ppt presentation for phd viva

How to structure your viva presentation (with examples)

Most PhD vivas and PhD defences start with a short presentation by the candidate. The structure of these presentations is very important! There are several factors and approaches to consider when developing your viva presentation structure.

Factors to consider when developing a viva presentation structure

Structuring your viva presentation traditionally, structuring your viva presentation around key findings, structuring your viva presentation around key arguments, structuring your viva presentation around case studies, final thoughts on viva presentation structures.

A PhD viva or PhD defence is often one of the last steps that PhD students have to pass before receiving a doctorate. The viva or defence usually starts with a short presentation of the PhD candidate on the PhD thesis.

Presenting a whole PhD in a short amount of time is very challenging. After all, a PhD is often the result of several years of work!

It is simply impossible to include everything in a viva presentation.

Therefore, tough choices have to be made in terms of what to include, what to highlight, and what to exclude.

The structure of a viva presentation plays a crucial role in bringing across the key messages of your PhD.

Therefore, there are several factors to consider when developing a viva presentation structure:

• Available presentation time : Viva presentations usually last between 10 and 20 minutes, but every university has different regulations. Developing a structure for a viva presentation that lasts 10 minutes is different from developing one for a presentation that lasts 20 minutes or more. Thus, find out how much time you are allowed to present!
• The key contribution of your thesis: The structure of a viva presentation should reflect the content and key messages of the PhD thesis. For instance, if you have written a very theoretical PhD thesis, it makes no sense to structure your whole presentation around your data collection and analysis. Make sure that the viva presentation structure is in line with your main messages.
• University standards: It is recommended to discuss your ideas and plans for your viva presentation structure with others, as each university may have may be different (and even unspoken) rules and standards. Ask your supervisors about their preferred viva presentation structure. And talk to your peers who defend their theses before you.
• Clear storyline : Every presentation should have a logical structure which allows the audience to follow a crystal-clear storyline. This is also true for viva presentations. Thus, clarify your storyline and develop a presentation structure that supports it.

A very traditional viva presentation structure simply follows the structure of the PhD thesis.

This means that the viva presentation covers all parts of the thesis, including an introduction, the literature review, the methodology, results, conclusions, etcetera.

The advantage of this rather traditional format is that it provides information on each thesis chapter. Furthermore, it is relatively easy to prepare.

The disadvantage of this traditional format is that it is very challenging to fit all the information in a – let’s say – 10-minute presentation.

Furthermore, it can result in a presentation that is quite boring for the examiners, who have read the thesis in preparation for the viva.

One interesting way is to structure a viva presentation around the key findings of the PhD research.

For instance, you can select your three main findings which you each connect to the existing literature, your unique research approach and your (new) empirical insights.

A viva presentation structure around key findings emphasises the unique contribution of a PhD thesis, particularly in empirical terms.

A challenge of this structure, however, is to narrow down the presentation to a handful of key findings.

Furthermore, it might be tricky to find enough time during the presentation to discuss your theoretical framework and embed your discussion in the existing literature when addressing complex issues.

A viva presentation structured around key arguments is very similar to one that is structured around key findings. However, while key findings place more emphasis on the empirical data, key arguments operate at a higher level:

Arguments are sets of reasons supporting an idea, which – in academia – often integrate theoretical and empirical insights.

So, for example, your key argument 1 is your stance on an issue, combining your theoretical and empirical understanding of it. You use the existing theory to understand your empirical data, and your empirical data analysis to develop your theoretical understanding.

A viva presentation structure around key arguments is probably the most difficult viva presentation structure to choose.

However, if it is well done, it is probably the most academically strong and advanced way of defending your PhD.

Another common way to structure a viva presentation is around case studies or study contexts.

This structure is only applicable when the PhD thesis includes a comparative (case study) analysis, which is quite common in the social sciences and humanities.

A presentation can, for instance, first discuss the theoretical framework and research approach, then present Case 1, and then Case 2 or more if applicable.

A viva presentation structure around case studies can be easy to follow for the audience, and shed light on the similarities and differences of cases.

However, as always, you need to reflect on whether the structure supports your key message. If your key message does not centre around similarities and/or differences in cases, this is not the structure for you!

Every PhD thesis is unique, and therefore also every viva presentation structure should be unique.

The key to a good viva presentation is to choose a structure which reflects the key points of your PhD thesis that you want to convey to the examiners.

The example viva presentation structures discussed here intend to showcase variety and possibilities and to provide inspiration.

Never just copy a viva presentation structure that worked for others .

Always think about what fits best to your thesis, asking yourself the following questions:

• What is the main message of my PhD that I want to share during my viva?
• How do I develop a crystal clear storyline to bring this main message across?
• How can I structure my viva presentation to support and facilitate this storyline?

Master Academia

Get new content delivered directly to your inbox.

Subscribe and receive Master Academia's quarterly newsletter.

18 common audience questions at academic conferences (+ how to react)

10 reasons to do a master's degree right after graduation, related articles.

How to deal with a desk-rejected paper

Reviewer comments: examples for common peer review decisions

Juggling research and teaching obligations

24 popular academic phrases to write your abstract (+ real examples)

Ace Your Viva Presentation: Tips and Tricks

The thought of an oral presentation can be a huge source of stress and anxiety for many students, while some just blossom in such situations. If you’re one of the former, though, don’t panic. With decent preparation and practice, you too can successfully master your viva presentation.

But first: what is a viva presentation?

Viva voce is a Latin phrase most often translated as “by word of mouth.”  In academic circles, a viva presentation is an oral exam in which you defend your thesis.

After the thesis is defended, it’s discussed by a small panel. Among those present are the examining professors, but there may also be research assistants, members of the relevant department or even fellow students.

The purpose of this defense is to show examiners how knowledgeable you are on your research topic, that you have internalized what you have learned and know how to apply it.  In effect, it shows that you are well prepared to enter into academic discussion.

In principle, the viva presentation won’t make an entire grade’s difference, but it can tip the proverbial scale in your favor. It does offer some major advantages: You can clear up any ambiguities, assuage any doubts your examiners may have, and show that your stand by your research.

Preparation is key

After months or even years of hard work, the thesis is finished, the last formatting mistakes corrected, the bibliography painstakingly checked one last time and hooray, it’s finished! Time to celebrate! And then you get an invitation to the viva …

So, the wine bottle is re-corked and it’s back to the desk. But the good news is: you’ve actually already done most of the preparation. That’s what all the in-depth research you did to create your thesis was. You’re already an expert on your topic, so now you just need to explain it to your examiners clearly and calmly. That’s why it doesn’t make sense to start preparing for your viva before your thesis is finished and you’ve answered all your own questions.

