The Viva

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The Viva

• Viva Voce With Living Voice

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The Universal and The Specific

• PhD generic contribution to knowledge
• Form of examination differs across the world
• Different terms
• Thesis defense
• Public defence
• Viva

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An exercise

• Sheets on the table
• Some questions
• Rationale
• Details
• Preparation
• Indicators
• Good and Bad practices
• Alternatives

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General question

• What are the characteristics of a piece of work
  that make it suitable as the basis for a PhD?

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Rationale

• Why is a viva necessary?
• What are the main objectives?

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Details

• How are examiners selected and by whom?
• Criteria for being an examiner?
• Internal and External Examiners?
• How many examiners?
• Independent Chair?
• Supervisor?

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Preparation

• What should the candidate do to prepare for the
  viva?

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Indicators

• Youll know your viva is going well
• ?????
• Youll know your viva is not going well
• ?????

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Good Bad Practices

• On the part of the candidate
• On the part of the examiners
• On the part of the independent chair
• On the part of the university

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Alternatives to the Viva?
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PhD characteristics

• Originality
• Substantial
• Independent
• Significant
• Rigorous
• So the Viva is the method for assessment of these

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Attributes of doctoral graduates in relation to
the doctoral qualification how these are
assessed, and the related expectations of their
supervisors, examiners and employers

• http//www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/doctor
  alprog/consultationpaper.asp

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Originality

• a fundamental criterion for doctoral degrees is
  that they should include some form of original
  research. For example, most institutions
  regulations for doctoral degrees contain
  references to an expectation of original work, or
  contribution, and this is one of the criteria
  used to assess doctoral candidates.

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• However, there is no universally agreed
  definition of what originality means when used
  as a criterion for making a doctoral award. Is it
  original thought? Carrying out new work? The
  application of existing knowledge to a new area?
  Some institutions have clear criteria for
  awarding doctoral degrees that include statements
  about making a significant contribution to
  learning, either through the discovery of new
  knowledge (which might also change existing
  views), developing a new theory, or applying
  existing knowledge in new situations.

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The assessment of doctoral candidates in the UK

• this involves a closed oral examination,
  involving a small number of people including the
  candidate, his/her examiners and, depending on
  the circumstances, possibly an independent chair
  of the examination and sometimes the candidates
  supervisor (with the candidates permission), or
  another observer. The assessment is of the
  candidates doctoral thesis or dissertation and
  the way in which the candidate is able to explain
  and defend it. In subjects where the candidates
  work also includes an artefact or other practical
  output, such as a musical composition,
  arrangements are made for the examination to
  include assessment of this.

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Viva is necessary as form of assessment with
these objectives

• Originality by viva/defence
• Substantial thesis or artefact plus thesis
• Independent ensure that it is the candidates
  work
• Significant examiners must possess subject
  expertise
• Rigorous methods

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To ascertain

• whether it is your own work
• whether you understand what you did
• whether it is worth a PhD (i.e. is a contribution
  to knowledge)

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These are the points being examined (according to
Alex Gray from the University of Cardiff)

• Understanding that you're ready to become an
  independent researcher.
• Relationship to other work that you have a
  command of your subject-area. Similarity to the
  work of others doesn't detract from novelty!
• Novelty - is your work publishable? If you have
  already published a couple of papers, that should
  be proof of sufficient originality. Don't panic
  about recent publications that are very similar
  to your work - the important thing is to be aware
  of them, and to know the differences between your
  work and theirs.
• What you have achieved, and that you are aware of
  its implications. What will it make a difference
  to?
• Demonstration of hypothesis (what you set out to
  achieve). How have you evaluated/tested your
  hypothesis? Always be prepared to reconsider your
  hypothesis if you end up demonstrating something
  else - it's vitally important that your results
  match your hypothesis, and that you have a
  convincing argument for this.
• Why did you do it the way you did? Not just your
  practical work, but everything. For example, your
  literature review should be focused towards your
  hypothesis.

