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17 Thesis Defense Questions and How to Answer Them
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A thesis defense gives you the chance to show off your thesis work and demonstrate your expertise in your field of study. During this one- to two-hour discussion with the members of your thesis committee, you'll have some control over how you present your research, but your committee will ask you some prodding questions to test your knowledge and preparedness. They will all have read your thesis beforehand, so their questions will relate to your study, topic, methods, data sample, and other aspects.
A good defense requires mastery of the thesis itself, so before you consider the questions you might face,
1. What is your topic, and why did you choose it?
Give a quick summary in just a few sentences on what you've researched. You could certainly go on for hours about your work, but make sure you prepare a way to give a very brief overview of your thesis. Then, give a quick background on your process for choosing this topic.
2. How does your topic contribute to the existing literature? How is it important?
Many researchers identify a need in the field and choose a topic to bridge the gaps that previous literature has failed to cover. For example, previous studies might not have included a certain population, region, or circumstance. Talk about how your thesis enhances the general understanding of the topic to extend the reach beyond what others have found, and then give examples of why the world needs that increased understanding. For instance, a thesis on romaine lettuce crops in desert climates might bring much-needed knowledge to a region that might not have been represented in previous work.
3. What are the key findings of your study?
When reporting your main results, make sure you have a handle on how detailed your committee wants you to be. Give yourself several options by preparing 1) a very general, quick summary of your findings that takes a minute or less, 2) a more detailed rundown of what your study revealed that is 3-5 minutes long, and 3) a 10- to 15-minute synopsis that delves into your results in detail. With each of these responses prepared, you can gauge which one is most appropriate in the moment, based on what your committee asks you and what has already been requested.
4. What type of background research did you do for your study?
Here you'll describe what you did while you were deciding what to study. This usually includes a literary review to determine what previous researchers have already introduced to the field. You also likely had to look into whether your study was going to be possible and what you would need in order to collect the needed data. Did you need info from databases that require permissions or fees?
5. What was your hypothesis, and how did you form it?
Describe the expected results you had for your study and whether your hypothesis came from previous research experience, long-held expectations, or cultural myths.
6. What limitations did you face when writing your text?
It's inevitable — researchers will face roadblocks or limiting factors during their work. This could be a limited population you had access to, like if you had a great method of surveying university students, but you didn't have a way to reach out to other people who weren't attending that school.
7. Why did you choose your particular method for your study?
Different research methods are more fitting to specific studies than others (e.g., qualitative vs. quantitative ), and knowing this, you applied a method that would present your findings most effectively. What factors led you to choose your method?
8. Who formed the sample group of your study, and why did you choose this population?
Many factors go into the selection of a participant group. Perhaps you were motivated to survey women over 50 who experience burnout in the workplace. Did you take extra measures to target this population? Or perhaps you found a sample group that responded more readily to your request for participation, and after hitting dead ends for months, convenience is what shaped your study population. Make sure to present your reasoning in an honest but favorable way.
9. What obstacles or limitations did you encounter while working with your sample?
Outline the process of pursuing respondents for your study and the difficulties you faced in collecting enough quality data for your thesis. Perhaps the decisions you made took shape based on the participants you ended up interviewing.
10. Was there something specific you were expecting to find during your analysis?
Expectations are natural when you set out to explore a topic, especially one you've been dancing around throughout your academic career. This question can refer to your hypotheses , but it can also touch on your personal feelings and expectations about this topic. What did you believe you would find when you dove deeper into the subject? Was that what you actually found, or were you surprised by your results?
11. What did you learn from your study?
Your response to this question can include not only the basic findings of your work (if you haven't covered this already) but also some personal surprises you might have found that veered away from your expectations. Sometimes these details are not included in the thesis, so these details can add some spice to your defense.
12. What are the recommendations from your study?
With connection to the reasons you chose the topic, your results can address the problems your work is solving. Give specifics on how policymakers, professionals in the field, etc., can improve their service with the knowledge your thesis provides.
13. If given the chance, what would you do differently?
Your response to this one can include the limitations you encountered or dead ends you hit that wasted time and funding. Try not to dwell too long on the annoyances of your study, and consider an area of curiosity; for example, discuss an area that piqued your interest during your exploration that would have been exciting to pursue but didn't directly benefit your outlined study.
14. How did you relate your study to the existing theories in the literature?
Your paper likely ties your ideas into those of other researchers, so this could be an easy one to answer. Point out how similar your work is to some and how it contrasts other works of research; both contribute greatly to the overall body of research.
15. What is the future scope of this study?
This one is pretty easy, since most theses include recommendations for future research within the text. That means you already have this one covered, and since you read over your thesis before your defense, it's already fresh in your mind.
16. What do you plan to do professionally after you complete your study?
This is a question directed more to you and your future professional plans. This might align with the research you performed, and if so, you can direct your question back to your research, maybe mentioning the personal motivations you have for pursuing study of that subject.
17. Do you have any questions?
Although your thesis defense feels like an interrogation, and you're the one in the spotlight, it provides an ideal opportunity to gather input from your committee, if you want it. Possible questions you could ask are: What were your impressions when reading my thesis? Do you believe I missed any important steps or details when conducting my work? Where do you see this work going in the future?
Bonus tip: What if you get asked a question to which you don't know the answer? You can spend weeks preparing to defend your thesis, but you might still be caught off guard when you don't know exactly what's coming. You can be ready for this situation by preparing a general strategy. It's okay to admit that your thesis doesn't offer the answers to everything – your committee won't reasonably expect it to do so. What you can do to sound (and feel!) confident and knowledgeable is to refer to a work of literature you have encountered in your research and draw on that work to give an answer. For example, you could respond, "My thesis doesn't directly address your question, but my study of Dr. Leifsen's work provided some interesting insights on that subject…." By preparing a way to address curveball questions, you can maintain your cool and create the impression that you truly are an expert in your field.
After you're done answering the questions your committee presents to you, they will either approve your thesis or suggest changes you should make to your paper. Regardless of the outcome, your confidence in addressing the questions presented to you will communicate to your thesis committee members that you know your stuff. Preparation can ease a lot of anxiety surrounding this event, so use these possible questions to make sure you can present your thesis feeling relaxed, prepared, and confident.
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40 Thesis Defense Questions
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Practicing answering thesis defense questions in a mock thesis defense is the best way to get ready for this challenging step in your academic career. Aside from knowing your research project inside and out, you must have solid strategies for tackling different question types and talking about why you chose your research topic. You might have already answered questions related to your research interests in your research interest statement and grad school interview questions , but now after years for in-depth study, it's time to really test what you have accomplished! Check out some of the hardest thesis defense questions below and read our expert responses!
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Article Contents 11 min read
What to expect in a thesis defense.
A thesis defense is your chance to demonstrate your in-depth knowledge and expertise in the topic of your research thesis. While you will be able to take charge of the narrative and present your research to those on your thesis committee, the professors will prod you to test how well you know and understand your topic. The questions are mostly open-ended and give you the chance to showcase your knowledge and understanding, as well as any future plans you may have regarding your research topic.
A thesis defense usually lasts between one and two hours, depending on the area of your research. It starts with you giving a presentation of your interest, findings, and conclusions. After you have finished, the committee members will ask you questions based not only on your presentation, but also on your written thesis as they will have read it before your presentation. Lastly, the committee might approve your thesis or suggest changes to your paper.
Preparing thesis defense questions requires you to start well in advance. While the duration of your thesis defense might vary as per your institution's requirements, the major idea is to defend your research. Thus, you should go about preparing for your thesis defense questions by taking the following steps.
Interested in a quick overview of the section below? Check out this infographic:
Re-read your thesis for clarity
Your thesis defense questions will be based on what you have written in your research paper. Hence, it is a good idea to re-read your paper. You should be clear on the concepts and understand your research well. It might have been some time since you would have submitted your paper, so a revision should be the starting point of your preparation.
Have an answer strategy and structure
Plan a strategy to answer the panel’s questions. Keep your answers direct, but elaborate on the research details wherever necessary. If you do not know the answer to a question, that is alright. The key is to be able to formulate an answer even if you do not possess enough knowledge to answer at that point in time. For instance, if a question is about the content of your research, you can say something like “I am not certain my research touches on the question you are asking, but my research has led me to Dr. X. Based his evidence, I would have to conclude that…” Having a strategy for answering even the most unexpected questions can be a life saver in these situations!
Most of the thesis defense questions can be easily predicted based on your research. You can prepare a list of possible questions when you are going through your paper. Getting to know the committee can help you in preparing better. Their areas of expertise can help you in determining what they might ask. Once you have a list of questions, you can start brainstorming how you might answer them.
Prepare your slides in advance
If you require visual aids such as slides, it is a good idea to prepare them beforehand. You can double-check the slides and make sure that your presentation will run smoothly on the day of your thesis defense. Make sure your slides are arranged in the correct order.
Attend a thesis defense of other candidates if it is an open event
If your institution allows it, you can visit a thesis defense of other candidates. This will give you an excellent idea of what you can expect in your meeting. If it is not possible to attend the event, you can speak to your peers to find out how their meeting went and what questions were asked.
Dress appropriately for your meeting
The thesis defense meeting is a formal event, and hence you should be dressed in formal clothes. While there are no strict dressing rules, you should consider it something equivalent to a job interview. Don’t just wear your T-shirt and appear in front of the committee. Your formal suit is a better option for the occasion.
Practice speaking for your meeting
Take your preparation to the next level by practicing your presentation. This activity will give you the confidence for the actual meeting and presentation. You can request your academic peers to help you out in the practice task. Based on their feedback in the mock session, you can improve for the actual session. Make sure to prepare well for the mock session as if you are preparing for the actual session. You can also practice your speech and body language in the mock session. If you used thesis writing services , these professionals would also be the ideal people to test you in a mock thesis defense – don’t hesitate to reach out to them again!