Your supervisor should already know what to expect and the purpose of the viva is to present your results. Some people just hand in their thesis with huge relief and then put the whole thing out of their mind for a while.

This isn’t necessarily a problem but when the viva presentation is due, you really need to give yourself time to familiarize yourself with the topic again. Re-read your thesis a few times to get your results and methods fresh in your mind and you’ve already done much of the prep work for your viva.

Organizational details

You need to check the examination regulations of your institution to find out what will be required of you during your viva presentation. How long should the presentation last? Who will be present? How will the discussion group be structured at the end? Studies have shown that anxiety is significantly lessened if you know exactly what to expect. Don’t ignore these details.

Make sure you have the right power supply for the projector and whether your slide format is compatible with the projector. An article on slide formats and the difference between 4:3 and 16:9 can be found here .

Know how long your presentation should be. This often depends on what type of work you’re presenting. Be sure to keep this in mind as you create your slides.

Also, think about whether or not you want to provide a handout. Even if it isn’t explicitly required, examiners will often use a handout as a guide when asking their questions, allowing you to better control the discussion that follows.

You can find helpful tips on handouts here .

Lastly, think about what you’re going to wear for your viva presentation. If you’re not sure, take a cue from your examiners. If they wear a suit or dress to other viva presentations, it’s safe to assume that the dress code for your viva will be on the formal side. It’s important to look neat and tidy, but you should also feel comfortable. The wrong shoes or clothing that is too tight can negatively impact the way you present. You can find more helpful tips on clothing here .

Technical details

The most popular tool for giving a viva presentation is PowerPoint. On the day of your presentation, get there early to make sure your devices are working. It also helps to be familiar with PowerPoint’s features, such as Presenter View. This fantastic tool will help you stay on track during your viva presentation. For more information on Presenter View, click here .

In general, the rule for viva presentations is: Keep It Simple . This is a defense of your academic research and your slides should express that. Keep it classic and factual. Use a uniform font and a neutral, preferably white, background. You can use backgrounds from PresentationLoad:

In principle, you should use as little text and as few key points as possible, but it’s also essential to document your research accurately. Room for interpretation can be very dangerous here.

Naturally, it depends on the preferences of the examiners, but a little more text than in normal presentations is definitely allowed. If the nature of your work allows, graphics, photos or flowcharts are a good way to offer some variety and to clearly present complex issues.

How to structure a successful viva presentation

Like your thesis, your viva PowerPoint presentation should follow a certain structure. It is advisable to follow the structure of your thesis. After all, you have already given it a lot of thought and made sure that everything is in a logical context.

This way you can save yourself additional work. But remember – the presentation is not about retelling your thesis word for word. Just give the most important and interesting aspects.

Follow these points to create a solid structure for any viva presentation:

1) Relevance

Your thesis dealt in depth with a particular question, a specific aspect of research. In the first part of your viva PowerPoint presentation you introduce it and explain why it is relevant. What is the benefit for academic understanding, the general public, a specific avenue? Why this question in particular?

This allows you to show your audience why you chose your topic and why they should pay attention to what you have to say. All this needs to be supported by a professional introduction. You can find tips on how to do this here .

2) Background

This is where you set out the background of your research question in more detail, i.e. the most important theories and approaches that already exist on the topic, or which prompted your question. This helps your listeners prepare for any complex interrelationships, and clarifies the basis on which you have built your work.

In this part you set out how you approached your work. Was your research qualitative or quantitative? Did you conduct interviews, analyze data, evaluate a particular body of literature? This is your chance to show your examiners how carefully you worked and explain why you chose this particular method.

4) Findings

Now to present the results of your research. Were there any surprises? If so, how did you deal with them? Are the results consistent, where did you encounter difficulties, and how did you solve them? Use this section to talk about your research in a transparent and honest way. It’s an opportunity to show that you have dealt with the topic seriously and in depth, rather than just choosing the easiest way.

5) Conclusion

At the end, summarize your work clearly and concisely, and answer the research question posed at the beginning. You can also express your personal opinion as to whether you have achieved the result you expected or whether your research has come to a surprising conclusion.

Finally, you will need a well-rounded conclusion to your viva presentation. You can read tips for the perfect presentation ending here .

Whether you have to present your sources at the end of your viva is something to discuss with your supervisor or read up in the regulations. If in doubt, however, it’s better to be on the safe side with a list of sources.

Viva presentation: example

Since every viva is different, there is no one example of a great PowerPoint viva presentation. In our blog you will find numerous examples of how a well-structured and appealing PowerPoint presentation can look. For example, here . These should serve as a guide; it’s important to adapt the presentation to your personal requirements and your audience.

Make sure your narrative is clear and consistent throughout your presentation (as it was in your thesis).  It might be a good idea to ask your supervisor to show you good viva presentation example from previous years or to give you tips on where you should focus your attention.

General tips for a successful presentation

Almost there! You’ve created and double-checked your PowerPoint viva presentation and you’re feeling confident about your research work. For many people, though, creating the content is the easy bit; it’s the thought of speaking in front of others that terrifies them. It’s just a fact that in order to defend a thesis, you first have to be attacked .

1. Be prepared for critical questions and comments. Think through what possible aspects of your work might attract criticism, and prepare your rebuttals in advance. It helps to let friends or family read your work and ask questions.

2. The same friends and family can be amazingly useful as a practice audience. Deliver your presentation a few times in front of others and in a relaxed environment. This will help you feel more confident when it comes time for your viva presentation. Your trial audience may discover inconsistencies you’d missed, and can often provide valuable feedback on how your slides look, your speaking style or your body language.

3. Body language is very important when you’re giving your presentation; it can affect your persuasiveness. Stand upright (or sit if you need to). A small amount of movement can emphasize your engagement with the subject, but try not to look restless.  Getting your words across means you mustn’t turn your face away from the audience. Small gestures can underline your words, but too much fidgeting will look like nerves. 

Practising giving your presentation will soon get your body language expressing ease and confidence. To learn how to best prepare for a presentation, read our blog article on the right body language

4. Many people tend to speak far too quickly in presentations, probably to get the whole thing over as quickly as possible. While this is understandable, it means the audience misses half your words! Try to breathe calmly and speak evenly.

Time can seem to speed up when you’re in a stressful situation, so speak more slowly than you think right. And taking a proper breath in between phrases will help ground you.  You can find tips on how to prepare your speaking voice for your viva presentation in this blog post .

Your test audience can give you very good feedback here. When you practice your presentation, use a stopwatch to make sure that you stay within the given limits. Once you know that you won’t overrun even when speaking calmly, you can avoid the temptation to rush during the official presentation.

