. You can feel assured that (for most cases) no external expert or review committee will know more about your specific thesis than you do. As long as this disparity in knowledge holds true, it doesn’t matter how much more they know about the overall research field, if you are more knowledgeable of your specific research inquiries and their underlying assumptions.
The second point that I want to highlight is that all of your conclusions should follow from the results that has been presented (which in turn come from the data that you collected, depending on research area). With other words, all of the conclusions that are mentioned should follow logically from the underlying premises. I remember once attending a thesis defense where it was clear that the doctoral student highlighted certain conclusions that had no basis in the person’s data, and that sort of things tends to get highlighted real fast. So you need to be careful about that.
The third point concerns quality. The work must of course be of high quality, this is understood by all, but it also means that the data was gathered properly and that the sources that you cite are relevant and authoritative. Make sure that the image/story that you are presenting during your defense is internally consistent. Thus, even if an opponent has issues with a specific method that you chose, they cannot claim that your research contradicts itself. Apparent contradictions can be very problematic, and if you suspect that there might be a contradiction somewhere in your thesis, you need to be ready to explain that paragraph if asked to.
The last thing I want to mention has to do with the mental state of the one who is presenting. There is no doubt that public speaking is stressfull for a lot of people, and it is therefore extra important to remember to not place to much weight on the matter. It is after all only a speech. You know the topic, why worry, you literally wrote a book on it! As one says in swahili, hakuna matata is an appropriate attitude to have towards the thesis defense. It is important to remember that studies, specifically doctoral studies, are more than just a written dissertation. Instead, it encapsulates the whole process where you gradually learn more about your specific research work. Regardless of whether you achieve a undergraduate, postgraduate or doctoral degree at the end of your research, that degree only symbolizes the start of a learning journey, and not the end. Unlike the common conception, PhD studies shouldn’t be viewed as a dreadful and draining undertaking that finally culminates in this large-scale orgasmic metamorphosis where you are transformed from this lowly caterpillar to become a fully-feathered and competent butterfly.
The list below contains a few links to real examples of theses defenses. Do check out the presentation by Dr. Ben Conrad which is really good example of a thesis defense done right, it manages to be informative, to the point as well as engaging the audience and the material.
Ben Conrad | Mechanical Engineering | UW Madison | | |
John Maheswaran | Computer Science | Yale University | |
Justin Dauwels | Signal and Information Processing | ETH Zurich |
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
Adding {{itemName}} to cart
Added {{itemName}} to cart
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
All the stress and grilling is still present in the program, just maybe at different times. ... If a committee is doing its job, the picking apart happens before the defense. In my PhD program, it was part of the culture to refer to your professors by first name, because they viewed PhD students as colleagues. ...
Getting a Ph.D. is a once-in-a-lifetime event, so enjoy it and take satisfaction in what you've accomplished. Patricia Gosling and Bart Noordam are the authors of Mastering Your Ph.D.: Survival and Success in the Doctoral Years and Beyond (Springer, 2006). Gosling is a senior medical writer at Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics in Germany and a ...
Advice From PhD Graduate #1. Dr. Jamie Hadac had these words to say before we cut to the chase: First, let me start off by saying congratulations! You have made it this far, now it's time for the final push. Hopefully your thesis is in good working order and now you just need to prepare for the big day.
It's the moment almost everyone who completes a PhD both dreads and looks ahead to for years—the defence. It signals a major achievement, but in people's imaginations, it can seem like the stuff of nightmares… standing frozen in front of everyone, unable to answer a tricky question posed by a committee member and feeling like you must look incompetent.
How to prepare for a thesis defense quick guide. Check with your department about requirements and timing. Re-read your thesis. Anticipate questions and prepare for them. Create a back-up plan to deal with technology hiccups. Plan de-stressing activities both before, and after, your defense.
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 ...
From Nerves to Triumph: Your Personal Guide to Dissertation Defense. Jennifer Harrison. August 26, 2023. Aberystwyth University. Dissertation Defence/ Viva, Mental Health, Thesis and Dissertation, Thesis Tips, Wellbeing. Join Dr. Jen Harrison on a compelling voyage as she delves into the world of defending a dissertation/thesis.