Sample Thesis Defense Questions and Answers
1. what is your research study all about.
In your answer, you should summarize your research in a few sentences. The question is simple but requires technical expertise for a better explanation of concepts. For instance, if you completed a thesis in an attempt to explain the constituents of dark matter in the universe and particle accelerators, you could frame your answer like this:
In this research, the different aspects of dark matter and its detection models have been investigated. The cosmic ray positron excess observed by the PAMELA detector has been discussed and explained through the construction of models of decaying dark matter. The cosmic-ray electron and positron spectra were studied assuming a general Dirac structure for the four fermion contact interactions of interest. A supersymmetric leptophilic Higgs model was constructed to explain the possible excess of gamma rays in the galactic center. Finally, by the use of Razor analysis, an improvement on the dark matter collider searches is considered.
2. Why did you choose this study?
This question requires you to answer what motivated you to pursue the study in the first place. Your answers could touch on your interests in the area of the study. For example, if you conducted a study called “Media Combat: The Great War and the Transformation of American Culture” then you can shape your answer like this:
The First World War (1914-1918) has always been a topic of fascination for me, and my prime interest lies in exploring the state of society at that time. I wanted to analyze the formation of a nationalized, wartime cultural apparatus during the United States' involvement in the war and how theatre and music transformed the relationship between the government and American citizens.
3. Why did you choose this particular title for your research?
The title of your thesis captures the main point of your research, which is why it is so important to use an appropriate title. Your committee will want to know how you came to the final decision of naming your work. For example,
I chose the title “Dark matter in the heavens and at colliders: Models and constraints” for my research thesis because my research attempts to explain the constituency of dark matter as it occurs in the universe. “The heavens” is another word for the universe. Dark matter can also be created in particle accelerators such as the CERN collider. I have attempted to provide an explanation for both of the cases through the use of models, along with describing the constraints which exist in the current times due to certain scientific limitations.
4. What is the scope of your study?
In your answer, you have to define the boundaries of your project and define exactly what you are studying. There can be several elements involved but you have to define the parameters that you have chosen to study. For example,
My study is on the efficacy of equity stocks in the US market. For my study, I have chosen 50 companies listed on the NASDAQ. You can review the names of these companies on page 5 of my thesis.
5. What phenomenon were you trying to understand with this research?
Describe the focus concept of your thesis in the answer. For example,
In our study “Motivation to volunteer”, we were looking to study the Theory of Planned Behavior by analyzing the behavioral and normative beliefs that influence attitudes and subjective norms.
6. Who will be most interested in your research?
You can talk about who may be affected by your research and the parties who can potentially benefit from the research. Take a look at this example:
My sociology thesis on “Impact of social media on youngsters” can be of interest to sociology academics, social media companies, education experts, and parents of youngsters in general.
7. Did your research questions evolve during the process? If so, how?
Often, qualitative research questions change over time with respect to the responses that you might get from your focus group. Or you might just change your question as you do lab research or general text research. You can describe the change to the evaluating committee. For example,
We started our study to understand the impact of the new public policy change on recycling of vinyl waste through installation of garbage bins specifically for vinyl products. However, after interviewing some of the respondents in the target community, we found that the rule is actually irrelevant to their behavior and thoughts because the percentage of vinyl waste in that specific locality was very low and it didn’t need the installation of dedicated bins for the purpose. Going by their frustrations with the current economic insecurity, our study evolved into the impact of costs incurred by public policy changes.
8. What gaps did you intend to bridge with your research?
Your research thesis must eliminate the present gaps in the concepts related to your subject topic.
The relationship between hard water and its effect on the size of the kidney stone is not clear yet, so we analyzed the mineral composition of hard water to determine its impact on the size of the kidney stone.
9. Why is your research significant?
The answer to this research question should outline the impact of your research on your field of study. You may talk about the new insights contributed by your research and its impact on society.
Through my study on “The effect of chamomile in reducing stress and promoting better sleep,” patients with insomnia and anxiety will be able to find alternative treatments without the use of medicinal drugs. The medical abilities of chamomile will promote the usage of ingredients in nature and will encourage the community to plant more herbs and trees.
10. What did you find in your research?
You may describe your research in a few sentences in this answer. For instance,
In our study on “Impact of artificial fluoride in water on the human body,” we found that excessive exposure to high quantities of Fluoride can result in tooth discoloration and bone issues in humans since it has neurotoxic qualities.
11. What research findings surprised you?
When you conduct research, you come across findings that you were not expecting earlier. If you had such an experience, you might describe the same to the evaluation committee when you answer this question. For example,
I was expecting that business promotion through social media would not be a good idea for rural enterprises in developing countries in my comparative analysis of the usage of traditional and contemporary marketing methods. But I was surprised to learn that 68% of rural textile businesses in Nigeria promote their products on Instagram.
12. What is the validity of your findings?
You have to talk about the conditions in which your research findings would be valid.
In my research, I have considered test anxiety to be involving both nervous system activation and negative thoughts. Thus, my measure of test anxiety has included the elements of both nervous feelings and negative thoughts, the conditions in which my findings are valid.
For example,
For studying the differential protein expression, its localization, and distribution at different levels, we used the method of immunostaining in our research.
14. What sources did you use for data collection?
You would have used several sources to search for data for your topic. You may elaborate on those sources. You might have referred to databases, content on the web, or even conducted primary research by interviewing prospects. Thus, you can talk about these sources. Refer to the following answer:
To understand the impact of the current tax regime on skilled workers, we interviewed 150 subjects in 5 months. Additionally, we referred to databases and scholarly works available by authors who had previously conducted such studies for previous tax laws and rates.
15. How can your research be put into practice?
This question talks about the practical implications of your research. You should talk about how your research is beneficial for society and how it can help in eliminating current issues.
In our research titled “Effectiveness of Meditation on Reducing the Anxiety Levels of College Students in the US,” we discovered that students who practiced meditation at least thrice a week were two times more likely to score better in their exams, owing to the positive impact of meditation. So, this research finding can help in the reduction of mental health issues among students. A suitable course of action would be to hold meditating sessions a couple of times a week.
16. How will your findings contribute to the related area of knowledge?
Our study on medicinal analysis of herbs conveys information about various medicinal benefits of chamomile in treating depression and contributes to the area of medicinal botany.
17. Did you experience any limitations in your research?
Our research on “Impact of smoking on β-cell function and risk for type 2 diabetes in US citizens” finds that smoking increases the risk of diabetes among smokers. However, smokers might be affected by some genetic conditions which can protect them from diabetes.
18. What sampling techniques did you use?
When conducting research, it is practically not possible to study the entire number of elements. So, you would be using a method to select a sample population.
In our study “Impact of consumption of soda on the health of teenagers in Corpus Christi”, we used area sampling to divide the city into several areas and then selected some clusters for our sample group.
19. What are the dependent and independent variables in your research?
In research, several variable factors impact your study. You can describe these variables. Independent variables have values which are not affected by other variables in your study. On the other hand, the dependent variables have values that change with changes in the independent variable. For example,
In our study on “Impact of online tutoring on test scores”, the independent variable is the nature of the classes i.e., online and the participants' test score is the dependent variable.
20. What areas do you suggest for further research?
As a researcher, you should be able to describe what further areas are open for research with the addition of your research to the field. This can act as a starting point for future researchers. For example,
In my research on “Effectiveness of Acetaminophen in treating sports induced injuries”, I discovered that administering Acetaminophen is not very effective for treating joint pains such as the knee. This further suggests measures for the regulation of Acetaminophen in the production of painkillers for body pain and the search for alternative compounds.
Practice Questions
After taking a look at the sample answers, now try answering these questions by yourself:
Do you have any closing comments? "}]">
After submitting your research thesis for evaluation, you have to appear before a panel of professors and present your work; afterwards, they will ask you questions about your research.
You have to plan and prepare for your thesis defense. Review your paper and anticipate the questions that the committee can ask. Practice with mock defense sessions using professional servicesand make improvements based on their feedback. Be prepared with a strategy for answering any question asked by the panel.
Your research thesis should be on a topic of your interest. Scan your course syllabus to find something that makes you curious. Or, you can even refer to your grad school career goals statement to review what got you interested in grad school in the first place. Shortlist a few topics and zero down to the one that excites you the most.
The first step in preparing for a master’s thesis defense is to revise your research paper and write down a list of questions that the committee might ask. Find answers to those questions and get ready for your presentation. Practice your presentation beforehand. Try to attend a thesis defense of other candidates to know what you can expect in your session.
You will get questions related to what you have mentioned in your research paper. The most common starting questions are “what is your research about?" and “what was your motivation behind choosing this topic?” Later on, the committee asks you more detailed questions on research methodology, literature review, study variables, research findings, recommendations, and areas of further research.
You can get help from a grad school essay tutor for your research thesis writing. They can help you in developing writing skills and reviewing your work. They can proofread your work and provide recommendations on areas of improvement.
You can include your research thesis on your grad school CV to show your practical knowledge and skills. You can add the details of the study in a separate section for research experience.
Immediately after the thesis defense, the evaluation panel will decide whether to approve your paper as submitted or request some changes, or reject it.
To pass a thesis defense, a majority of the panel members must approve the defense. In case of more than one vote against you, you can fail the thesis.
A thesis defense can last for two hours or longer, depending on your area of research.
Your thesis defense presentation should include the focus concept, findings, recommendation, and conclusion.