5. Pro tip: Do you have to give your viva presentation online? If so, some things will of course be different, starting with what program you use to stream your presentation. You can find out what options you have in this blog post . Click here to read more about what to pay attention to when giving an online presentation.

While knowing what you want to say is important, DON’T try to learn your entire presentation by heart. Even if you somehow did manage to, it would end up sounding artificial and you could be easily thrown off track if you miss a word or someone interrupts with a question. The best strategy is to memorize a few key points and speak freely.

Take a deep breath before you start and remember that you have no reason to be nervous. Nobody knows your work as well as you do; you’ve done all the research and can consider yourself an expert on your topic.

And if a mistake does happen, here are some tips on how to react to it with confidence.

If the examiners seem receptive to it, a little small talk before you start can help you to relax. And once you start, remember that you’ve practiced hard and are well prepared to give an impressive viva presentation. Good luck!

Any questions about this article or need help creating a viva presentation? Feel free to contact us at [email protected] for tips. We’d love to help.

We’ve already shared a lot of links with tips on how to improve your presentation . Here are some more that may interest you:

• PowerPoint animations
• PowerPoint Morph
• Humor in presentations
• Add images to your presentation with an app
• PowerPoint slide master
• The right presentation background
• How to create flowcharts

Share this post

• share  
• save  

Design Thinking: Problem Solving with a Difference

Why Corporate Mission Statements Are So Important

7 Tips & Learnings from the Apple Keynote

• Interesting
• Scholarships
• UGC-CARE Journals

Tips to Prepare PhD viva-voce Presentation Slides

Best PhD viva ppt slide preparation tips

Preparation of neat PhD viva -voce presentation slides and perfectly presenting them in the given time is very important for a PhD viva-voce examination as it going to give a good impression on both the research scholar and supervisor or mentor by the examiners or moderators.

Before designing the presentation slides, the scholar has to decide what to include and what not to include in the slides. It is always a big deal for a scholar to include all the research findings and data in the presentation that was obtained during the research program (4 to 5 years).

The scholar has to remember that the presentation should include only the major research findings and key contributions as time management is important. Therefore, iLovePhD framed simple and useful tips to prepare PhD viva-voce presentation slides in this article.

General Structure of the PhD Viva-Voce Presentation Slides

• A title slide which includes Title , Supervisor name & affiliation, Scholar name, Date, and Venue
• Presentation outline – Here you need to list your agenda
• Introduction – Give a brief introduction about the background of your study. It may be of 2 to 3 slides.
• Need for the Study – This is an important slide to convince the examiners and the audience to understand the importance of your study.
• Problem Statement –This is also an important slide that should not be missed out. Problem statement should be of 4 to 5 lines indicating the purpose and intent of the research.
• Objectives of the Study – List the key research objectives in a single slide and number them.
• Methodology – Present the Methodology of your study with a neat flowchart. This may be of 1 to 2 slides.
• Results and Discussion – This is the most important section in the PhD defense presentation.
• Conclusion – Summarize the results and conclude the research outcomes with societal benefits.
• Publication details – Present your publication details
• References – List the relevant references.
• Acknowledgment -Register your gratitude in the acknowledgment slide.
• A Thank You slide

Sample PhD Viva-Voce Presentation Slides

The format of the presentation slides is presented below. This would give you an idea to prepare the slides.

Tips to prepare Ph.D. viva-voce presentation slides

• Give a brief introduction about the background of your study. Always present the information in a bulleted manner rather than lengthy paragraphs. Don’t mess up the slide with too much information. Instead, you can give 4 to 5 key points in a slide.
• Highlight the research gap or the existing limitations and then arrive at the need for the study. You can present the need for the study in the form of concept schematics, which makes the examiner and the audience understand it easily.
• Present your problem statement clearly to establish the focus of your research.
• List the key research objectives in a numbered manner ie., Objective 1, objective 2 like that. You know, it will be easy to follow.
• Present the detailed methodology of your study with neat schematics or flowcharts to visually represent your research approach.
• Discuss the important research findings and data presented in your thesis in a simple and bulleted manner. Don’t keep it as a paragraph in the slide rather you can present the findings with the help of graphs like bar charts, pie charts, etc. Always present your findings with scientific evidence.
• Connect your findings with past relevant literature and emphasize the novelty of your research clearly. Also, highlight the key contributions of your study.
• Use visual aids like schematics, graphs, and tables wherever necessary. Use real images to show your experimental set-up. Ensure the quality of the images are clear and readable.
• Specify the experimental conditions at appropriate places.
• Summarize the results of your research objectives and then conclude the research outcomes with societal benefits. It is very important to connect your research results with the societal benefits.
• Use hyperlinks at appropriate places for presenting huge and important data like Datasets, experimental procedures, and important literature.
• Check the flow and logical connectivity between each slide.
• The last tip is to ensure that the flow of your presentation is in line with your thesis.

Bonus Tips to Prepare PhD viva-voce Presentation Slides

• Maintain uniformity in designing the slide, preferably, use a white background with any dark-colored font.
• Use legible font size and you can use Times New Roman or Arial font style.
• Don’t forget to put the slide number. At the end of your presentation, examiners raise questions by pointing to the slide number. So, including the slide number at the bottom of your slide is very important.
• Limit your presentation slides to 50 to 55 slides. It is expected to finish the presentation in 20 to 30 minutes. So, plan accordingly. Otherwise, you may have to speed up the presentation to finish it.
• Finally, double or triple-check your slides and practice several times before presenting them on your final day.

By following the above-said tips, you can prepare well-organized presentation slides for your PhD defense.

If any of you want the sample format of the presentation slides, you can write us to this email ID [email protected] . We will share the PPT for your reference.

Happy researching!

Also Read: Top 38 Possible PhD Viva Questions

• Academic presentation tips
• best phd viva presentation ppt
• Doctoral defense preparation
• PhD defense slides
• phd viva presentation
• phd viva presentation tips
• PhD viva-voce
• presentation
• Presentation slides
• presentation tips
• Research presentation strategies
• Research Tips
• Thesis defense slides
• Thesis presentation tips
• Tips for PhD viva
• viva preparation
• Viva presentation advice
• viva-voce ppt

5 Free Data Analysis and Graph Plotting Software for Thesis

6 best online chemical drawing software 2024, how to write a research paper in a month, leave a reply cancel reply, most popular, the hrd scheme india 2024-25, imu-simons research fellowship program (2024-2027), india science and research fellowship (isrf) 2024-25, example of abstract for research paper – tips and dos and donts, photopea tutorial – online free photo editor for thesis images, list of phd and postdoc fellowships in india 2024, eight effective tips to overcome writer’s block in phd thesis writing, best for you, 24 best free plagiarism checkers in 2024, what is phd, popular posts, how to check scopus indexed journals 2024, how to write a research paper a complete guide, popular category.

