The Viva. The final challenge following
years of arduous research, teaching, and learning. Everything builds up to this
moment. All for the opportunity to walk out of the room with an honorary title
and the realisation all those years finally paid off. This challenge is no
simple walk, yet preparation and strategy can be a key difference in how the
examiners view your Viva. Fortunately, we at the Sussex Research Hive pulled
together four people who recently completed their Viva’s to provide valuable
insight and suggestions to make your Viva experience easier.
In our last Doctoral Discussions event for
the 2015 Spring Semester, we were fortunate enough to have Sam Appleton, Laila
Kadiwal, Chris Jones, and Trine Berry, offer their recent experience with the Viva
process. Each speaker provided their own unique challenges they experienced and
suggested a number of techniques to make your Viva seem less dreadful.
Fortunately for you, we have compiled a their challenges and suggestions to let
help you prepare for the last, yet biggest challenge of your PhD! If you'd like to listen to the whole event, follow the link provided here.
There are a couple notable points about
Viva’s everyone should be aware before discussing the process and how to best
prepare. First off, the Viva doesn’t have to be a dreadful experience.
Everything cultivates to this point. The passion behind the research and the
expert knowledge acquired comes to light. Secondly, universities handle their
Viva’s differently. Sussex examines whether your thesis contributes original
work. Focus the viva on demonstrating how your work differs from the current
literature and emphasise its impact.
The
Viva Process
The viva experience is fairly
straightforward. You select an internal and external examiner. On the day of
the Viva, you are brought in and asked questions on the supervision, questions
directly about the thesis (this is the longest and most intensive part), and
finally discussions with the examiner about your work. They may ask questions
about the background literature, the techniques used, any clarifications your
research enhances, or your level of involvement with each step of your thesis
(e.g. if a collaborator helped and to what extent).
Afterward, the examiners convene to accept
or deny with major or minor revisions. It’s important to remember when the Viva
is ending and your examiners ask for any questions, ask for suggestions
directly and straight away. The time scale can vary with each student, as
Chris Jones mentioned his Viva took 4.5 hours to complete!
How
to best prepare
So how do you prepare for hours worth of
questions on your thesis? Let’s start with the examiners. Before your viva date
is set, you’ll have to pick the internal and external examiners. Try not to aim
for absolute experts, yet no one too junior in the field. Experts can expect
more of the methods or knowledge of methods that may not be your own expertise.
Try to select referees who you’ve used in your references. You’ll know their
work and a bit about what they specialise. It also helps networking with them
after the Viva for collaboration or work.
Once the examiners have been selected and a
date set, start preparing a couple months before the viva. It’s best to be
prepared. With a critical eye, look at the strengths and weaknesses of the
thesis. What kind of questions can you predict and how would you handle the
response? Use a friend to role play and practice the questions and answers you
might expect. Your supervisors are a great resource for this. They know the ins
and outs of your research. Politely ask your supervisors to have a mock Viva.
To keep all the details in your head, create a summary sheet detailing the most
important points of your research over the last few years and study it.
On the day of the viva, remember confidence
is key. It’s important how you enter the room. Establish yourself with good eye
contact and a friendly smile. You’re in that room to prove yourself as an equal
to your peers. Demonstrate that with your work, your knowledge, and your
demeanour. This trifecta will empower you to be your best on the last stage of
your PhD.