The contribution of your thesis towards your degree differs as per institution. You can refer to your course handbook for exact details. In most cases, the committee needs to approve your thesis for you to graduate from your degree.
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why did you choose this place for a research locale
BeMo Academic Consulting
Hi Jeff! Yes, this can also be one of the questions you are asked in a thesis defense!
That is good
Hello Eshetu! Thanks for your comment. Glad you found this helpful!
Very helpful
Thanks, Abel. Glad you found this helpful.
Helpful thank you.
Hi Lagat! Thanks!
As an 11th-grade student, I don't have any experience in thesis or research defense in general. Me and my groupmates will be conducting our research title defense next week, this is invaluable information for us. Thank you!
You are very welcome, Kate!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS, I REALLY APPRECIATE.
Hello Stephanie! Thanks for your comment.
EMELDA NAFULA NYONGESA
This is a good guideline to post graduate students (Masters and PhD) CPA:Emelda Nyongesa
Hi Emelda! Thanks!
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The top 10 thesis defense questions (+ how to prepare strong answers)
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Crafting a thesis is significant, but defending it often feels like the ultimate test. While nerve-wracking, proper preparation can make it manageable. Prepare for your thesis defense with insights on the top questions you can expect, including strategies for answering convincingly.
Mastering the thesis defense: cultivate a success mindset
Confidence enables you to present your research with conviction, while composure allows you to navigate any challenges with grace and clarity.
Remember, you know your thesis best, so trust in your expertise.
In essence, a success mindset encompasses the belief in your abilities, coupled with the ability to remain calm and focused under pressure.
Stay composed and focused, relying on your thorough preparation. If you encounter a question you can’t answer, gracefully guide the conversation back to familiar topics.
By embracing these principles and staying confident and adaptable, you’ll navigate your thesis defense with ease.
Question 1: Why did you choose this particular topic for your research?
This question delves into the origins of your academic journey, aiming to understand not just what you studied, but the underlying motivations and processes that drove your exploration. It’s not merely about the superficial aspects of your research, but rather about the deeper intellectual curiosity that ignited your quest.
Moreover, discuss the gaps you identified in the existing literature that motivated you to contribute to your field. What deficiencies or unanswered questions did you observe? How did these gaps inspire you to embark on your research journey with the aim of filling these voids? By articulating the specific shortcomings in the current body of knowledge, you demonstrate a nuanced understanding of your research area and underscore the significance of your work.
Question 2: How does your research contribute to the existing body of knowledge?
This question delves into the vital role your research plays within the existing body of knowledge, urging you to articulate its significance and impact. It’s not merely about the subject matter you’ve studied, but also about the unique contributions and advancements your research brings to your field. To effectively respond, delve into the intricacies of your work and its implications for the broader academic landscape.
Illuminate how your findings could influence future research trajectories. Explore potential avenues for further inquiry that emerge from your research findings. Consider how your work opens up new questions or areas of exploration for future researchers. By identifying these potential research directions, you demonstrate the forward-looking nature of your work and its potential to shape the future trajectory of your field.
Question 3: What are the key findings of your research?
Furthermore, relate these findings to the broader implications they hold for your field. Articulate how your research contributes to advancing knowledge or addressing pressing issues within your academic discipline. Consider the potential impact of your findings on theory, practice, or policy, highlighting their relevance and significance within the larger scholarly community.
Question 4: Can you defend your research methodology?
Defending your research methodology entails a comprehensive understanding of its rationale, alignment with research objectives, and acknowledgment of potential limitations. It’s not merely about explaining the methods employed but also justifying why they were chosen over alternative approaches. To effectively respond, delve into the intricacies of your methodology and its implications for the study.
Be prepared to discuss the limitations inherent in your chosen methodology and how you mitigated them. Acknowledge any constraints or shortcomings associated with the selected approach, such as potential biases, sample size limitations, or data collection challenges. Demonstrate your awareness of these limitations and discuss the strategies implemented to address or minimize their impact on the validity and reliability of your findings.
Question 5: How did you analyze the data and what challenges did you encounter?
Begin by outlining the techniques used for data analysis. Describe the specific methods, tools, and software employed to process and interpret the data collected. Whether it involved quantitative statistical analysis, qualitative coding techniques, or a combination of both, provide insights into the analytical framework guiding your study. Additionally, discuss the rationale behind the chosen analytical approach and how it aligns with the research objectives and questions.
In summary, when addressing inquiries about data analysis, consider the following key points:
Question 6: What theoretical frameworks or references underpin your research?
Elucidate on how these frameworks shaped your hypothesis and analysis. Describe how the theoretical perspectives and insights gleaned from seminal works informed the development of your research questions, hypotheses, and analytical framework. Discuss the ways in which these theoretical frameworks guided your data collection and interpretation, influencing the selection of variables, measures, and analytical techniques employed in your study.
Question 7: How did you address ethical considerations in your research?
When addressing ethical considerations in your research, it’s essential to demonstrate a commitment to upholding ethical standards and protecting the rights and well-being of participants. Responding to inquiries about ethical protocols involves explaining the steps taken to ensure ethical conduct throughout the research process, describing the consent process and data protection measures implemented, and mentioning any institutional review board (IRB) approvals obtained.
Mention any institutional ethics review board approvals you obtained. Highlight any formal ethical review processes or approvals obtained from relevant regulatory bodies, such as IRBs or ethics committees. Discuss how the research protocol was reviewed for compliance with ethical guidelines and standards, including considerations of participant welfare, informed consent procedures, and data protection measures. By acknowledging the oversight and approval of institutional review bodies, you demonstrate your commitment to ethical integrity and accountability in conducting research involving human subjects.
Question 8: In what ways does your research contribute to the field?
Begin by detailing the novel insights your thesis provides. Articulate the key findings, discoveries, or perspectives that distinguish your research from existing literature and contribute to advancing knowledge within your field. Discuss how your study fills gaps in current understanding, challenges established assumptions, or offers innovative approaches to addressing pressing issues, highlighting its potential to generate new avenues of inquiry and broaden the scope of scholarly discourse.
In summary, when addressing inquiries about the contributions of your research to the field, consider the following key points:
Question 9: How did you ensure your research was free from bias?
Describe any blind or double-blind procedures employed in the study. Explain how blinding techniques were used to prevent bias in data collection, analysis, or interpretation. This may involve withholding certain information from researchers or participants to minimize the potential for conscious or unconscious bias to influence the results. Discuss how these procedures were implemented and their impact on enhancing the credibility and impartiality of the research outcomes.
Question 10: Where can future research go from here?
When considering the potential trajectory of your research topic, it’s essential to identify areas where further investigation could yield valuable insights, discuss unexplored questions that emerged from your research, and reflect on the limitations of your study as starting points for future research endeavors. Responding to inquiries about the future direction of research involves suggesting fruitful areas for further investigation, highlighting unresolved questions, and leveraging the limitations of your study as opportunities for future exploration.
Reflect on the limitations of your study as starting points for future research. Acknowledge any constraints, biases, or methodological shortcomings that may have influenced the outcomes or interpretations of your study. Discuss how these limitations provide opportunities for future research to refine methodologies, address confounding variables, or explore alternative theoretical frameworks. Consider how addressing these limitations could enhance the validity, reliability, and generalizability of future research findings within your field.
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50 Top Thesis Defense Questions With Answers(2023)
This blog article contains all the possible thesis defense questions that can be applied to all departments.
Do you have an upcoming thesis defense and you have been wandering the kind of questions your professors will ask you
Click to Read: Navigating Your Thesis Defense: Common Thesis Defense Questions and How to Prepare
Top 25 Likely Questions and Answers for Thesis Defense
Do you have the ability to briefly describe the purpose of your study to us?
Right, the query is straightforward.
Most students choke on a topic like this, as many professors will attest to.
In any case, the question is simple but a little complicated.
You need to comprehend every aspect of your scientific study, starting with chapter one, to respond to this question.
To ace this particular topic, you would want to comprehend every aspect of your abstract because the question requires a reply that functions as a sort of summary of the entire subject.
If your abstract was truthful, this question will be a cross-over for you.
What inspired you to conduct this research?
You now need to exercise caution.
These questions are frequently highly challenging, and it helps greatly in persuading your panel that your study is worth their time.
What’s THE RESEARCH PROBLEM is another way to phrase this query.
You’ll want to go into more detail on the subject of the study as you respond to this.
You become motivated by your enthusiasm to find a solution to this issue.
Don’t use the need to graduate or financial constraints as motivations since you’ll quickly lose your audience.
3. How will this research add to the body of knowledge?
When the need for explanation arises, you will be required to explain how your study, if allowed, will add to the body of available evidence.
Here, you’ll get to defend it using your research methodologies, a case study, or any special models or conceptual frameworks that were used in the study.
4 What is the study’s significance?
You will get to discuss the significance of your study in the same way that you will discuss how it will add to the body of knowledge.
In your response, you should emphasise how your study will benefit organisations and society as a whole, how it will assist the government in developing and implementing policies, and how it will benefit other students who might want to research the subject.
5. Did you fill in any gaps in your research?
Every research project needs to have a challenge.
You receive all of the points allotted for answering this question because of your abilities to solve this puzzle and research topics that have not yet been studied.
You must be prepared to persuade the committee members that your method is unique and that it addressed areas where other researchers haven’t done a lot of work.
6. What restrictions did you face?
Another easy but challenging question is this one. Most of the time, the question is asked to criticise your work rather than to feel sorry for you.
You should use caution when responding to this question to avoid implicating yourself. Be careful not to sell yourself short.
Discussing your approach or data analysis constraints could imply that your paper is prejudiced or poorly researched, therefore avoid doing so.
