Dr. Winifred Kisitu's PhD Viva Preparation

The word Viva is very scary for everyone, and there is no one formula of how best to prepare for it. But here are a few tips that helped me to go through it successfully.

A. SUMMARIZE THE THESIS IN SMALLER BLOCKS COVERING THE FOLLOWING:

· What you have done;

· Why you have done it;

· How you did it;

· What you have found;

· What the implications are.


B. SUMMARISE THE THESIS CHAPTER BY CHAPTER

· Make sure that each chapter covers only one page, this will make it easy for you should you require to have a quick look at a chapter during the viva. This will also make it easy for you to revise your thesis in the shortest time possible prior to your viva.

C. POSSIBLE VIVA QUESTIONS:WRITE THE ANSWERS DOWN FOR EACH QUESTION

1. Can you tell us how you came to choose this topic for your doctorate? Or How did your topic emerge?

2. What made you interested in doing it? Why do you think it’s important?

3. Why have you defined the topic in the way you did?

4. What were some of the difficulties you encountered and did they influence how the topic was framed?

5. What did you enjoy most about your work?

6. What would you do differently if you were starting out all over again?

7. How did your Personal Development Planning or skills training influence your work?

8. Describe the rationale of your research project?

9. What are the key findings/major contributions of your thesis?

10. What is its position in relation to the current state of knowledge in your area?

11. Why have you chosen to organize your research into these stages/chapters?

12. Is it possible to draw a general rule from your single observations?

13. How have you evaluated your work?

14. How do you know that your findings are correct?

15. How do your findings relate to the critical literature in this field of studies?

16. What is original in your thesis?

17. Did you have choices to make, for example, in choosing the data collection methods, or in analysing the data? Can you justify what you did? Or Why did you choose this method to analyze your topic?

18. Describe your methodological approach/ or What are the core methods used in this thesis? Why did you choose this approach? In an ideal world, are there different techniques you’d have liked to use?

19. What have you learned by carrying out your PhD?

20. What do you know about the history of this particular aspect of your research?

21. What are the recent major developments in this topic?

22. Which are the most important papers concerning this aspect of your research?

23. How do you expect the research in your field to progress over the next few years?

24. Which propositions would you say are distinctively your own?

25. Can you take your research further?

26. Which aspects of your thesis are worth publishing?

27. What are the main sources or kinds of evidence? Are they strong enough to sustain the conclusions you draw?

28. How do your findings fit with or contradict the rest of the literature in this field?

29. What did you find out that surprised you?

30. Who are the main people who influenced your thinking? Why?

31. How did you select the literature? Is there anything missing from your literature review?

32. What conflicts are there in the field?

33. What are the key strengths of your thesis?

34. What are the limitations of the thesis?

35. Why are your research questions interesting or important?

36. How did you know when you were finished?

37. Is there anything original in the way you went about the work?

38. Do recent developments in the field have implications for your research questions?

AFTER KNOWING WHO YOUR EXTERNAL EXAMINER IS, LOOK FOR INFORMATION ABOUT HIM/HER

· This includes any of his publications and photograph if possible. Read some of his publications although they might not be in line with your area of research. This will help you to be familiar with him and his area of interest.

All the above helped me to prepare for the viva in the shortest time possible. I was lucky that out of the 38 possible viva questions that I had researched and answered during my viva preparations, five questions were asked. The day before my viva, I received an email from one of my supervisors saying, 'when you rise to the occasion, do it with style - do it with a knowing smile... astound them. Make it look easy and it will become so’. I say the same to whoever is preparing for a viva. Remember, you are the EXPERT in this particular area.

Source: http://hubpages.com/hub/drwinifredkisitusphdvivapreparationtips

PhD Viva for First Batch of OUM Students

PhD Candidate, Richard Ng, with his supervisor, Prof. Karl Wagner during the viva-voce held on Sept 2 at OUM Main Campus

The first batch of PhD (Business Administration) students had their Viva-Voce set beginning September 2 to September 29 2010. Among the first candidate to attend the Viva was Richard Ng, who started his PhD journey in September 2005. It was then followed by Lum Heap Sum, Wong Siaw Ming and Patrick Wong.



The Viva-Voce process is the final stage of a PhD candidates' journey before they can be called "Doctor". It was conducted within 3 months after candidates have submitted their final thesis.

Richard Ng presenting his research in front of the panel of examiners

At OUM, three examiners (2 external and 1 internal) will examine the theses of a candidate. The viva was then fixed where the candidate will give a short presentation of approximately 20 to 30 minutes. Candidates will then be asked on why they choose their research topic, what is the objective of the research and how he is going about with it. Candidates will also be asked on their literature reviews and theories supporting their research. They will also need to explain their conceptual model and how they derive at it.

Richard Ng answering questions posted by the panel

Examiners are keen to find out the methodology used and how the research findings are analysed, aspect of validity and reliability of data and what is the outcome of their research and how it can contribute to the body of knowledge.

The viva-voce normally takes about 2 hours in all. At the end of the session, candidates will be informed about the decisions of the panel. Decisions could range from minor correction (usually within 1 month), major correction (within 6 months), to redo (within 12 months) or outright failure.

All the four candidates mentioned above who have had their viva-voce in September 2010, have passed their viva with minor or major correction. Candidates will then need to respond to the panel's proposal for correction and submit within the time frame given.

Once the corrections have been submitted, a reviewer (not necessary the same examiner) will review the amendment submitted. Once all the suggestions have been fulfilled the Chairperson of the panel will approve it and submit for confirmation to the academic board of OUM before it is endorsed by the senate. Upon endorsement of senate, the candidate can use the "doctor" title in front of their names.