Introduction
After completing a PhD dissertation, every student is supposed to clear their defense. After the successful completion dissertation, you have to present it in front of senior researchers in the same field. The purpose of dissertation defense is to assess your research abilities. All researchers ask questions related to your dissertation. There would not be any out-of-course questions. Being a PhD student, you have to be very clear about it. It is good to prepare for defense so you do not have to meet any unpleasant situations. Many students work very well in PhD dissertation, but they remain unable to justify it. They have to face low grades or many other unexpected situations. That is why the preparation of defense is a very important concern. As per its importance, this article discusses the preparation for dissertation defense in detail.
- What is the Purpose of the Final Defense of a PhD?
The final defense of PhD is the last step to complete your degree. When someone ask you for a dissertation defense, you must have an idea that there are two defenses at any higher educational level. The first one is internal defense, while the second one is final defense. The internal defense can be easy to deal with, but many students find it challenging to clear the final defense. As a PhD student, you must know that the final defense is at a large forum. The purpose of internal and external defense is to reflect your research ideas. The committee aims to critically evaluate your research skills. Your justification related to all questions reflects that the research work is genuine. So, you can take it as a technique to know about the quality of the dissertation.
- How Can You Prepare For A PhD Dissertation Defense?
The time of defense preparation can vary from student to student. If you are good enough at understanding the basic tricks, you can complete your preparation in a short time. However, it can take a long time too. In simple words, the time of preparation can vary from one day to one week. It all depends on your pace. Experts of a top PhD dissertation help service have shared a structure that can help you prepare a dissertation defense.
- Reread the Dissertation
At the time of preparing a defense, you should revise your dissertation. Also, highlight the major points. It is common that some students skip some points while preparing for a dissertation defense. It is better to note down major points so you can recall them at any time. In this way, you can clear your concepts, terminologies and dissertation format.
- Prepare your Slides
Most of the time, the defense committee asks students to present their work in the form of slides. So, you must have slides with you. Do not wait for your advisor to inform you if slides should be there. You need to save yourself from all aspects in advance. Search for slide format and do not spend more than three days on slide preparation. No primary data should be missing in your slides. Add all results in the form of graphs, charts and descriptive form. The slides should have descriptive as well as a visual representation of data.
- Work On Commonly Asked Questions
You should practise some commonly asked questions. For example, one of the most expected questions is about the aim of a PhD dissertation. While answering to this question, you have to summarise the whole research very precisely. Work well on the background information of your study. It helps you to justify if your dissertation is about a research gap or if there is something else.
Another frequently asked question is about the scope and significance of the study. You have to address both aspects separately. Start with the significance of the study by mentioning its need and demand in society, then go for the scope of the study. You need to explain it in terms of the present as well as in future time. Similarly, prepare all such questions.
- Practise Dissertation Defense
You can spend the whole one day in the practice of frequently asked questions. The very next day, practise your dissertation defense in the form of a mock defense. You can ask your senior to conduct a mock defense. In this mock defense, you should take everything similar to a real dissertation defense. Dress well and make a proper environment like real defense. Get valuable feedback from your senior and take it constructively. It is better to record the session. Once you are done with mock defense, watch the recording and identify your verbal and non-verbal mistakes.
- Get to Know About your Committee
At PhD level, you may have an open event for dissertation defense. You can take advantage of this opportunity. Attend the defense of other students; it can help you build up confidence. You can also get the psyche of each member present in the committee. This approach works very well to answer in the best way when it is your turn.
- What Can Be Precise Time Duration to Prepare Dissertation defense?
I have explained 5 tips for preparing a dissertation defense. You can prepare your slides within two to three days. Similarly, you should spend one day rereading the dissertation. For the practice of frequently asked questions, again, you can spend one day. Also, you have to practise a mock interview on next day. After that, you can work on your mistake. In simple words, the most precise time to prepare a defense should be of one week. The time of a real final defense is from one hour to two hours, but its practice requires at least seven days. In this way, you can better perform in front of a committee.
Final Thoughts
The preparation of PhD dissertation defense needs special focus. Its preparation is not your choice, but you must do it to complete a degree. A small investment of time can help you perform well. All the above-mentioned points can help you in defense preparation.