Instead of limiting your studies, use minor constraints like the challenges associated with juggling projects and lectures.
7. What conclusions have you reached?
You now need to clearly and succinctly present your study’s outcomes or findings.
Always relate your conclusions to the goals and/or questions of your research.
Your panel members will become passive as a result.
What techniques or methods did you use for sampling?
You need to be familiar with your research approach to responding to this question.
You must have access to your chapter three (in Most Projects).
Your ability to defend your sample size and methodology will be greatly rewarded in this situation.
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8. Why did you select this approach?
As was already mentioned, you should not just describe the study’s methodology.
Additionally, you must be prepared and able to convincingly defend your decision to use the tactic.
You are currently free to cite sources or studies that used similar methodologies.
9. What recommendations do you make in support of your findings?
Every research study needs recommendations, and they won’t be taken lightly.
In essence, you should be able to recall your recommendations.
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10. Regarding your findings, what areas of study will you recommend for the future?
Just to be sure you’re thinking clearly and are an authority in your field of study, questions like these exist.
You should be prepared to offer additional research areas related to your subject based on your conclusions from a manageable scope of the study.
One legitimate subject for additional research, for instance, would be other types of taxation, such as VAT, Company tax, etc., if I looked into the difficulties of collecting private taxes in Cameroon.
11. What practical applications may your research work lead to?
The majority of management and social science projects are more abstract, making them a little more challenging for management and social science students than science and engineering students.
But you should make an effort to be reasonable in this situation.
Relate your research to contemporary trends in your home, workplace, industry, polity, institutions of higher learning, etc.
You’ll get points for using pertinent examples and illustrations in this situation.
13. How would you briefly characterise your study for a practitioner in ?
14 What would you change if you were to rerun the research?
Hmmm. Be cautious! Avoid being overly merry. There is a gap in this! Similar to your restrictions, this question is frequently posed to identify your weaknesses.
What measurement instrument do you use?
What approach to data collecting did you take for the project, to put it simply?
Here, you specify whether surveys were given out or secondary sources were used to obtain the data.
for additional details about measuring devices.
16: What variables are you using in your research?
Here, you get to persuade the members of your panel that you merely are knowledgeable in the subject at hand.
To convince them that you are correct, you should explain your independent and dependent variable(s). Your project topic contains your variables.
To excel at your defence, you should be able to recognise these variables and know what they mean.
What are your research questions, number 17?
Simple to answer.
If you are completely prepared, you should be able to respond to this question in 0.015 seconds.
Continue reading to see a sample complaint letter for the omission of exam marks.
Following graduation, what do you choose to do with your scientific research?
You are free to express your thoughts in this area.
If you intend to publish it, this is frequently the easiest time to speak with the committee members and engage in conversation; perhaps a professor present might be of assistance.
What type of knowledge source was used for the study?
You must now identify the source or sources from which you obtained the data. Generally speaking, you must specify if the data came from primary, secondary, or both sources.
By going over the study’s theoretical and empirical literature review, you can persuade the committee members even more.
What theories or theoretical framework is the foundation of your study?
Although extremely technical, this question is intriguing.
You should have a working knowledge of at least two relevant theories related to your research before entering the defence room.
For instance, Maslow’s Theory and other theories of motivation will support the “impact of motivation on employee productivity.”
Consult your supervisor for assistance if you are having trouble finding suitable theories to replicate your research
How would you connect your findings to the study’s prevailing theories?
One will need to read a lot to ace this test.
You should be familiar with both empirical studies and the current ideas surrounding the subject.
It would significantly help to validate your study if you can relate your conclusions to earlier research investigations, regardless of whether they concur or not. I’ll bet you’ll win this debate.
What suggestions do you have for upcoming research? Question 22
Your capacity for problem-solving is tested here.
You should be able to spot topics that require more investigation.
What is the study’s scope, question 23?
This one might be a throwaway or bonus query.
Here, you succinctly explain the study’s boundaries.
What queries does one have for the committee? Question 24
Although this is not a question that can be asked in our African context, I have nonetheless defended a seminar project where it was, and I was astounded to the core.
This is frequently an opportunity to talk with the members of your committee and to ask some insightful questions. Avoid asking pointless or overly challenging questions because the committee members should feel a sense of loyalty to the “boss” rather than you.
It will also go a long way toward demonstrating that you are a superb person.
Question 25: Is there anything further you would like to add?
It’s time to give thanks! Take this opportunity to express your gratitude to the committee for their time and inquiries.
Tell them how much you learned from them and how you intend to fix any mistakes (if any) found in your work. Your internal and external supervisors will be greatly impressed by this.
We hope the best for you!
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9. Why is your study important?
The response to this research question should describe how your findings have affected your field of study.
You could discuss the novel understandings your study has provided and how it has affected society.
My research on “The effect of chamomile in lowering stress and encouraging better sleep” can help people with insomnia and anxiety find non-pharmaceutical remedies for their conditions.
The chamomile plant’s medicinal properties will encourage the use of natural products and motivate the community to grow additional herbs and trees.
10. What conclusions did your research yield?
In this response, you are permitted to briefly summarise your study. For example,
In our study on the “Impact of Artificial Fluoride in Water on the Human Body,”
we discovered that since Fluoride has neurotoxic properties, excessive exposure to high levels of it might cause tooth discolouration and bone problems in people.
11. What research results caught you off guard?
When you undertake research, you often discover results that you did not initially anticipate.
When answering this question, you can mention the same to the evaluation committee if you had such an event. For instance,
In my comparative research of the use of conventional and modern marketing techniques,
I anticipated that business promotion through social media would not be a good concept for rural firms in developing countries.
But I was quite aback to learn that 68% of Nigeria’s rural textile manufacturers advertise their goods on Instagram.
12. How reliable are your findings?
The circumstances under which the results of your investigation might be valid must be discussed.
In my research, I have assumed that both nervous system activation and negative thoughts contribute to exam anxiety.
Thus, to ensure that my results are accurate, I included both apprehensive feelings and negative thoughts in my measure of test anxiety.
13. Why did you decide on this research design?
For instance,
In our investigation, we employed the immunostaining technique to examine the differential protein expression, its localisation, and dispersion at various levels.
14. What resources did you draw on to gather the data?
To find information for your topic, you would have looked at a variety of sources. From those sources, you can get into further detail.
You might have consulted databases, and online articles, or even conducted primary research by speaking with potential customers.
So you can discuss these sources. Consider the following response:
We spoke with 150 people over five months to better understand how the existing tax system affects skilled professionals.
In addition, we made use of academic databases and books written by authors who had previously undertaken similar analyses for earlier tax legislation and rates.
15. What applications are there for your research?
The practical ramifications of your findings are covered in this query.
You should explain how your study benefits society and how it may be used to solve existing problems.
In our study, “Effectiveness of Meditation in Reducing the Anxiety Levels of College Students in the US,” we found that due to meditation’s beneficial effects, students who practiced it at least three times a week were twice as likely to perform well on exams.
Therefore, this research’s findings may contribute to fewer student mental health difficulties. Holding meditation classes a few times a week might be a good line of action.
16. What new information will your findings provide to the field?
Our study on the medicinal analysis of herbs contributes to the field of medicinal botany and provides information on the many therapeutic benefits of chamomile in treating depression.
17. Did your study encounter any obstacles?
According to our study, smoking raises a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The study is titled
“Impact of smoking on -cell function and risk for type 2 diabetes in US citizens.”
Smokers, however, may have specific hereditary factors that can shield them from developing diabetes.
18. What sampling methods did you employ?
It is nearly impossible to study every element when performing research.
So you would be choosing a sample population using a method.
We employed area sampling to divide the city into various zones for our study, “Impact of soda intake on the health of teenagers in Corpus Christi,” and then we chose a few clusters as our sample population.
19. What are the research’s dependent and independent variables?
Several varying factors have an impact on your research project.
These variables can be described. Independent variables in your study have values that are unaffected by other variables.
The dependent variables, on the other hand, have values that alter as the independent variable does. For instance,
Our study, “Impact of Online Tutoring on Test Results,” uses the participants’ test scores as the dependent variable and the online aspect of the classes as the independent variable.
20. What areas do you recommend for additional study?
When your research is added to the field, you should be ready to explain what new areas will be available for study. Future researchers can use this as a place of departure. For instance,
My research on the “Effectiveness of Acetaminophen in treating sports-generated injuries” led me to the conclusion that treating joint symptoms like knee pain with Acetaminophen is not particularly effective.
This also raises the possibility of taking action to limit the use of acetaminophen in the creation of bodily pain medications and to look for substitutes.
Practice Issues
Try answering these questions on your own after looking at the sample responses:
What steps did you take to address the moral ramifications of your work?
What is the research’s strongest point?
Why do you believe your research to be trustworthy?
Do your findings align with the body of previous research?
Do you believe that your research may have certain biases?
What suggestions do you have based on your research?
What statistical tools do you employ?
Describe the research’s sample population.
What are the practical applications of your findings?
What would you change if you were to conduct your research again?
What significance does your research have for other scientists?
What are the most pressing problems in your fields?
Do you believe your research to be accurate?
What method did you use for your study?
What does your study alter about your field of study?
How general are your research contributions?
What applications does your research have for decision-makers?
What is your research process for qualitative analysis?
How did you go about taking standard measurements?
Do you have any final remarks?
Top 25 Likely Questions and Answers for Thesis Defense (2023)
The top 25 academic research defence questions that you can come across during a tutorial research defence are listed below.
Please utilise this checklist to determine whether you are truly prepared for your research defence.
Keep in mind these inquiries and the suggested methods for responding to them.