• POSTDOC 317
• Interesting 258
• Journals 234
• Fellowship 130
• Research Methodology 102
• All Scopus Indexed Journals 92

iLovePhD is a research education website to know updated research-related information. It helps researchers to find top journals for publishing research articles and get an easy manual for research tools. The main aim of this website is to help Ph.D. scholars who are working in various domains to get more valuable ideas to carry out their research. Learn the current groundbreaking research activities around the world, love the process of getting a Ph.D.

Contact us: [email protected]

Google News

Copyright © 2024 iLovePhD. All rights reserved

• Artificial intelligence

From admission to dissertation. Tips on making the PhD journey happy, productive and successful

18 tips to pass your Viva presentation

Viva Presentation of your PhD thesis requires you to prepare thoroughly. Viva Voce defense could be a failure if you don’t present properly. Learn tips on how to do PhD viva dissertation defense that makes you pass in doctoral viva. Face Viva exam confidently with an impressive opening speech. Keep some sample PhD viva questions and answers readily.

• Adjust voice as per the room size during the presentation of PhD viva.
• Clear Audibility is the first step for viva Voce success.
• Present Confidently viva thesis presentation.
• Do not stammer while defending PhD viva voce.
• Learn how to make an appropriate eye contact during PhD viva presentation.
• Keep ready some ready-made sample PhD viva answers.
• Know how to extend PhD viva validity.
• Never say you don’t know about any question
• Try to give your best from nothing during doctoral viva presentation.

Here are my detailed advanced tips on how to pass viva voce during your PhD studies. These viva tips will help you remain confident throughout your presentation

What is a Viva Voce?

A PhD scholar does not consider completing the thesis paper an accomplishment because they are still required to go through the viva voce process.

Although there are countries such as Australia that do not require one to do so, others like the United States necessitate the scholar to go through the process.

A viva voce is an oral examination whereby the researcher is required to stand before a panel of examiners to defend their dissertation .

This is why it is essential for the scholar to ensure that they have clearly mastered the field and the chosen topic by conducting the research on their own.

During the viva voce, the evaluators are at liberty to ask whatever question they feel is related to the topic and the candidate has the obligation of answering the question satisfactorily.

Simply put, a viva voce is an oral presentation that is aimed at proving that the researcher commands knowledge on the topic and has gained knowledge on the field of study.

When is PhD Viva voce examination conducted during PhD

A PhD viva voce examination is the last thing that comes in the PhD process whereby the researcher is required to present themselves before evaluators and answer any questions thrown at them regarding the thesis.

That said, the viva voce comes after the candidate has submitted their thesis to the faculty. Upon receiving the research paper, the evaluators may require the scholar to present themselves in person and required to exhibit what they have learned during the Ph.D. process.

Therefore, a viva voce comes after submission of the thesis and before the candidate earns the doctorate title.

How long is the PhD Viva Voce Presentation with example

Many Ph.D. candidates are concerned by the duration that a viva voce takes and we would like to point out that it all depends on how prepared one is for the same.

Traditionally, a viva voce is supposed to take ninety minutes with no hassles. However, it boils down to the examiners’ decision and if they feel that the time is not enough, then they can extend the process up to three hours.

The purpose of the process is to evaluate how much knowledge one has acquired during the Ph.D. and whether they are capable of answering questions related to their topic.

Therefore, it is true to state that the length of the viva voce will depend on the examiners. If the candidate does not satisfy their expectations, they are bound to ask more questions thus the process I likely to take more time

How many examiners will site in PhD Viva Examination

Many scholars are concerned about with the viva voce since it makes almost all candidates nervous as is the case of any situation where one has to stand before viva examiners and defend their work.

When one is deemed qualified to do a Ph.D., they are assigned a supervisor who ensures that the Ph.D. process is not marred by challenges through offering advice to the scholar.

The examiners are mostly two all of which should come from the university’s faculty. To ensure that the evaluation process is effective, they are mostly chosen from the same field as the candidate. Although it is not a must, there are occasions where the examining body may also comprise of external members.

This implies that the minimum number of examiners is two but they can be more according to the university’s decision.

Viva Preparation Questions

• What is the new thing that one feels to read your PhD dissertation?
• How do you prove this experiment can change the way others think?
• Explain the validity of your proposition with some examples.
• Give one strong why should we accept your thesis to be authoritative.
• What influenced you to make your thesis stand out from others

Why is PhD Viva Presentation conducted

A thesis is nothing short of a research paper which means that the scholar is expected to have taken their time to conduct thorough research using advanced techniques.

The main reason why a viva voce is conducted is to give the researcher an opportunity to defend their work before they are graded whether they meet qualifications or not.

The first thing that the scholar should know is that they should be able to defend their thesis which means that they should be aware of everything that is in the research paper. The reason for this is because one can never know what the examiners will ask and from which section of the thesis they will derive their questions.

It is essential that the scholar must ensure that they are prepared adequately by going through their thesis and ensure that they are able to answer any question arising from the same.

There are candidates who may be tempted to have other people write their thesis and although it may be perfect, the viva voce reveals the truth depending on whether they can defend the thesis or not.

Be what you are in your PhD Viva Exam

According to many candidates, the viva voce is an impeachment whereby they feel like they are grilled, but in a real sense, it is designed to prove to themselves and others whether they are in a situation to defend their title as a doctor of philosophy in their field.

It is therefore important for the candidate to ensure that they do not fall prey to brown nosing. They should not direct their efforts to sweet-talk the examiners by trying to impress them. Instead, the scholar is advised to play their role and prove to the evaluators that they are capable of defending what they have written in the thesis.

It is recommended that the scholar should be calm, relaxed and confident in their thesis and have the courage to stand before the examiners and express themselves.

The candidate should recognize the importance of the thesis and this is partly the reason why they have the responsibility of choosing their own topic and doing the research.

Never give one-word answers during Viva Voce viva exam

A viva voce must not be confused with a multiple choice questionnaire thus the researcher must appreciate that it is intended to diminish curiosity.

This cannot be achieved by giving one-word answers because the scholar is required to explain themselves as reflected in the thesis. Important to note is that a person’s standing or view on a certain view cannot be explained in a short statement.

The reason for this is because when one is asked a question during the viva voce, they are expected to state their position on the matter. The statement is not enough because it only triggers more questions.

Therefore, it is necessary that the scholar must support their claim by giving explanations as to why they support their arguments. In fact, the primary purpose of the viva voce is to ensure that the scholar can defend what they advocate for thus they should be in a position to give explanations and proof of what they are saying.

