Understanding the process and

outcomes of the viva

 Three horror stories by graduate
students

• Research project
• Supervisor/co-supervisors
• External and/or internal examiners
 What is a viva?

• The oral part of the examination

 Why hold a viva?
• To examine the academic content and scholastic level
of thesis
• To provide candidates with the opportunity to defend
the thesis
• To explore and explain the design, methodology and
outcome of the research
• To discuss the research
• To provide evidence to help the examiners arrive at a
judgement about the defence of the thesis
• To enable the examiners to make a recommendation to
the university about the thesis
 Preparation before viva
• Practise your presentation
• Know where the venue is ( if possible, visit the viva room)
• Decide where to wait
• Make sure that you are well-rested and eat appropriately
• Wear comfortable clothes that make you look smart
• Do not let stress drive you
• Sit quietly and reflect
• Make sure you know your work- conceptual framework, how each part fits
together and what you have achieved
• Bring a copy of your thesis (tag key chapters), pen, writing paper and a
summary sheet of main points
• Be relaxed but alert
• Remember you would not have come this far if your work was not
passable or interesting
• Avoid negative people on the day(s) before the viva
 Guide to examiner’s report
• Thesis topic (title)
• Abstract
• Research problems and objectives
• Scope and relevance
• Literature review
• Methodology
• Analysis and interpretation of data
• Presentation of thesis
• References
• Accomplishments and/or merits
• Demerits
• Recommendation
 Examiners report
1. Thesis topic/title
• Grammatically correct
• Contains keywords found in abstract and reflects the actual
research issues
2. Abstract
• Accurate – brief statement of problem or objectives, concise
description of methods and design, summary of major
findings, brief conclusion
3. Research problem/objectives
• Determine whether the background to the research issues is
well discussed, the research problem is well-defined and the
hypotheses addresses the problem, objectives are clearly
stated and met by methods/design and findings
 Examiners report (contd.)
4) Scope and Relevance
• Determine whether the study is appropriate for the degree, field
of study, research issues, practicability of research problems and
research objectives
5) Literature Review
• Relevant to the research issues, comprehensive, well-reviewed,
summarised, organised
• Proportionate to the rest of the thesis
6) Methodology
• Strengths and weakness of data, research design/methods
suitable, clearly described, appropriate statistical method used
7) Analysis and interpretation of results
• Results are in agreement with objectives
• Interpretation of finding logical/acceptable
• Analysis of data correct
• Findings are discussed with appropriate references
 Examiners report (contd.)
8) Presentation
• Sequence of chapters able to facilitate the understanding of research
issues
• Tables and figures are properly labeled and clear
9) References/bibliography
• Current, extensive and correct format
• Missing references or wrong citations
10) Accomplishments and/or merits
• Indicate that findings are clearly identified and discussed
• Findings contributed to new knowledge and has application
• Other accomplishments
11) Demerits
• Main weakness of research
• Author has addressed the impact of the study
• Others (eg. language, relevance, content)
12. Recommendation
 What happens at the viva
session?
• Before candidate enters the room, the chairperson of the
examination committee will invite the examiners to comment on
the thesis in terms of knowledge and competency
• A discussion on the comments made in the reports will follow
• A note will be made where clarification is required
• Candidate invited to present (not more than 20 mins)
• Q & A session
• Candidate leaves the room
• Examination committee discusses the presentation and
thesis, make a conclusion and recommendation
• Candidate is re-invited back to the room
• Result is announced
• Candidate is informed of amendments required ( where
appropriate)
 Generic questions
• How did you come about choosing this research area?
• Explain the main theories or approaches to the project
• In retrospect, were there other theories you could have
considered?
• What methodologies did you select and why?
• In retrospect, were there other methodologies you could have
considered?
• Were there any particularly problematic moments that were
difficult? How did you overcome them?
• What were the main findings?
• How did these findings relate to previous work?
• What are the implications/significance of your finding?
• Are you going to take this work further?
 Do’s and don’ts during the viva
• Answer questions clearly and concisely
• Be able to refer to the thesis; do not fumble through the
thesis (use tags to mark key chapters)
• Use eye contact
• Ask for clarification if you do not understand the question
• Relate to and answer the questions
• If problems are pointed out, think carefully; agree or provide
your point of view (indicate issues that are beyond the scope
of the thesis)
• Talk as an intellectual
 How to fail a viva
• One word or irrelevant answers
• Showing reluctance to engage in discussion
• Showing disrespect to the examiners
• Getting angry
• Getting defensive
• Asking examiners questions
• Showing examiners that you do not know your
work; confused
• Not understanding the questions
 Guide to the outcome of the viva