We reviewed the list of prior academic research project defence inquiries.
To make sure you are not limiting yourself to only these inquiries, Research Key Consulting Services also suggests that you go further and ask former students about some of the academic scientific research defense questions they ran across during their defence.
Anticipate the obvious inquiries and be ready for them.
Based on your research, you may readily predict the majority of the thesis defense questions.
When you are reading your work, you can make a list of potential questions.
Knowing the committee will help you prepare more effectively.
You can anticipate what questions they may ask by looking at their areas of expertise.
Once you have a list of inquiries, you may begin considering potential responses.
Get your slides ready in advance.
It is a good idea to prepare any visual aids, such as slides, in advance.
You can check the slides again to ensure that everything will go according to plan on the day of your thesis defense.
Make sure the order of your slides is proper.
If a candidate’s thesis defense is an open event, go to it.
You are welcome to attend another candidate’s thesis defense if your institution permits it.
You will have a very good notion of what to anticipate from your meeting after reading this.
If you can’t make it to the event, you might ask your peers about their meeting to see what was discussed and what questions were posed.
Get dressed for your meeting.
You should wear formal attire since the thesis defence meeting is a formal occasion.
You should treat it like a job interview even though there are no rigorous clothing codes.
Don’t just show up in front of the committee wearing your T-shirt.
The ideal choice for the situation is your formal suit.
Prepare your speech for the meeting.
Practice making your presentation to advance your preparation.
You will feel more confident going into the meeting and presentation after this activity.
You might ask your fellow students for assistance with the practice task.
You can enhance your performance for the real session based on their input during the mock session.
Make careful to adequately prepare for the fake session, just like you would for the real session.
In the simulated session, you can also work on your body language and speaking.
Don’t be hesitant to get in touch with these experts again if you hired thesis writing services as they would be the best ones to put you to the test in a simulated thesis defence!
Examples of Questions and Answers for Thesis Defense
1. What is the focus of your research study?
You should provide a brief synopsis of your research in your response.
Although the issue is straightforward, a better understanding of the concepts requires technical knowledge.
If your thesis, for instance, attempted to explain the components of dark matter in the universe and particle accelerators, you may phrase your response as follows:
The various facets of dark matter and its detection models have been looked into in this study.
The development of decaying dark matter models has been addressed and used to explain the cosmic ray positron excess detected by the PAMELA detector.
Assuming a general Dirac structure for the four fermion contact interactions of interest, the cosmic-ray electron and positron spectra were investigated.
To account for the conceivable excess of gamma rays in the galactic core, a supersymmetric leptophilic Higgs model was developed.
Finally, an enhancement to the dark matter collider searches is taken into consideration using Razor analysis.
2. Why did you select this research?
You must respond to this question by stating what inspired you to start the study in the first place.
Your responses can reflect your interests in the study’s subject.
For instance, if your study was titled “Media Combat: The Great War and the Transformation of American Culture,” you may formulate your response as follows:
I’ve always been interested in learning more about the First World War (1914–1918), and my main focus is on examining the social climate of the era.
I wanted to examine how theatre and music changed how the government interacted with American civilians during the American involvement in the war and the emergence of a nationalised, wartime cultural infrastructure.
3. Why did you decide on this specific title for your study?
It is crucial to select a title that accurately conveys the main idea of your thesis because it serves as a summary of your research.
Your selection of a final title for your work will be questioned by your committee. For instance,
For my research thesis, I chose the subject “Dark matter in the heavens and at colliders: Models and limitations,” as my work aims to shed light on the nature of dark matter as it manifests itself in the cosmos.
The universe is often referred to as “the skies.” Particle accelerators like the CERN collider can also produce dark matter.
Through the use of models and a description of the current constraints brought about by specific scientific limitations, I have made an effort to explain both circumstances.
4. What is the purview of your research?
You must specify the scope of your project and the precise subject matter you are researching in your response. There may be several factors at play, but you must first establish the study criteria. For instance,
My research focuses on how effective equities stocks are on the US market.
I’ve selected 50 NASDAQ-listed companies for my analysis. The names of these businesses are listed on page 5 of my thesis.
5. What phenomenon were you attempting to comprehend with this study?
In your response, explain your thesis’ central idea. For instance,
We sought to investigate the Theory of Planned Behavior in our study on “Motivation to Volunteer” by examining the behavioural and normative ideas that shape attitudes and subjective norms.
6. Who will be most curious about your study?
You can discuss the people who your research may affect as well as those who may gain something from it. Look at this illustration:
Sociology professors, social media firms, education professionals, and parents of children, in general, may be interested in my sociology thesis on “Impact of social media on youngsters.”
7. Did your research questions change as you conducted them? How, if so?
Qualitative research questions frequently evolve in response to the feedback you could receive from your focus group.
Alternatively, as you conduct laboratory research or general text study, your question may simply alter.
You can inform the evaluation panel of the modification. For instance,
With the installation of trash cans designated for vinyl items, we set out to understand the effects of the new public policy change on the recycling of vinyl waste.
However, after speaking with a few of the target community’s responders, we discovered that the law has no bearing on their actions or beliefs because the locality’s vinyl waste proportion was so low that no special bins needed to be installed.
Our study, which originally focused on the expenses associated with public policy changes, changed as a result of their discontent with the current state of economic insecurity.
8. What holes did your research attempt to fill?
Your research thesis must close any conceptual gaps connected to your subject issue that exist now.
We examined the mineral makeup of hard water to ascertain its effect on the size of the kidney stone since the relationship between hard water and its effect on kidney stone size is not yet evident.
How to Prepare for Questions During Thesis Defense
You need to get started on your thesis defense questions well in advance.
The main goal of your thesis defense is to defend your study, even though the length may vary depending on your institution’s requirements.
As a result, you should follow the procedures below to prepare for your thesis defense questions.
For clarity, read your thesis again.
Your research paper will serve as the basis for your thesis defense questions. Rereading your article is therefore an excellent idea.
You should have a firm grasp of the topics and be aware of your research.
A revision should be the first step in your preparation as it may have been some time after you sent in your work.
Have a plan for your responses and a structure
Create a plan for your response to the panel’s questions.
Keep your responses succinct, but whenever required, provide more specifics about the research.
It’s okay if you don’t know the answer to a question.
The trick is to be able to come up with a response even if you don’t have the knowledge to do so right now.
Having a plan for responding to even the most unexpected questions can be a lifesaver in these circumstances!
For example, if a question is about the content of your research, you can say something like
“I am not sure my research touches on the question you are asking, but my research has led me to Dr X. Based on this evidence, I would have to conclude that…”
The best approach to prepare for this difficult stage in your academic career is to practice answering thesis defense questions in what we called a thesis Pre-defense.
Many Universities in the world always have Pre-defenses before the Final Defense.
For you to have a thesis defense that will beat the imagination of all your professors, you need to read this blog article till the end and you will notice all the secrets of answering thesis defense questions
First of all, You need to have effective tactics for dealing with various question types and explaining why you choose your research topic in addition to having a thorough understanding of your research project.
It’s time to put your years of in-depth study to the test now that you may have previously responded to inquiries about your research interests in your research interest statement and graduate school interview questions.
Below are some of the trickiest thesis defense queries, along with our knowledgeable answers.
Note: Schedule a free strategy call if you’d like our assistance with your applications, interviews, or standardized testing.
Visit our collaborations page if you represent a university, company, or student organization and would want to collaborate with us.
How Should a Thesis Defense Go?
You get the opportunity to showcase your in-depth understanding and subject competence at a thesis defense.
The members of your thesis committee will be able to direct the narrative and hear about your study, but the instructors will push you to demonstrate your command of the material.
Since most of the questions are open-ended, you can demonstrate your knowledge and expertise as well as any potential future plans you may have for your research topic.
Depending on the subject of your research, a thesis defense typically lasts between one and two hours. You start by presenting your area of interest, your research, and your conclusions.
The committee members will quiz you once you’ve completed based on both your oral presentation and your written thesis, which they will have already read.
Finally, the committee may endorse your thesis or make suggestions for improving your paper.
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PhD Thesis Proposal Defense: Common Questions and Feedback
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This past two weeks I attended a number of proposal defense of PhD students at my University. In this post, I discuss the general format of a proposal defense as well as discuss the most common questions asked and feedback given to the students by the external examiners.
Structure of a PhD proposal defense
Outcomes of a phd proposal defense, common questions and feedback for chapter 1 of the proposal, common questions and feedback for chapter 2 of the proposal, common questions and feedback for chapter 3 of the proposal, general feedback, final thoughts, related posts.
A proposal defense has: the student defending his proposal, two external examiners, the student’s supervisors, the audience, and the chair of the defense. The defense is structured as follows:
- The chair opens the session by welcoming and acknowledging the student, his supervisors and the external examiners.
- The chair also outlines how the defense will be undertaken including any rules that should be adhered to.
- The chair then welcomes the PhD student to introduce himself and make a presentation (usually 15 minutes).
- After the presentation by the student, the chair opens the floor to the external examiners to give their comments, ask questions and give feedback to the student on how to improve the proposal.
- The student is then required to respond to the questions asked and comments given.
- The chair then makes his remarks.
- Afterwards, the PhD student, his supervisors and the audience are requested to leave the room to allow the chair and the examiners to make their determination. The student and his supervisors are then called back in and the determination is spelt out to them.
There are about 4 possible outcomes after the student presents and defends his proposal:
- The proposal passes with minor or no corrections.
- The proposal passes with major corrections.
- The student retakes the proposal by re-writing it (may include change of topic) and defending it again.
- The proposal is rejected.