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.
3. Work on Starting Strong. To begin your defense on a strong note, work on creating a clear and engaging introduction. You can start by briefly outlining the purpose of your study, research questions, and methodology. Try to stay on topic and don't veer off track by discussing unrelated or unnecessary information. 4.
The PhD defence, or viva, is an academic rite of passage. How can PhD students and supervisors benefit from a more engaged understanding of the emotions? ... For candidates in the United Kingdom, where the viva takes place before final submission of the thesis and may determine the level of corrections required for the thesis, candidates worry ...
My defense is Wednesday and I don't know what to expect. The committee requested the whole write up 3 weeks before the defense date. Already one member said that if I need corrections he will sign by November because he will travel ( retired guy). In the past 3 months my life has been miserable.
5) Don't let distractions get to you. Completing your thesis is a huge milestone. Those last two weeks until defense day can be stressful. Whether you are doing job interviews, applying to other jobs, or you want to "jump the gun" and finally start your post-PhD life, don't give into temptation.
Before one of my Ph.D. students can schedule a thesis defense, I have to provide two official documents. One is a description (usually about two pages long) of the work in the thesis, ending with my recommendation to my department that the thesis be accepted.
Here are a few tips for the day of: Don't have too much caffeine. You're already going to be hyped up and pumped full of adrenaline. Have your normal morning cup of coffee/tea and then cut yourself off. Try to schedule your defense earlier in the day (you don't want to be waiting around all day). Dress to impress.
ram of study, there are several things that must be done before a thesis defense can occur. Most importantly, you must meet w. h your advisory committee to ensure that everyone agrees that the wo. is ready to defend. You will need to decide on a date by which the defense should occur. You should also infor.
A thesis defense is a crucial component of completing a graduate degree, where a student presents their research findings to a panel of experts, typically comprising faculty members from their university. This event marks the culmination of a student's research efforts and is a formal requirement for obtaining a master's or PhD degree.
Last Updated on: 30th August 2022, 04:43 am. Preparing for your dissertation defense is one of the most important things you'll do as a doctoral candidate. Now that you've completed your dissertation, it's up to you to present the results to your committee. However, the results aren't just about your study. Your committee wants to see ...
2. Take Care of Yourself. Once you understand why you're feeling overwhelmed, the next thing to consider is taking care of yourself physically. Stress from work, school, relationships etc., all contribute to poor health decisions such as skipping meals, engaging in unhealthy eating habits, drinking or smoking excessively, reducing sleep and ...
r/GradSchool. r/GradSchool. • 8 mo. ago. calcetines100. Ph.D Defense in 12 hours. I m so nervous. Research. Just earlier this week, I felt great about the prospect of my Phd defense, but as the D-day (hour?) comes near, I am feeling more and more dreads. All my labmates and my PI thinks that I will do fine.
There are three possible outcomes to a PhD defence: Accepted: The thesis is completed to the satisfaction of the examining committee. There may still revisions required, but they are likely minor and typographical or editorial in nature. In this case, you would have one month to complete all revisions and submit your approve thesis to UWspace.
Before we can begin discussing some tips and best practices for preparing a thesis defense, we first need to define and differentiate between the different types of defenses that exist. Doctoral defenses (PhD defenses) follow a different format than bachelor or master thesis defenses. ... Do not stress over the significance of your research ...
Yep. We have a program limit of 7 years. Basically during your 7th year, if you have not gotten good enough contributions to defend, you would be kicked out of the program. We have a completion rate of 60%. 60% of all PhD candidates get their PhD, 40% dropout. For context, Im in one of the top 25 universities in the world.
PhD Defense Anxiety (Toxic Lab) ... Lots of last minute stress including finding out my room got changed to one with a completely different layout (and not a classic thesis room). So just trying to roll with the punches. ... Yeah, resting before defense was a long shot but I hope you got some rest after and resting a lot now.