Surviving your viva A recondite business

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Surviving your vivaA recondite business?

• What to do
• How to do it
• Prof Jim McKenna
• Carnegie Faculty of Sport and Education

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What do you EXPECTof the viva?
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• Getting to the viva relies on WRITTEN evidence
• The viva relies on ORAL evidence

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The smallest good deed is better than the
grandest intention
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Project Planning Academic Rigour

• The examination entry process
• Get your paperwork in order
• Confirm Examiners Externals (from Day 1?)

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• Structure and presentation style for theses
• University regulations and procedures
• The examination entry process
• Expectations
• Before and after the viva
• Unresolved issues (action for me)

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Project Planning Academic Rigour

• Structure and presentation style
• Word limit
• 60,000 is a maximum, not a target
• Who will check? (250 words per page)
• Use tables, figures and appendices
• How many chapters?
• What goes where?
• Are Method outcomes in Methods or Results?
• Running summaries?
• Formatting
• Heading 1, 2, 3.
• Figure and Table headings
• Table layout
• Page Order
• Affects page numbering etc

60K
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Writing orderAn ideal order?Draft of
RLMethodsResultsDiscussionIntroduction and
RL (to link with Discussion)Abstract
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Project Planning Academic Rigour

• University regulations and procedures
• Use web pages for updated regulations (Aug 2006)
• Research Portal
• Conventions differ by subject/domain
• Important for your knowing (brings
  psychological comfort)
• Procedures before during and after the exam

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Getting a viva

• A first sign of success!
• Your thesis deserves to be examined

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Project Planning Academic Rigour

• Expectations
• Makes an original contribution
• Words/phrases that indicate this?
• Where can I find yours?
• In which sections? How many times?
• A high quality document that justifies
  undertaking the viva voce
• Is this your own work?
• What if some parts are NOT yours?

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Preparation

• Months before
• Weeks before
• Days before
• Night before
• Morning of
• 15 minutes before

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You are an Examiner What questions would provide
the evidence that satisfies you about.

• Original contribution
• Contemporary grasp of related research
• Range of research skills (training?)
• Rigorous approach(es)
• Criticality
• Contribution within the existing literature
• This their own work

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Project Planning Academic Rigour

• Before and after the viva
• Make it familiar
• At least ONE practice
• Ask yourself tough questions
• Talk to other PhDs for their recommendations
• Practice your answer to the Wine bar question
• Few PASS straight away

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Project Planning Academic Rigour

• Before and after the viva
• The panels job is to make a decision
• May decide on further work (minor/ major
  revisions)
• Few PASS straight away
• Most pass in the end

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Project Planning Academic Rigour
Who will be there?Why them?3 types of
externalThe good, the bad and the mad!Or
The bad, the mad or dangerous to knowOrThe
other three typesThose who can countand those
who cant!
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Examining 2-3 days workExternal Paid
150Internal NothingMake it easy for themWhy
would they do it?
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Project Planning Academic Rigour
Purposes of the Viva
Authenticate that it is your work Display (some
of) the work  Mounting an oral defence   Recogni
sing (and engaging with) talented
researchers  Clarifying any revisions Deciding on
borderline cases
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Project Planning Academic Rigour
Look for theBIG ThingStudying for 4-7 years
Its aboutSIMPLEX-ITY
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• In which areas are you most/least fluent?
• In 3 mins explain the aim of your research
• Responding to criticism/suggestions of weakness?

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Project Planning Academic Rigour

• Unresolved issues (action for me)?

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My biggest mistake?Missing the award ceremony
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Leonard, D. (2001) A Womans Guide to Doctoral
Studies. Maidenhead OU Press. Phillips, E. M.
and Pugh, D. (2000) How to get a PhD a handbook
for students and their supervisors, 3rd ed.
Buckingham OU Press. Rugg, G and Petre, M.
(2004) The Unwritten Rules of PhD Research.
Maidenhead OU Press. Salmon, P. (1992) Achieving
a PhD Ten students experience. London Trentham
Books. Tinkler P and Jackson C (2004) The
Doctoral Examination Process a handbook for
students, examiners and supervisors. Buckingham
Society for Research into Higher Education and OU
Press.