Be confident throughout the session (not over confident) during doctoral viva

According to human nature, there are people that find it easy to stand before others and air their view but the viva voce does not recognize that. It is essential that the scholar must be in a position to present themselves and stand for what they have presented to the faculty and the world.

At this level of learning, it is expected that the scholar must be confident enough to ensure that they can speak in front of a crowd leave alone two or three examiners. Confidence is a virtue that must be acquired by all scholars to ensure that they can stand before others and teach them or address key concerns that affect society.

However, the candidate must take caution not to be overconfident and the main reason for this is that too much confidence is interpreted as arrogance.

The bad thing about this is that the examiners are likely to get the wrong impression about the scholar. This is true because among the virtues that a Ph.D. teaches the candidate is patience and respect for others.

Do not show that you are afraid of Viva Voce of dissertation

The human mind is designed in such a manner that it controls the entire body and command activities that the individual will like and those that they will not.

One of the reasons why most scholars fail the viva voce process is that they tend to develop a negative attitude towards the same even before they go through the process.

It is essential that the scholar must be confident and not only outwardly but also inwardly. We recommend the scholar to ensure that they take all necessary measures to ensure that they do not exhibit fear in front of the examiners.

It is understandable that anyone is capable of nervousness while in front of a panel of examiners. However, we recommend that the scholar must pay attention to two things to boost their confidence. The first element is that they should prepare adequately for the process.

The second is that they should develop a positive attitude towards the viva voce. Adhering to these two advises is bound to increase the scholar’s confidence in themselves and their thesis.

My top Viva advice is to practice before one month

In the scholar’s life, before they take the Ph.D. course, it is true to say that they have gone through many examinations and passed. It is not automatic to pass an examination and it requires a lot of dedication and sacrifice.

Although there are individuals that may be tempted to take a shortcut, there is only one recipe to passing. All examinations require a lot of preparation and a viva voce is not exceptional.

This implies that the scholar must take their time to prepare for the viva voce beforehand. It is recommended that the candidate should take at least one month to prepare themselves.

It may seem like a difficult thing to do but we remind the scholar that they have a supervisor who has knowledge about the viva voce and they can offer useful advice that can make the process easy for the candidate.

Dress proper and be neat and formal during thesis viva preparation

The short description of a viva voce is that it is an oral presentation and therefore it means that there must be physical appearance.

Appearance has a powerful effect in that it creates a lasting impression on the examiners and therefore, the way that one presents themselves before the evaluators automatically make them judge the candidate’s character. The scholar wants the evaluators to be on their side and therefore the first thing that should pop in the scholar’s mind is creating a good impression.

It is essential because it may affect the examiners’ judgment which implies that a good impression is likely to yield good results while a bad impression is likely to yield bad results.

It is crucial that the scholar must dress formally for the viva voce and they should be neat. The proper dressing makes the scholar look responsible and in a position to defend their thesis.

Read your thesis once and thrice and prepare sample PhD viva answers

The viva voce is an oral presentation of the thesis and therefore it is necessary that the scholar must ensure that they have a proper understanding of their thesis before they engage with the examiners.

It is purposeful for the scholar to have 100% knowledge of the thesis even though it is common to forget some points. To avoid mistakes arising from being unable to answer some examiners’ questions, we recommend the scholar to make a point of revising the thesis before and after submitting to the faculty.

Some scholars might consider reading the thesis twice sufficient but this is not the case.

Others may be overconfident and feel that they do not have to read the thesis again but this is usually a recipe to disaster. It is our recommendation that the scholar reads through the thesis at least three times to ensure that they are familiar with all the points discussed within.

Learn how to start your opening speech of PhD Viva

It may sound tricky to summarize a paper comprising of at least 50,000 words in as little as five minutes but it is possible and the scholar should practice doing so.

Essentially, the examiners expect the scholar to have mastered their thesis and therefore they should be able to point out the problem surrounding the topic as well as the causes and recommended solution briefly.

At the onset of the viva voce, the scholar must be in a position to introduce the dissertation to the examiners briefly. This involves presenting an overview of the research paper.

Among the different sections of the thesis is the abstract section which was explained as a summary of the research paper. While preparing for the viva voce, the candidate is advised to consider the abstract and use it as a guideline for the oral presentation.

Listen to what your examiner is asking clearly

The easiest way to fail in any examination is answering the wrong questions or failing to address what the examiner requires.

It is mandatory for the candidate to pay attention to what the examiner is asking and carefully analyze points that they require from the candidate.

By doing so, the scholar is in a position to give the right feedback with reference to the thesis. It means that it is important for the candidate to concentrate during the viva voce and they should ensure that they are not distracted by anything else. 100% concentration is a requirement for the viva voce process if the candidate is going to answer questions satisfactorily.

Do not argue under any circumstance (just defend)

It should be noted that a viva voce is not a form of a debate where two parties are engaged in arguing. The candidate should note that the examiners are already professors and they are not there to engage in a battle of wits.

What they require from the candidate is proof that they have learned during the research and that they are in a position to demonstrate that they command knowledge in their specific fields.

That said, rather than argue, the candidate must ensure that the presentation is based on defending the thesis and shows the validity of the scholar’s standing regarding the points presented in the dissertation.

Pass- short corrections-resubmit- Fail after Ph.D. Viva defense

After the oral presentation, the examiners make a point of presenting their results to the candidate which point out areas that were sufficiently answered and those that were not.

The candidate should look into areas where they gave wrong answers and make a point of researching and making the necessary changes.

The correct answers should be passed to the examiners. The candidate must ensure that the correct answers are written as briefly as possible.

Do not write stuff on your hands or hold slip while defending viva thesis

During the oral presentation, it is necessary that the scholar avoids writing points in their hands or slip. It is so because it acts as a way of showing that the scholar has not prepared sufficiently for the viva voce.

In addition, it creates the impression that the researcher is not fully aware of the content in the thesis. Using written points give the impression of someone who is presenting a speech that has been written for them.

The candidate does not want the examiners feeling that they have not done the research for themselves as this would automatically lead to a fail.

How to do viva presentation with an impressive eye contact

A good presentation is one that the candidate commands presence before the examiners as it shows that they are confident with their work. It also shows that the scholar has worked hard for the thesis and they have nothing to fear regarding the viva voce.

One way of showing the examiners that the candidate is prepared and has dedicated themselves to the research is by making constant eye contact with the examiners.

The researcher should also be careful not to give too much attention to one examiner and instead they should keep eye contact with all the researchers during the whole viva voce.

Plan some expected questions and your answers

Whichever situation that one finds that they are required to make a presentation before a panel or a group of people, the first thing that the person does is to prepare adequately.

It is useful for the candidate to expect some questions that are likely to be asked during the presentation and therefore the scholar should make a list of some of them and work on possible answers.