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Details

• How are examiners selected and by whom? By
  supervisor
• Criteria for being an examiner? Previous
  examining experience subject expertise
• Internal and External Examiners? Usually one of
  each
• How many examiners? 2, sometimes 3
• Independent Chair? Increasingly common
• Supervisor? Can be present if agreeable must
  remain silent, can take notes

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Preparing for the Viva Before you submit

• get the philosophy of your thesis absolutely
  correct, and clear in your mind by the time of
  the viva
• They could ask you to explain/justify any
  statement in the thesis, Identify the
  contentious statements in the thesis, which you
  anticipate having to defend in the viva. A good
  supervisor will point out the contentious
  statements and grill you over them. Start a file
  of anticipated viva questions.
• The conclusion chapter is a major one to focus on
  in anticipating viva questions - especially where
  you criticise your work!
• know your own thesis thoroughly compile a brief
  summary of each section before you submit
• Compiling a thesis summary before you submit has
  the advantages that you may spot strategic-level
  flaws in time to fix them, and will enable you to
  revise for the viva from the thesis summary
  rather than from the thesis itself.
• Don't try to get the thesis perfect and free of
  minor corrections at the expense of delaying
  submission. It's almost certain that the
  examiners will find something to correct, anyway.

http//www.geocities.com/andrewbroad/cs/cs710/viva
.html
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Preparation

• Read through and mark-up the thesis make sure
  its the correct version
• Have a mock viva
• Read about vivas
• Rowena Murray How to Survive Your Viva OUP 2003
• P Tinkler C Jackson The Doctoral Examination
  Process OUP 2004

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Indicators

• Youll know your viva is going well
• ?????
• Youll know your viva is not going well
• ?????

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Bad Practices

• On the part of the candidate
• Not answering the questions
• Taking too long to answer
• Not being fully familiar with the thesis
• Not admitting mistakes, errors, omissions
• On the part of the examiners
• Not having read the thesis completely
• Not focusing on the candidate
• Being aggressive
• On the part of the independent chair
• Not intervening
• Not applying/knowing about regulations
• On the part of the university
• Inadequate regulations
• Inadequate hospitality

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Good Practices

• On the part of the candidate
• Responding to questions
• Acknowledging errors
• On the part of the examiners
• Submission of report before the viva
• Constructive comments and intelligent questions
• Advice on what to do next
• On the part of the independent chair
• Keeping the viva going smoothly managing the
  examiners and the candidate
• Dealing with disagreements between examiners
• On the part of the university
• Clear regulations
• Well prepared staff and resources

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Time line Outcomes

• Submission
• 4-6 weeks Reports back from examiners
• 6-8 weeks the viva
• Sometimes the gap is far longer!
• How long for the viva?
• 2 hours /-
• End of viva Confirmation of outcome
  clarification of requirements

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Viva experiences

• Aggressive defence
• Missing references
• Wrong version submitted
• No mention of the external examiner(s) work
• Rambling answers
• Methods misunderstanding
• Failure of technology
• Display of artefact, performance, other products
• Presentation Y/N?
• Fire

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Alternatives to the Viva?

• A written examination?
• Judgement purely on the thesis?
• Judgement on an artefact or performance or
  installation ?
• Public defence followed by a vote?

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The assessment process for doctoral candidates in
continental Europe

• there are variations between continental
  countries.
• in the UK the oral examination is normally a
  relatively private experience involving only two
  or three examiners and the final outcome is not
  known in advance (although each examiner usually
  submits an independent report on the dissertation
  before the viva takes place)
• in some other countries the academic assessment
  of the candidate is quite separate from the oral
  defence of the thesis, which is sometimes a
  public event. For example, the written
  dissertation may need to have been approved as
  being of an adequate doctoral standard before
  permission is granted for a public defence to
  take place.
• In some countries, the candidate may be invited
  to give one or more public lectures immediately
  before the (also public) defence of the thesis.

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Finland

• https//www.abo.fi/public/en/media/2732/doktorsd_e
  _2003_06_30.pdf
• 35 copies printed
• 20 minute lecture
• evening dress (white tie) with a black
  waistcoat, academic dress or a black suit or
  dress without decorations. If the Custos and the
  Opponent have a Doctor's degree, they carry their
  doctoral hats in their left hand when entering
  the auditorium. The hat is placed on the table
  (with the lyre towards the audience) during the
  public defence

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The Netherlands pedels and paranymphs
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The Netherlands pedels and paranymphs
TU Delft
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Paranymphs

• http//www.rug.nl/medewerkers/arbeidsvoorwaarden/m
  eerweten/promotieregeling/bijlage6?langen

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