Rarely will a student be asked to re-take or will a proposal be rejected especially if it has been adequately supervised. This is because before the proposal is submitted for oral defense, it must be reviewed and signed by the supervisors.
Below is a list of the common questions and feedback for chapter 1:
- What is your working definition of [concepts]?
- Which sector do you want to focus on?
- From a [country/region] perspective, please explain what is the problem?
- How do you intend to solve the problem you have identified?
- What will your proposed solution comprise of?
- Who are the recipients of your proposed solution?
- What is the primary outcome of the research?
- Your objectives use [concept] while your problem statement talks of [a different concept]. What’s the difference between the two [concepts]?
- In the research objectives, there is an interchange and insertion of different words. Be careful about the concepts you use. There needs to be consistency in the concepts used throughout the proposal.
- What is the knowledge gap? That is, what is known and what is unknown that your study will attempt to address?
- How do you relate [different variables included in the topic]? Is one a precedent of the other?
- Are you investigating or examining? The topic says investigating while the objectives talk of examining.
- The presentation does not discuss [sector of focus], the opportunities that exist, and the challenges it faces. This would give the student a good basis for undertaking the research.
- There is no continuity in the objectives.
- There is no discussion of the study’s contribution to knowledge and practice, which is very important for PhD-level study.
- The background has many concepts that throw off readers on what the focus of the study is.
- The problem statement is not focused.
- What is the placement of the study regionally?
- The objectives are too long and broad; they should be specific.
- What is the underlying hypothesis of your study?
- One of the research questions is biased. The researcher should take a neutral stand.
Below is a list of the common questions and feedback for chapter 2:
- Which theories have inspired your work and who are the proponents of those theories?
- For each theory discussed in your proposal, briefly state what it says and how it informs your study.
- How are the theories related to your study?
- Why did you select those theories and not [other theories]?
- There are no empirical studies reviewed in your proposal.
- Your work must converge with other peoples’ work to be able to show the gap that your study is trying to fill.
- How did the choice of theories help you come up with your study’s concepts and variables?
- How will you measure the variables [in the topic]?
- You have just touched the surface of the empirical review, which should be a substantial section of your literature review.
- It is not clear what the research gap is from the literature review.
- After the empirical review, that’s when you now discuss the conceptual framework.
- The conceptual framework should clearly show the dependent and independent variables and their relationships.
Below is a list of the common questions and feedback for chapter 3:
- Kindly explain what your research philosophy is.
- What will your [quantitative] model comprise of?
- How are you going to verify and validate your [quantitative] model?
- Why is the sampling formula appropriate to your sector and study? Justify the sampling formula used in the proposal.
- Justify the choice of the sampling technique [e.g. purposive sampling].
- Justify your choice of data collection and data analysis methods.
- Are you going to use an inductive approach or a deductive approach to your study?
- There needs to be consistency between your objectives and research philosophy.
- If you have a number of population categories, you need to clearly articulate the sampling techniques for each category.
- The data analysis methods should be clearly articulated.
- The ethical considerations of your study should be adequately discussed.
- The data collection instruments should be part of the proposal defense.
- Your choice of research design and methods should be justified.
- What is your unit of analysis?
- Who are your study’s population?
- Will you have different questionnaires for different respondents?
- The data collection tools should have adequate background information questions to enable comparisons across different socio-economic and demographic groups.
- Why are you lagging a variable? Justify the need to lag the variable.
- Justify the choice of the model [e.g. Structural Equation Model].
- Which specific multivariate analysis will you use?
- Which tests are you going to conduct for the model and why? [e.g. normality, multicollinearity tests etc]
- The variables of your study should be defined.
In addition to the chapter-specific questions and feedback given, the students also received feedback on:
- The formatting of their proposals, including the font styles and size allowed, the numbering of the documents,
- The inclusion of front pages such as cover page, declaration, abstract, table of contents,
- The inclusion of back pages such as reference list and appendices which should include letter of introduction, consent letter for study respondents, data collection instruments, and work plan (Gantt chart) for the study.
- The style of referencing recommended by the School e.g. APA, which should be consistent throughout the proposal. The proposal defense should also include some of the citations so as to give it an authoritative feel.
From my observations during the four proposal defenses I attended, a proposal defense is an opportunity for the PhD student to defend his work and to convince the interviewing panel that the student knows what he is doing and what is required of him moving forward. Most of the panellists will do their best to make the student feel comfortable rather than intimidate him so PhD students should not panic when preparing to defend their proposals.
Of importance is adequate preparation before the defense and making sure that the proposal and presentation follow the guidelines provided by the School. Lastly, PhD students should keep in mind that the aim of the proposal defense is to help improve upon the student’s proposal and ensure that the research will meet the scientific rigour and standards of a PhD-level work.
How To Write Chapter 1 Of A PhD Thesis Proposal (A Practical Guide)
How To Write Chapter 2 Of A PhD Thesis Proposal (A Beginner’s Guide)
How To Write Chapter 3 Of A PhD Thesis Proposal (A Detailed Guide)
How To Format A PhD Thesis In Microsoft Word (An Illustrative Guide)
Comprehensive Guidelines for Writing a PhD Thesis Proposal (+ free checklist for PhD Students)
Grace Njeri-Otieno
Grace Njeri-Otieno is a Kenyan, a wife, a mom, and currently a PhD student, among many other balls she juggles. She holds a Bachelors' and Masters' degrees in Economics and has more than 7 years' experience with an INGO. She was inspired to start this site so as to share the lessons learned throughout her PhD journey with other PhD students. Her vision for this site is "to become a go-to resource center for PhD students in all their spheres of learning."
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Preparing For Your Dissertation Defense
13 Key Questions To Expect In The Viva Voce
By: Derek Jansen (MBA) & David Phair (PhD) . Reviewed By: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | June 2021
Preparing for your dissertation or thesis defense (also called a “viva voce”) is a formidable task . All your hard work over the years leads you to this one point, and you’ll need to defend yourself against some of the most experienced researchers you’ve encountered so far.
It’s natural to feel a little nervous.
In this post, we’ll cover some of the most important questions you should be able to answer in your viva voce, whether it’s for a Masters or PhD degree. Naturally, they might not arise in exactly the same form (some may not come up at all), but if you can answer these questions well, it means you’re in a good position to tackle your oral defense.
![dissertation-thesis-defence Dissertation and thesis defense 101](https://gradcoach.com/wp-content/uploads/dissertation-thesis-defence.png)
Viva Voce Prep: 13 Essential Questions
- What is your study about and why did you choose to research this in particular?
- How did your research questions evolve during the research process?
- How did you decide on which sources to include in your literature review?
- How did you design your study and why did you take this approach?
- How generalisable and valid are the findings?
- What were the main shortcomings and limitations created by your research design?
- How did your findings relate to the existing literature?
- What were your key findings in relation to the research questions?
- Were there any findings that surprised you?
- What biases may exist in your research?
- How can your findings be put into practice?
- How has your research contributed to current thinking in the field?
- If you could redo your research, how would you alter your approach?
#1: What is your study about and why did you choose to research this in particular?
This question, a classic party starter, is pretty straightforward.
What the dissertation or thesis committee is assessing here is your ability to clearly articulate your research aims, objectives and research questions in a concise manner. Concise is the keyword here – you need to clearly explain your research topic without rambling on for a half-hour. Don’t feel the need to go into the weeds here – you’ll have many opportunities to unpack the details later on.
In the second half of the question, they’re looking for a brief explanation of the justification of your research. In other words, why was this particular set of research aims, objectives and questions worth addressing? To address this question well in your oral defense, you need to make it clear what gap existed within the research and why that gap was worth filling.
#2: How did your research questions evolve during the research process?
Good research generally follows a long and winding path . It’s seldom a straight line (unless you got really lucky). What they’re assessing here is your ability to follow that path and let the research process unfold.
Specifically, they’ll want to hear about the impact that the literature review process had on you in terms of shaping the research aims, objectives and research questions . For example, you may have started with a certain set of aims, but then as you immersed yourself in the literature, you may have changed direction. Similarly, your initial fieldwork findings may have turned out some unexpected data that drove you to adjust or expand on your initial research questions.
Long story short – a good defense involves clearly describing your research journey , including all the twists and turns. Adjusting your direction based on findings in the literature or the fieldwork shows that you’re responsive , which is essential for high-quality research.
![literature-review-defense You will need to explain the impact of your literature review in the defense](https://gradcoach.com/wp-content/uploads/literature-review-defense.png)
#3: How did you decide on which sources to include in your literature review?
A comprehensive literature review is the foundation of any high-quality piece of research. With this question, your dissertation or thesis committee are trying to assess which quality criteria and approach you used to select the sources for your literature review.
Typically, good research draws on both the seminal work in the respective field and more recent sources . In other words, a combination of the older landmark studies and pivotal work, along with up-to-date sources that build on to those older studies. This combination ensures that the study has a rock-solid foundation but is not out of date.
So, make sure that your study draws on a mix of both the “classics” and new kids on the block, and take note of any major evolutions in the literature that you can use as an example when asked this question in your viva voce.
#4: How did you design your study and why did you take this approach?
This is a classic methodological question that you can almost certainly expect in some or other shape.
What they’re looking for here is a clear articulation of the research design and methodology, as well as a strong justification of each choice . So, you need to be able to walk through each methodological choice and clearly explain both what you did and why you did it. The why is particularly important – you need to be able to justify each choice you made by clearly linking your design back to your research aims, objectives and research questions, while also taking into account practical constraints.
To ensure you cover every base, check out our research methodology vlog post , as well as our post covering the Research Onion .
![justify You have to justify every choice in your dissertation defence](https://gradcoach.com/wp-content/uploads/justify.png)
#5: How generalizable and valid are the findings?