Although one cannot fully predict the type of questions, it is important for the candidate to conduct a research of previous viva voce that have been done on the same field. Also, the scholar must consult the supervisor who may have useful advice.

Be ready to explain the drawbacks of your thesis cleverly

There is no perfect research and all of them are liable to limitations which the candidate must make a point of acknowledging before they are asked.

The scholar must be prepared to mention the drawbacks and explain why they arise. Merely stating the drawbacks is not enough since it will only make the examiners curios and therefore the candidate must defend the thesis wit-fully taking care to show that the limitations could not be avoided.

Challenges encountered during the thesis should be noted since they might be helpful in explaining the limitations or drawbacks.

Make rehearsals before two days of your viva voce

It has been noted that the scholar must ensure that they are fully prepared for the viva voce before meeting the examiners. Apart from reading through the thesis at least three times, the candidate should ensure that they prepare for the presentation prior to the scheduled day of the meeting.

If possible, the candidate is advised to look for friends and prepare a mock viva voce whereby they act as the examiners and ask questions that the candidate feel could potentially be asked.

This process should be done at least two days before the presentation. A rehearsal is important because it assists the candidate to engage how much they know pertaining to their thesis and some areas that may not have been given adequate attention can be addressed.

Never say “I don’t know” Somehow defend PhD viva (Be it wrong its ok)

A research paper consists of a lot of content and it may not be possible to remember everything that is contained in the same. It is common for the examiners to ask questions that the candidate has not prepared themselves to answer but this should not deter them from answering.

In case the candidate encounters such questions, they should not hastily state that they do not have the answer. Instead, the candidate should take their time and reflect on the thesis and analyze the connection between the question and the thesis.

It is understandable if the answer is not correct but at least the candidate should try to answer the question.

Prepare some positive statements of English to use them during presentation of your viva

One way of preparing for the viva voce is to ensure that one has answers to the examiner’s questions. The main areas of concern are the main points and how they are relevant to the topic.

A presentation must have statements that can be defended at all times since they help the scholar to show the importance of the thesis to the community. Such statements must be positive in nature and exhibit backing up of the thesis.

They should be prepared in English since it is the universal language that is applicable to almost all job specifications in the job market.

How to present PhD viva presentation positively

Positive statements are one way of the researcher showing that they have confidence in themselves and the thesis. Throughout the viva voce, the candidate must ensure that they have a positive attitude which is essential because it draws the examiners on their side.

A positive attitude makes it possible to answer questions easily and there is a likelihood that the examiners may not ask questions that put the candidate in bad situations. It enables the scholar to be motivated and therefore they are able to answer questions freely without feeling tense.

Be audible and do not look shy during thesis viva presentation

It is understandable that some people may have difficulty in standing before people and speaking their minds. However, the scholar is advised to remember that this is their dissertation and the presentation is among the stakeholders that determine whether one will pass or fail.

To counter shyness, the candidate is advised to prepare themselves adequately before the viva voce process. It is important because it boosts the candidate’s moral and level of motivation.

A scholar that is prepared becomes confident in themselves and they also develop a positive attitude which makes it easier to face the examiners and answer any question hurled at them without fear.

If you have had any experience with public speaking skills, you can do this task very easily. But unfortunately, you might have been lazy not to learn these skills when your English Teacher taught you during your school days. You need to give your count now while doing your Ph.D. viva. These skills are very necessary to get through these oral sessions. The way you speak is what matters seriously for the examiners or the reviewers.

Once you are through enough to make it, you can become successful. This way you can become a lot more confident and you will pass this viva without any doubt. While presenting do remember that you have to make some preparation for the last two months. This preparation is the only backbone for your viva. If you do not prepare beforehand you will face trouble while presenting your Ph.D. viva oral

When you keep this in mind, there are some other tips, I want to give here. See how PhD candidates do their viva online. If you go on to youtube you will get many videos in real time. Learn from them how they are able to present during such stressful sessions. I suggest you watch at least one video about Ph.D. viva or any other sessions with respect to Viva. This will surely give you fuller knowledge and viva presentations presentation tips about viva

When you want to give Ph.D. viva, try to show respect who are around you. They may be irritating sometimes to face. But you must never lose temper if someone asks you an inappropriate question. These type of unrelated questions are very common while giving your Ph.D. viva oral examination.

Master all the techniques on how to face audience and PhD supervisor during your viva voce. The way you speak, the way you behave, the way you respond, the way you manage, the way you present. All such skills must be learned before going to viva session.

You cannot make yourself a bluff in front of others for simple questions. So in order to avoid this, you must take your viva seriously and make sufficient preparation.

Never lose heart rather increase your active participation in the viva. If someone corrects you, accept it humbly and proceed to the next defending minutes. So Ph.D. viva is not a big problem if you follow all these suggestions throughout the reading on how to do Ph.D. Viva Voce.phd viva tips

Syam Prasad Reddy T

Hello, My name is Syam, Asst. Professor of English and Mentor for Ph.D. students worldwide. I have worked years to give you these amazing tips to complete your Ph.D. successfully. Having put a lot of efforts means to make your Ph.D. journey easier. Thank you for visiting my Ph.D. blog.

You May Also Like

Google Jam topics

Top 100 Jam topics in an Interview Session

How to Introduce Myself in Jam Session

Surviving the PhD Viva

Jul 24, 2014

200 likes | 490 Views

Surviving the PhD Viva. Outline. What is the PhD viva? How does it work? What does ‘surviving’ the viva mean? What are examiners looking for? Preparing for the viva Common viva surprises. What is the PhD viva?. The way in which PhDs are examined

Share Presentation

• few changes
• preliminary reports
• what respects
• integrated whole
• open university press

Presentation Transcript

Outline • What is the PhD viva? • How does it work? • What does ‘surviving’ the viva mean? • What are examiners looking for? • Preparing for the viva • Common viva surprises

What is the PhD viva? • The way in which PhDs are examined • A discussion between you and your examiners • Usually takes the form of being asked questions about the thesis • Also sometimes called a ‘defence’

How does it work? • Before viva • Examiners are sent copies of the thesis • Prepare independent preliminary reports • Examine each other’s reports • Come to preliminary judgement (see later) – which they sometimes (very rarely) communicate to candidate • Arrange viva date • Each examiner compiles lists of questions and queries they have about the thesis

How does it work? • During viva • Examiners meet before and plan the structure of viva, questions, roles, etc • Meet PhD candidate (supervisors may attend but cannot say anything) • Sometimes tell candidate their preliminary judgement at start of viva and the purpose of the viva (see later) • Ask a series of questions and listen to the answers

How does it work? • At the end of the viva • You may be asked to leave the room • If you are asked to leave, examiners discuss their views and come to a decision (see later) • Invite you back in and tell you their decision • Supervisor often comes in at this point, if they have not been in the room all along

What does ‘surviving’ the viva mean? • What seven decisions can examiners make? (a) If the thesis fulfils the criteria (set out in 7 above) and the candidate satisfies the examiners in all other parts of the examination, the examiners will report that the candidate has satisfied them in the examination for the PhD degree. (b) If the thesis otherwise fulfils the criteria but requires minor amendments and if the candidate satisfies the examiners in all other parts of the examination, the examiners may require the candidate to make within three months amendments specified by them. The amended thesis must be submitted to the examiners or one of their number nominated by them for confirmation that the amendments are satisfactory.