1) PASS Re-examination or resubmission

• Accepted with Distinction • 2) Oral re-examination
• Accepted with Minor • 3) Re-submission of thesis
Modification • 4) Resubmission of PhD
• Accepted with Major thesis as a Masters thesis
Modifications

5) FAIL
 Pass
• Have satisfied the examiners on academic knowledge and competency
• Accepted with distinction – when all or most of research findings have
either been published or accepted for publication in citation-indexed
journal and requires minimal improvement in spelling, grammar and
syntax
• Accepted with minor modifications – any of the following: reformatting of
chapters, revision of literature, improvement in declaring research
objectives or statements, insertion of missing references, amendments of
inaccurately cited references, improvements in spelling, grammar and
syntax (given 60 days after date of viva to submit the thesis to SGS)
• Accepted with major modications – extensive revision of entire thesis to
improve quality such as description of methodology, statistical analysis of
data, removal of research chapters(s) , rediscussion of results and
improvements of spelling, grammar and syntax (60 days with a provision
for an extension to 60 days or more)
 Oral re-examination
• Examination committee are not satisfied with
thesis defence or competency in the field of
study
• Oral re-examination should be held within 60
dyas after the date of first viva
 Re-submission of thesis
• When thesis does not meet the scope of the degree
• Objectives of research were not met
• Obvious flaws in experimental design and/or
methodology
• Additional experimental work or data collection is
required
• Resubmission within the period of not more than two
semester or one year
• Student must continue to be registered student
• Student must comply to submission procedure
• Resubmission is permitted once only
 Resubmission of a PhD thesis as a
Masters thesis
• If thesis does not meet the scope of a doctoral
thesis but is adequate for a Masters thesis
• Amendments recommended by thesis
examination committee must be made and
resubmitted within 60 days of viva
 Fail
• A student is considered to have failed the
examination if the thesis fails to meet the
requirements of PhD or Masters academic
level or found to have plagiarised
 Dealing with corrections
• Work with your supervisor
• Plan a work agenda
• Make sure that corrections are made in a
timely manner
• Agree on a work agenda and timing
 Life after the viva and final
submission of thesis
• Celebrate

• Find employment

Continue the supervisor-colleague academic relationship

 Relationship with supervisor

• Important and INTENSE professionally

• Good relationship will have a happy ending
• Choose your supervisor carefully, need to assess what
you would like from supervisor and arrange things that
will suit both parties
• Some supervisors are more critical, more
demanding, provide less emotional or technical
support
• No perfect match, ask yourself what you are willing to
deal with
• You are ultimately responsible for your work
 Why do people become
supervisors?
• To fulfill performance indicator?
• Direct order from Head of Dept?
• Feeling of duty?
• Love of working with students?
• Self-interest (to further their career)?

Supervisors have other duties and problems such as lecturing, committees,

meetings on curriculum, exams, academic advisors, ISO, administrative duties,
write grants and fill in reports, frustration with bureaucracy,
financial stress due to lack of research funding and infrastructure support, etc
 To make the relationship work
• Have regular meetings with an agenda
• Agree on meeting time, tasks and milestones
• Keep supervisor informed on status of your work
• Inform supervisor of interesting literature ; intellectual
exchange result in synergy
• Voice your concern about the research
• Inform supervisor of feedback from your presentations
• Inform supervisor of your change in personal circumstances
• Be honest, articulate, informative, respectful
• Don’t hide, ignore, gossip, denigrate, by-pass supervisor
• Don’t mix business and personal issues
• Don’t assume (in doubt always ask)
 When things go wrong
• Non-communication
• Harassment

• Intellectual property issues –

obstruction, theft of work

Seek assistance such as co-

supervisors, third party who can
moderate
(faculty postgraduate co-ordinator or
Deputy Dean)
• Thank you