This question is aimed at specifically digging into your understanding of the sample and how that relates to the population, as well as potential validity issues in your methodology.
To answer question this well, you’ll need to critically assess your sample and findings and consider if they truly apply to the entire population, as well as whether they assessed what they set out to. Note that there are two components here – generalizability and validity . Generalizability is about how well the sample represents the population. Validity is about how accurately you’ve measured what you intended to measure .
To ace this part of your dissertation defense, make sure that you’re very familiar with the concepts of generalizability , validity and reliability , and how these apply to your research. Remember, you don’t need to achieve perfection – you just need to be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of your research (and how the weaknesses could be improved upon).
Need a helping hand?
#6: What were the main shortcomings and limitations created by your research design?
This question picks up where the last one left off.
As I mentioned, it’s perfectly natural that your research will have shortcomings and limitations as a result of your chosen design and methodology. No piece of research is flawless. Therefore, a good dissertation defense is not about arguing that your work is perfect, but rather it’s about clearly articulating the strengths and weaknesses of your approach.
To address this question well, you need to think critically about all of the potential weaknesses your design may have, as well as potential responses to these (which could be adopted in future research) to ensure you’re well prepared for this question. For a list of common methodological limitations, check out our video about research limitations here .
#7: How did your findings relate to the existing literature?
This common dissertation defense question links directly to your discussion chapter , where you would have presented and discussed the findings in relation to your literature review.
What your dissertation or thesis committee is assessing here is your ability to compare your study’s findings to the findings of existing research . Specifically, you need to discuss which findings aligned with existing research and which findings did not. For those findings that contrasted against existing research, you should also explain what you believe to be the reasons for this.
As with many questions in a viva voce, it’s both the what and the why that matter here. So, you need to think deeply about what the underlying reasons may be for both the similarities and differences between your findings and those of similar studies.
![compare-findings Your dissertation defense needs to compare findings](https://gradcoach.com/wp-content/uploads/compare-findings.png)
#8: What were your key findings in relation to the research questions?
This question is similar to the last one in that it too focuses on your research findings. However, here the focus is specifically on the findings that directly relate to your research questions (as opposed to findings in general).
So, a good way to prepare for this question is to step back and revisit your research questions . Ask yourself the following:
- What exactly were you asking in those questions, and what did your research uncover concerning them?
- Which questions were well answered by your study and which ones were lacking?
- Why were they lacking and what more could be done to address this in future research?
Conquering this part dissertation defense requires that you focus squarely on the research questions. Your study will have provided many findings (hopefully!), and not all of these will link directly to the research questions. Therefore, you need to clear your mind of all of the fascinating side paths your study may have lead you down and regain a clear focus on the research questions .
#9: Were there any findings that surprised you?
This question is two-pronged.
First, you should discuss the surprising findings that were directly related to the original research questions . Going into your research, you likely had some expectations in terms of what you would find, so this is your opportunity to discuss the outcomes that emerged as contrary to what you initially expected. You’ll also want to think about what the reasons for these contrasts may be.
Second, you should discuss the findings that weren’t directly related to the research questions, but that emerged from the data set . You may have a few or you may have none – although generally there are a handful of interesting musings that you can glean from the data set. Again, make sure you can articulate why you find these interesting and what it means for future research in the area.
What the committee is looking for in this type of question is your ability to interpret the findings holistically and comprehensively , and to respond to unexpected data. So, take the time to zoom out and reflect on your findings thoroughly.
![findings-discussion Discuss the findings in your defense](https://gradcoach.com/wp-content/uploads/findings-discussion.png)
#10: What biases may exist in your research?
Biases… we all have them.
For this question, you’ll need to think about potential biases in your research , in the data itself but also in your interpretation of the data. With this question, your committee is assessing whether you have considered your own potential biases and the biases inherent in your analysis approach (i.e. your methodology). So, think carefully about these research biases and be ready to explain how these may exist in your study.
In an oral defense, this question is often followed up with a question on how the biases were mitigated or could be mitigated in future research. So, give some thought not just to what biases may exist, but also the mitigation measures (in your own study and for future research).
#11: How can your findings be put into practice?
Another classic question in the typical viva voce.
With this question, your committee is assessing your ability to bring your findings back down to earth and demonstrate their practical value and application. Importantly, this question is not about the contribution to academia or the overall field of research (we’ll get to that next) – it is specifically asking about how this newly created knowledge can be used in the real world.
Naturally, the actionability of your findings will vary depending on the nature of your research topic. Some studies will produce many action points and some won’t. If you’re researching marketing strategies within an industry, for example, you should be able to make some very specific recommendations for marketing practitioners in that industry.
To help you flesh out points for this question, look back at your original justification for the research (i.e. in your introduction and literature review chapters). What were the driving forces that led you to research your specific topic? That justification should help you identify ways in which your findings can be put into practice.
#12: How has your research contributed to current thinking in the field?
While the previous question was aimed at practical contribution, this question is aimed at theoretical contribution . In other words, what is the significance of your study within the current body of research? How does it fit into the existing research and what does it add to it?
This question is often asked by a field specialist and is used to assess whether you’re able to place your findings into the research field to critically convey what your research contributed. This argument needs to be well justified – in other words, you can’t just discuss what your research contributed, you need to also back each proposition up with a strong why .
To answer this question well, you need to humbly consider the quality and impact of your work and to be realistic in your response. You don’t want to come across as arrogant (“my work is groundbreaking”), nor do you want to undersell the impact of your work. So, it’s important to strike the right balance between realistic and pessimistic .
This question also opens the door to questions about potential future research . So, think about what future research opportunities your study has created and which of these you feel are of the highest priority.
![contribution-realism Discuss your contribution in your thesis defence](https://gradcoach.com/wp-content/uploads/contribution-realism.png)
#13: If you could redo your research, how would you alter your approach?
This question is often used to wrap up a viva voce as it brings the discussion full circle.
Here, your committee is again assessing your ability to clearly identify and articulate the limitations and shortcomings of your research, both in terms of research design and topic focus . Perhaps, in hindsight, it would have been better to use a different analysis method or data set. Perhaps the research questions should have leaned in a slightly different direction. And so on.
This question intends to assess whether you’re able to look at your work critically , assess where the weaknesses are and make recommendations for the future . This question often sets apart those who did the research purely because it was required, from those that genuinely engaged with their research. So, don’t hold back here – reflect on your entire research journey ask yourself how you’d do things differently if you were starting with a blank canvas today.
Recap: The 13 Key Dissertation Defense Questions
To recap, here are the 13 questions you need to be ready for to ace your dissertation or thesis oral defense:
As I mentioned, this list of dissertation defense questions is certainly not exhaustive – don’t assume that we’ve covered every possible question here. However, these questions are quite likely to come up in some shape or form in a typical dissertation or thesis defense, whether it’s for a Master’s degree, PhD or any other research degree. So, you should take the time to make sure you can answer them well.
If you need assistance preparing for your dissertation defense or viva voce, get in touch with us to discuss 1-on-1 coaching. We can critically review your research and identify potential issues and responses, as well as undertake a mock oral defense to prepare you for the pressures and stresses on the day.
![title= what are the possible questions in research defense chapter 3](https://gradcoach.com/wp-content/uploads/course.png)
Psst... there’s more!
This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...
14 Comments
Very interesting
Interesting. I appreciate!
Really appreciating
My field is International Trade
Interesting
This is a full course on defence. I was fabulously enlightened and I gained enough confidence for my upcoming Masters Defence.
There are many lessons to learn and the simplicity in presentationmakes thee reader say “YesI can”
This is so helping… it has Enlightened me on how to answer specific questions. I pray to make it through for my upcoming defense
Lovely to hear that 🙂
Really educative and beneficial
Interesting. On-point and elaborate. And comforting too! Thanks.
Thank you very much for the enlightening me, be blessed
Thankyou so much. I am planning to defend my thesis soon and I found this very useful
Very interesting and useful to all masters and PhD students
Wow! this is enlightening. Thanks for the great work.
Thank you very much ,it will help me My Master Degree. and am comfortable to my defense.
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Dissertation Defense
- Dissertation Defense: Home
- Preparing for the Defense
Consider These Example Defense Questions
- Student Experience Feedback Buttons
- Attending a Defense
- Sample Defenses
- Zoom Resources
- Dissertation Publishing in ProQuest
- School of Education Educator Dispositions
- What do you see as the main contributions of your research for your discipline, practitioners, and/or policy makers?
- In what ways, if at all, does your study contribute to the existing literature and/or prior research in the field? In what ways does it extend the literature? Contradict the literature? Fill gaps in the literature? Clarify contradictions in the literature?
- In planning and conducting this study, which major theorists influenced your thinking?
- What are the conflicting issues in your field (every field has conflicts—hence, the research problem), and what contributed most to your understanding of these issues?
- In what ways do you expect that your work will clarify the conflicting issues in your field?
- What motivated you to conduct this study? In other words, what brought you to explore this particular topic?
- What new learning about qualitative research have you come away with as a result of conducting this study?
- What, if any, are the unanticipated outcomes of your study? What surprises have you come away with?
- What new learning about yourself have you come away with having conducted this study? What additional insights has the dissertation experience afforded you?
- What were the high and/or low points for you in the dissertation experience?
- If you were to redo this study, how might you conduct this study differently? How might you change your research methodology? Why?
- How could you build on or extend this research in the future?
- What are the major strengths and/or limitations of your research design/methodology?
- What might further strengthen this study?
- Why did you analyze the data in the way that you did? How might you have analyzed your data differently?
- What suggestions might you offer somebody about to conduct a study of this nature?