What does ‘surviving’ the viva mean? • What decisions can examiners make? (c) If the thesis, though inadequate, shall seem of sufficient merit to justify such action, the examiners may determine that the candidate be permitted to re-present his/her thesis in a revised form within 18 months. Examiners must not, however, make such a decision without submitting the candidate to an oral examination. The examiners may at their discretion exempt from a further oral examination, on re-presentation of his/her thesis, a candidate who under this regulation has been permitted to re-present it in a revised form. (d) If the thesis satisfies the criteria but the candidate fails to satisfy the examiners at the practical or written examination prescribed under Regulation 37, the examiners may determine that the candidate be exempted on re-entry from presentation of the thesis and be permitted to submit to a further practical or written examination within a period specified by them and not exceeding 18 months. The examiners may at their discretion exempt the candidate from taking a further oral examination.

What does ‘surviving’ the viva mean? • What decisions can examiners make? (e) If the thesis satisfies the criteria for the degree, but the candidate fails to satisfy the examiners at the oral examination, the examiners may determine that the candidate be permitted to re-present the same thesis, and submit to a further oral examination within a period specified by them and not exceeding 18 months. (f) If, after completion of the examination including the oral examination or re-examination for the PhD degree, the examiners determine that a candidate has not reached the standard required for the award of the degree nor for the re-presentation of the thesis in a revised form for that degree, they shall consider whether the thesis does or might be able to satisfy the criteria for the award of the MPhil degree.

What does ‘surviving’ the viva mean? • What decisions can examiners make? (g) The examiners may determine that the candidate has not satisfied them in the examination. The examiners may not, however, save in very exceptional circumstances, make such a decision without submitting the candidate to an oral examination.

What are examiners looking for? • Check the Birkbeck, University of London PhD regulations examiners use: “6. The scope of the thesis should be what might reasonably be expected after three or at most four years of full-time study.” “7. The thesis shall… (b)…form a distinct contribution to the knowledge of the subject and afford evidence of originality… (c)…be an integrated whole and present a coherent argument (d)…give a critical assessment of the relevant literature, describe the method of research and its findings, include discussion on those findings and indicate in what respects they appear to the candidate to advance the study of the subject…”

What are examiners looking for? • Does the thesis itself meet the criteria? • What evidence can be gathered in the viva to establish if the thesis meets the criteria? • Is it candidate’s own work? • Clarification of points made in thesis • Clarification and extension of argument, rationale, logic, etc • Explanation for/identification of errors • Questions about things not in thesis

What are examiners looking for? • If the thesis is broadly sound and no/few changes needed • Does candidate understand what they have done? • Are they aware of strengths and weaknesses • Beyond the thesis itself – does candidate know more than they have written that they maybe should add? • If the thesis is probably not sound and major changes needed • What are the problems and how did they come about? • How much does candidate really know? • Just how substantial do the changes need to be? • Is another viva necessary?

Preparing for the viva • Have a mock viva (highly recommended) • Supervisor, other PhD students, etc • Give them copy of thesis and Birkbeck regulations • Ask them to do what examiners do • Read the thesis carefully again yourself • Does the overall argument make sense? • What are the problems and limitations? • Can you explain or account for them? • Have you spotted mistakes, omissions, etc? • Talk to others about their viva experiences (as candidates or examiners)

Preparing for the viva • Prepare questions and try to answer them (even if you think you have answered them in the thesis) – such as: • Why did you do things in this order? • Why did you exclude some areas of literature? • Why are your research questions interesting or important? • What are the main weaknesses with what you did and why are they there? • If you did it again what would you do differently? • What is the main contribution of your thesis? • How would you build on this research?

Preparing for the viva • Think of it as a conversation but one where: • You do have to defend and explain what you have done. • Do not try to defend the indefensible or explain the inexplicable. If examiners point out errors or something that does not make sense, and you can see it, you should accept it. • If you do not understand a question ask for clarification – do not try to answer questions you do not understand. • Remember that all research has weaknesses and limitations. • The mark of being a competent researcher is recognizing, anticipating, acknowledging and overcoming weaknesses. • And do not forget to be clear about what is good about it. It is also necessary to demonstrate you understand the contribution your work has made.

Common viva surprises • Any anxiety you have disappears fast when you get going. • It goes much faster than you think it will. • The examiners really have read the thesis. • You know a lot more about the thesis than you realized. • The examiners point out good things in the thesis you did not know were there. • You actually quite enjoy it.

Further resources • Birkbeck PhD regulations: http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/rules/resregs.pdf • Video ‘The Good Viva’ http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/services/facilities/support/phd-support • Joan Bolker (1998) Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day, New York: Henry Holt • Pat Cryer (2000) The Research Student’s Guide to Success, Maidenhead: Open University Press • Rowena Murray (2003) How to Survive Your Viva, Maidenhead: Open University Press

• More by User

Surviving the PhD Viva. Dr Jennifer Fraser ( [email protected] ). Outline. What is the PhD viva? How does it work? What does ‘surviving’ the viva mean? What are examiners looking for? Preparing for the viva Common viva surprises. What is the PhD viva?. The way in which PhDs are examined

641 views • 24 slides

Your PhD Viva:

Your PhD Viva: . The Unofficial Guide. By Daniel Osei-Joehene. Structure. Preparing for the PhD Viva Convention of the PhD Viva Structure of PhD Viva Difficult PhD Viva Questions Useful References. 1. Preparing for the PhD Viva. What is the PhD Viva Exam?.

