1. The Viva - Examination Dr. Ursula Schinzel +352.621.322.543
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

2. The Viva – Examination: Overview
Finding out what you want to know
Demystifying the viva
- explaining the process
General analysis of viva questions
An example of what it could look like
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

3. What do you think ‘The Viva’ is?
A Defence to a Jury
The Opportunity to justify your research and your findings
A Discussion between Academics
It is NOT a chance to show off!
It is a test of ‘Bona Fides’ i.e. authenticity of your work
It is a Confirmation of Quality
‘Viva Voce’ = a Live Examination of your thesis
It is a Supplement, not a substitute for the written submission
You can also see it as
Training in Presentation Skills,
Development of logical reasoning and
Exercise in academic disputation
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

4. The Viva – Examination: Overview
Why have a viva? What is its purpose?
How does the process work?
What are the examiners looking for? What will I be asked?
How do examiners weight the contribution of thesis/viva?
Can weaknesses in a thesis be compensated by good viva?
Can a good thesis be substantially undermined by a poor viva?
Vivas seem so variable – why is this the case?
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

5. Why have a viva (what is its purpose?)
A means of examination or assessment
A means of assisting the candidate’s development
A ritual which welcomes the candidate into the academic community
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

6. Viva as examination /assessment exercise
Provisional decision made by examiners BEFORE Viva
- The Viva normally serves mostly as CONFIRMATION
Extremely rare for candidate with “good” thesis to fail through poor viva performance
Nearly as uncommon for candidate with “poor/borderline” thesis to pass through good viva
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

7. Possible assessment purposes of the viva
Authentication – is the thesis the candidate’s own work?
Context – can the candidate place the work in context?
Understanding – is the candidate able to produce research to Doctorate standard?
Defence – can the candidate defend / engage in debate?
Clarification – addressing weak / obscure areas in thesis
Decision-making in borderline cases
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

8. Possible assessment purposes of the viva
Authentication
Context Significant for most vivas
Understanding
Defence Clarification May be significant; it depends
Decision-Making Pretty rare
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

9. One thing to remember about the viva and assessment…
Nationwide research shows that examiners VERY RARELY alter their initial opinion of a thesis
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

10. Why have a viva (what is its purpose)
A means of helping the candidate’s development
Poor thesis: exploring ways in which it could be brought up to standard
Good thesis: helping candidates explore ways of taking it further (publication, follow-up work)
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

11. The viva: how does the process work?
Who is there? What are they there for?
How does it proceed? What forms does it take? How long is it likely to be?
What are the possible outcomes?
What happens afterwards?
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

12. The viva: who is there?
Board of examiners at least two examiners, generally one internal and one external, or two internal and one external
Supervisor(s) candidate has the option over their presence
Head of Faculty or nominee
- not usual: observer role only if present
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

13. The viva: Supervisors?
Candidate has the option over whether they are allowed to be present or not - you normally specify this on the Examination Entry Form
If present, they generally should take no part in the meeting
Examiners may question them and/or invite their comments
- almost always to do with general issues concerning the progress of the research, not the research itself
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

14. The viva: Role of examiners?
Prepare individual, independent written reports on the thesis prior to the viva
Conduct the viva according to the regulations
- the Internal Examiner has particular responsibility for this
Prepare a joint report on the examination for the University authorities
- this report contains a principal recommendation
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

15. The viva: How does it proceed?
Sometimes the student makes a short presentation about his/her work
- usually by prior arrangement with examiners
- can be useful in settling nerves
- consider as an option
Main part of viva: question / answer / discussion: varies somewhat in structure depending on discipline:
- arts / humanities / social sciences vivas tend to be more “thematic”
- science & engineering vivas typically are more “pedestrian” (page-by-page; more focused on specific thesis content)
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

16. Conduct of the viva: general points
You won’t be expected to answer from memory
- take a copy of your thesis and be ready to use it
Areas of concern raised by examiners are rarely a “sign” of anything in particular
- certainly not “pass or fail”
- there will ALWAYS be areas of concern in ANY thesis!!!!
Questions you can’t answer well aren’t a “sign”
- be ready to concede a few points and strongly defend others
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

17. The possible results / outcomes
Award the degree (this is rare)
Award subject to specified MINOR CORRECTIONS (this is the aim)
No award, permission to submit revised thesis (“revise and resubmit”)
- may involve further research / re-examination
- this often implies another 12 months work or so
No award, no recommendation on resubmission
- very rare, generally only for second vivas (this is essentially “fail”)
Award M.Phil. Degree
- may involve corrections / revisions
No award, permission to submit revised thesis
- for examination / award of M.Phil. Rather than Ph.D.
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

18. What happens afterwards
MINOR CORRECTIONS: the most common outcome
- six month deadline as a default; but often can be done much more quickly
- best to get out of the way as soon as possible
- re-submit your corrected thesis and wait for positive feed-back
REVISE AND RESUBMIT
- “more research” (data-gathering) might be necessary
- more common: issues with conceptualisation / structure
- discuss options with supervisor
- don’t panic, situation can often be retrieved
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

19. What are the examiners looking for? What can I expect to be asked?
Every viva is different but there are common key themes:
Conceptual clarity in design, conduct and analysis
Appreciation of underlying theory and to how it relates
Engagement with literature
Grasp of methodology
Coherence of argument
Presentation of thesis
Compliance with academic protocol (it “looks like a Doctorate”)
These criteria apply to the THESIS and are (hopefully) CONFIRMED by the viva
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