- How did you arrive at your conceptual framework?
- What are the theoretical components of your framework?
- What informed your conceptual framework?
- How did you decide upon the components that you include in your conceptual framework?
- How did the components of your conceptual framework assist you in visualizing and explaining what you intended to investigate?
- How did you use your conceptual framework to design your research and analyze your findings?
Bloomberg, L. D and Volpe, M: Completing your qualitative dissertation: A Roadmap from Beginning to End (Sage 2016).
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How to prepare an excellent thesis defense
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What is a thesis defense?
How long is a thesis defense, what happens at a thesis defense, your presentation, questions from the committee, 6 tips to help you prepare for your thesis defense, 1. anticipate questions and prepare for them, 2. dress for success, 3. ask for help, as needed, 4. have a backup plan, 5. prepare for the possibility that you might not know an answer, 6. de-stress before, during, and after, frequently asked questions about preparing an excellent thesis defense, related articles.
If you're about to complete, or have ever completed a graduate degree, you have most likely come across the term "thesis defense." In many countries, to finish a graduate degree, you have to write a thesis .
A thesis is a large paper, or multi-chapter work, based on a topic relating to your field of study.
Once you hand in your thesis, you will be assigned a date to defend your work. Your thesis defense meeting usually consists of you and a committee of two or more professors working in your program. It may also include other people, like professionals from other colleges or those who are working in your field.
During your thesis defense, you will be asked questions about your work. The main purpose of your thesis defense is for the committee to make sure that you actually understand your field and focus area.
The questions are usually open-ended and require the student to think critically about their work. By the time of your thesis defense, your paper has already been evaluated. The questions asked are not designed so that you actually have to aggressively "defend" your work; often, your thesis defense is more of a formality required so that you can get your degree.
- Check with your department about requirements and timing.
- Re-read your thesis.
- Anticipate questions and prepare for them.
- Create a back-up plan to deal with technology hiccups.
- Plan de-stressing activities both before, and after, your defense.
How long your oral thesis defense is depends largely on the institution and requirements of your degree. It is best to consult your department or institution about this. In general, a thesis defense may take only 20 minutes, but it may also take two hours or more. The length also depends on how much time is allocated to the presentation and questioning part.
Tip: Check with your department or institution as soon as possible to determine the approved length for a thesis defense.
First of all, be aware that a thesis defense varies from country to country. This is just a general overview, but a thesis defense can take many different formats. Some are closed, others are public defenses. Some take place with two committee members, some with more examiners.
The same goes for the length of your thesis defense, as mentioned above. The most important first step for you is to clarify with your department what the structure of your thesis defense will look like. In general, your thesis defense will include:
- your presentation of around 20-30 minutes
- questions from the committee
- questions from the audience (if the defense is public and the department allows it)
You might have to give a presentation, often with Powerpoint, Google slides, or Keynote slides. Make sure to prepare an appropriate amount of slides. A general rule is to use about 10 slides for a 20-minute presentation.
But that also depends on your specific topic and the way you present. The good news is that there will be plenty of time ahead of your thesis defense to prepare your slides and practice your presentation alone and in front of friends or family.
Tip: Practice delivering your thesis presentation in front of family, friends, or colleagues.
You can prepare your slides by using information from your thesis' first chapter (the overview of your thesis) as a framework or outline. Substantive information in your thesis should correspond with your slides.
Make sure your slides are of good quality— both in terms of the integrity of the information and the appearance. If you need more help with how to prepare your presentation slides, both the ASQ Higher Education Brief and James Hayton have good guidelines on the topic.
The committee will ask questions about your work after you finish your presentation. The questions will most likely be about the core content of your thesis, such as what you learned from the study you conducted. They may also ask you to summarize certain findings and to discuss how your work will contribute to the existing body of knowledge.
Tip: Read your entire thesis in preparation of the questions, so you have a refreshed perspective on your work.
While you are preparing, you can create a list of possible questions and try to answer them. You can foresee many of the questions you will get by simply spending some time rereading your thesis.
Here are a few tips on how to prepare for your thesis defense:
You can absolutely prepare for most of the questions you will be asked. Read through your thesis and while you're reading it, create a list of possible questions. In addition, since you will know who will be on the committee, look at the academic expertise of the committee members. In what areas would they most likely be focused?
If possible, sit at other thesis defenses with these committee members to get a feel for how they ask and what they ask. As a graduate student, you should generally be adept at anticipating test questions, so use this advantage to gather as much information as possible before your thesis defense meeting.
Your thesis defense is a formal event, often the entire department or university is invited to participate. It signals a critical rite of passage for graduate students and faculty who have supported them throughout a long and challenging process.
While most universities don't have specific rules on how to dress for that event, do regard it with dignity and respect. This one might be a no-brainer, but know that you should dress as if you were on a job interview or delivering a paper at a conference.
It might help you deal with your stress before your thesis defense to entrust someone with the smaller but important responsibilities of your defense well ahead of schedule. This trusted person could be responsible for:
- preparing the room of the day of defense
- setting up equipment for the presentation
- preparing and distributing handouts
Technology is unpredictable. Life is too. There are no guarantees that your Powerpoint presentation will work at all or look the way it is supposed to on the big screen. We've all been there. Make sure to have a plan B for these situations. Handouts can help when technology fails, and an additional clean shirt can save the day if you have a spill.
One of the scariest aspects of the defense is the possibility of being asked a question you can't answer. While you can prepare for some questions, you can never know exactly what the committee will ask.
There will always be gaps in your knowledge. But your thesis defense is not about being perfect and knowing everything, it's about how you deal with challenging situations. You are not expected to know everything.
James Hayton writes on his blog that examiners will sometimes even ask questions they don't know the answer to, out of curiosity, or because they want to see how you think. While it is ok sometimes to just say "I don't know", he advises to try something like "I don't know, but I would think [...] because of x and y, but you would need to do [...] in order to find out.” This shows that you have the ability to think as an academic.
You will be nervous. But your examiners will expect you to be nervous. Being well prepared can help minimize your stress, but do know that your examiners have seen this many times before and are willing to help, by repeating questions, for example. Dora Farkas at finishyourthesis.com notes that it’s a myth that thesis committees are out to get you.
Two common symptoms of being nervous are talking really fast and nervous laughs. Try to slow yourself down and take a deep breath. Remember what feels like hours to you are just a few seconds in real life.
- Try meditational breathing right before your defense.
- Get plenty of exercise and sleep in the weeks prior to your defense.
- Have your clothes or other items you need ready to go the night before.
- During your defense, allow yourself to process each question before answering.
- Go to dinner with friends and family, or to a fun activity like mini-golf, after your defense.
Allow yourself to process each question, respond to it, and stop talking once you have responded. While a smile can often help dissolve a difficult situation, remember that nervous laughs can be irritating for your audience.
We all make mistakes and your thesis defense will not be perfect. However, careful preparation, mindfulness, and confidence can help you feel less stressful both before, and during, your defense.
Finally, consider planning something fun that you can look forward to after your defense.
It is completely normal to be nervous. Being well prepared can help minimize your stress, but do know that your examiners have seen this many times before and are willing to help, by repeating questions for example if needed. Slow yourself down, and take a deep breath.
Your thesis defense is not about being perfect and knowing everything, it's about how you deal with challenging situations. James Hayton writes on his blog that it is ok sometimes to just say "I don't know", but he advises to try something like "I don't know, but I would think [...] because of x and y, you would need to do [...] in order to find out".
Your Powerpoint presentation can get stuck or not look the way it is supposed to do on the big screen. It can happen and your supervisors know it. In general, handouts can always save the day when technology fails.
- Dress for success.
- Ask for help setting up.
- Have a backup plan (in case technology fails you).
- Deal with your nerves.
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Possible questions you could ask are: What were your impressions when reading my thesis? Do you believe I missed any important steps or details when conducting my work? Where do you see this work going in the future? Bonus tip: What if you get asked a question to which you don't know the answer?
5. What are the possible questions for a defense? You will get questions related to what you have mentioned in your research paper. The most common starting questions are “what is your research about?" and “what was your motivation behind choosing this topic?”
Question 3: What are the key findings of your research? Addressing the question of your research’s key findings demands skill, as it necessitates succinctly summarizing your work while conveying its significance. To effectively respond, distill your findings into digestible takeaways that encapsulate the essence of your research.
Do you have the ability to briefly describe the purpose of your study to us? Right, the query is straightforward. Most students choke on a topic like this, as many professors will attest to. In any case, the question is simple but a little complicated.
Important research questions during the study. Ch 1 Ch2 Ch3 Ch4 Ch5. They could ask you to explain/justify any statement in the thesis. Nu. Questions. Ch. 1. In few sentences, can you tell us...
Common questions and feedback for chapter 3 of the proposal. Below is a list of the common questions and feedback for chapter 3: Kindly explain what your research philosophy is. What will your [quantitative] model comprise of? How are you going to verify and validate your [quantitative] model?
The why is particularly important – you need to be able to justify each choice you made by clearly linking your design back to your research aims, objectives and research questions, while also taking into account practical constraints.
Consider These Example Defense Questions. What do you see as the main contributions of your research for your discipline, practitioners, and/or policy makers? In what ways, if at all, does your study contribute to the existing literature and/or prior research in the field? In what ways does it extend the literature?
Here are a few tips on how to prepare for your thesis defense: 1. Anticipate questions and prepare for them. You can absolutely prepare for most of the questions you will be asked. Read through your thesis and while you're reading it, create a list of possible questions.
Regardless of the subject, examiners will ask some typical defense questions. In this article, we will discuss 20 such common defense questions you need to prepare for.