20. The anatomy of viva questions
Research problems
Structure and content D
Doctorateness
Contribution to knowledge
Concepts: synthesis, critique B
Research approach
Paradigms
Awareness of literature C
Research questions
Choice of topic
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

21. The anatomy of viva questions
Research shows a different balance of questions in “successful” and “unseccessful” vivas
Vivas that led to fail and/or major corrections
- many more A-questions
- quite a few B and C, few in D
Vivas that led to pass and/or minor corrections
- generally fewer A questions, mostly D questions
Broad decision on questions made BEFORE viva
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

22. What does this mean for preparation
You have to prepare as if the viva will be successful
- there is obviously no other way!
Prepare hard for D-questions
- Doctorateness: what is a Doctorate all about and how does your work qualify as “doctoral”?
- contribution to knowledge: be clear what this is!
Answer these questions in your thesis
- remember: balance of questions depends on the thesis
- unsuccessful candidates largely fail to answer the “hard” viva questions IN THE THESIS
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

23. The Viva - Preparation Essential things you need to succeed:
Familiarity with the content of your Thesis: Know your Thesis better than the back of your hand
Total understanding of your arguments and evidence
Confidence in what you have produced
Bring your thesis, an annotated version, with an aide-memoir, a summary, key items easily accessible (post-its, colours…)
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

24. The Viva - Preparation
The Day before: Make sure you have a useful summary and an annotated copy of your thesis. Then: have confidence in your excellent thesis AND: RELAX
The Night before: Go to bed, early and alone!
The Day itself: Get up, Eat, Dress professionally!
Arrive with eager and confident anticipation!
Enjoy your Viva!!!!
Be positive in participation
Do not retreat into self-defeating quiescence
A lively debate brings good results
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

25. The Viva - Preparation
If you get a difficult question, what do you do?
Don’t PANIC !!!
Buy time: ask for clarification
question the question
consult your notes/thesis
If a genuine mistake or omission has been spotted?
Concede and move on
Be prepared to discuss contentious issues reasonably!
It is ok to be assertive – but never be aggressive !!!!!
Accept valid criticism gracefully
Be as self critical as appropriate
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

26. Reconstruction of an actual viva
 On the following 3 pages, replace with your own questions for your own Viva and reply to the questions as if it was your own Viva
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

27. The Viva - Questions Preparation of your own Viva Questions:
What do you expect to be asked?
Write down the questions you would like to be asked
Write down the questions you wouldn’t like to be asked
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

28. The Viva - Questions
 1) What is the most important contribution of your work to the field of ………( cross-cultural research )?
2) What is the most important contribution to knowledge of your work? Why do you think you have made a novel contribution and what is it that makes it novel?
3) Why was …….. ( Hofstede ) more appropriate for your subject than the other modelling approaches mentioned in your literature survey?
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

29. The Viva - Questions 4) What does the term ……. ( UAI ) mean?
4) What does the term ……. ( UAI ) mean?
5) Tell us what really happened when you asked that question from your interview?
6) Can you give an overview of previous work by your research group on ……… ( cross-cultural research )?
7) So, bearing all of that in mind, why did you decide to go down the specific path that you did?
8) Can you describe the most important finding of your research in one sentence?
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

30. The Viva - Questions
9) From the dissertation, there are clearly inconsistencies in some of the experimental data used to generate and calibrate the model. How does this affect the accuracy of your model or the confidence that you have in it?
10) If you had another chance, what would you have changed about your project and why?
11) Why did you want to do a doctorate, what benefits has your study brought you as an individual and a professional, and would you do it again?
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

31. Viva reconstruction: summary of key points
Listen!!!! And Answer !!!! The question that was actually asked
- especially when it’s broad and contextual
Remember: “I did” versus “I discovered”
- focus your answers more on the latter, this will guide you
Remember your examiners don’t “know everything”
- when we remind you, you are the world expert on your specific topic, actually we mean it
Don’t undermine yourself but don’t overstate your case either
- you are normally asked to reflect on what you have learned
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

32. Viva reconstruction: summary of key points
Remember: The Viva is a discussion among Professionals
The questions are about PROCESS and not PRODUCT
- HOW you went about the work, not the work itself
Remember: What alternatives did you consider and WHY is yours the best?
Remember: Give the concepts behind the facts: HOW, WHY?
- what you now understand from what you found
You need a convincing justification of your approach
- WHY your approach is better than possible alternatives
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

33. Examiners: motivations, thought processes
Examiners generally want candidates to pass
- But they have standards to maintain
They have a good idea of the likely result BEFORE the viva
- this doesn’t mean it “doesn’t make a difference”
- but perhaps not as much as you might think
A big part of their role is “quality control”
- Checking that the work is YOUR own and that you understand it
- The types of questions depend on the thesis
The best preparation for the viva is the thesis!!! (know your research!)
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination

34. Why am I looking forward to my Viva?
It is an opportunity to succeed
To have my effort recognised
To discuss with interested and knowledgeable people
It is a chance to text my achievement
It is a free consultancy
It is a valuable experience
It is an intellectual challenge
It is the end of a long process – or the beginning of …
To get the qualification
It is an opportunity to explore wider issues and consider further research
It is an opportunity to rise new possibilities like Publications, Consultancy, New Research Support, a Job!
Dr Ursula Schinzel
The Viva Examination