975 views • 14 slides

Doctoral Training Workshops The PhD, Probation and MRes Viva

Session Aims . Explore the purpose of each vivaUnderstand how assessors/examiners are appointed and what they are required to doHelp you prepare for your vivaPhD viva draws on Ch 11 of Doing Postgraduate ResearchMRes viva guidance provided on MRes websiteProbation mini-viva guidance provided o

401 views • 19 slides

Project Managing Your PhD and Viva

Project Managing Your PhD and Viva. College of Human Science Graduate School Seminar. http://cambridgecriminologyphd.blogspot.com/2010/03/marriage-vs-phd-cartoon.html. INTRODUCTORY MATTER. Contents. Introduction Your Thesis, Your Problems? Some Principles of Project Management

1.4k views • 117 slides

Surviving the supermarket

Surviving the supermarket. MISSION. POSSIBLE. IM. Role Play. Content. Why? Role play Objective description What? Our Product How? Project process Conclusion. Role Play. Why?. Labels are mostly in Dutch. Confusion is very common.

326 views • 11 slides

Doing and Surviving the PhD at CEU

Doing and Surviving the PhD at CEU. Stefan Cibian PhD Candidate DS-IRES [email protected]. Peter Bokody Alumnus – Medieval Studies 2010 [email protected]. c.ntet. Why CEU? Course work Research On Campus Activities Career & Resources Reflection on past experience.

204 views • 7 slides

Surviving the applewhites

Power Point: Courtney Author: Stephanie S. Tolan. Surviving the applewhites. Characters. Jake Zedidiah E.D Jeremy Randolph The Guru Luciele Destiny Archie Wolfie (goat) Winston (dog). Main Problem.

453 views • 7 slides

Surviving the Void

Surviving the Void. A journey through the stars. Co-evolution of Life. Life in space. Co-evolution of Life.

782 views • 65 slides

An end in sight Surviving the Viva!

An end in sight Surviving the Viva!. Rhona O’Connell. Viva voce. Oral examination Defence of a theses. Reasons why PhD viva is required. To check whether it is your own work To check your understanding of the work To check whether it is worthy of a PhD . Other issues.

475 views • 28 slides

Surviving the Desert

Surviving the Desert. Team Decision-Making. Interpersonal . Listen to your team members Support your team members Seriously consider the ideas of others Nonjudgmental listening (not looking for what’s wrong) Avoid “Group Think” Aim for full participation. Cognitive. Analyze the facts

251 views • 14 slides

Surviving the Viva

Surviving the Viva. Brian Ford-Lloyd Director of the University Graduate School (from the School of Biosciences). Read the Code of Practice. http://www.as.bham.ac.uk/legislation/docs/COP_Assessment_Research_Degree_Theses.pdf. Have a clear idea what structure the viva normally has

339 views • 16 slides

Surviving a PhD

Surviving a PhD. Presented by David McIlroy Liverpool John Moores University. What is a PhD?. A cryptic acronym for… Sign on the dotted line Bend it like Beckham Queen Vic & Paganini. I have started …. Can’t win if don’t finish Synder’s OD of hope 2 eyes for journey Proverbs to digest.

320 views • 19 slides

Surviving a PhD. Presented by David Mcilroy Liverpool John Moores University. What is a PhD?. A cryptic acronym for Sign on the dotted line Bend it like Beckham Queen Vic & Paganini. I have started …. Can’t win if don’t finish Synder’s OD of hope 2 eyes for journey Proverbs to digest.

328 views • 19 slides

Surviving the PhD Viva. Rob Briner Organizational Psychology Birkbeck. Outline. What is the PhD viva? How does it work? What does ‘surviving’ the viva mean? What are examiners looking for? Preparing for the viva Common viva surprises. What is the PhD viva?.

651 views • 15 slides

Surviving The Holocaust

Surviving The Holocaust. How did people react to the holocaust? How would you have reacted? Let’s look at three possibilities…. Surviving The Holocaust. I. Playing the Game.

318 views • 17 slides

PhD Viva: Pre-Bunched Free Electron Maser

PhD Viva: Pre-Bunched Free Electron Maser. Cellular Radio Communication. EKT443 School of Computer and Communication Engineering Universiti Malaysia Perlis. Cellular Systems. Base stations (towers) provide radio access between mobile users and MSC. PSTN. M obile S witching C enter.

649 views • 46 slides

Your PhD Viva:. The Unofficial Guide. By Daniel Osei-Joehene. Structure. Preparing for the PhD Viva Convention of the PhD Viva Structure of PhD Viva Difficult PhD Viva Questions Useful References. 1. Preparing for the PhD Viva. What is the PhD Viva Exam?.

857 views • 14 slides

Preparing for the PhD Viva

Preparing for the PhD Viva. David Twigg ‘Someone who lived to tell the tale’ Accompanying booklet ~ phdviva.pdf. Why This Presentation?. There is an absence of constructive pointers for students to prepare for the PhD Viva

519 views • 14 slides

https://www.onlinebillpayguide.com/viva-quick-pay-bahrain-online-bill-payment-without-sign-in/

37 views • 2 slides

Surviving the HSPE

Surviving the HSPE. Sample prompts- get out a piece of paper- you will do the brainstorming part of the writing process today. Sample Expository. Suggestions for pre-writing:. Write down every question being asked of you. Brainstorm topics. Determine your thesis- write it down.

69 views • 6 slides

• PhD Viva Voces – A Complete Guide
• Doing a PhD
• A PhD viva involves defending your thesis in an oral examination with at least two examiners.
• The aim of a PhD viva is to confirm that the work is your own , that you have a deep understanding of your project and, overall, that you are a competent researcher .
• There are no standard durations, but they usually range from one to three hours, with most lasting approximately two hours .
• There are six outcomes of a PhD viva: (1) pass without corrections (2) pass subject to minor corrections, (3) pass subject to major corrections, (4) downgrade to MPhil with no amendments, (5) downgrade to MPhil subject to amendments, (6) immediate fail.
• Almost all students who sit their viva pass it, with the most common outcome being ‘(2) – pass subject to minor corrections’.

What Is a PhD Viva?

A viva voce , more commonly referred to as ‘viva’, is an oral examination conducted at the end of your PhD and is essentially the final hurdle on the path to a doctorate. It is the period in which a student’s knowledge and work are evaluated by independent examiners.

In order to assess the student and their work around their research question, a viva sets out to determine:

• you understand the ideas and theories that you have put forward,
• you can answer questions about elements of your work that the examiners have questions about,
• you understand the broader research in your field and how your work contributes to this,
• you are aware of the limitations of your work and understand how it can be developed further,
• your work makes an original contribution, is your own and has not been plagiarised.

Note: A viva is a compulsory procedure for all PhD students, with the only exception being when a PhD is obtained through publication as opposed to the conventional route of study.

Who Will Attend a Viva?

In the UK, at least two examiners must take part in all vivas. Although you could have more than two examiners, most will not in an attempt to facilitate a smoother questioning process.

One of the two examiners will be internal, i.e. from your university, and the other will be external, i.e. from another university. Regardless, both will be knowledgeable in your research field and have read your thesis beforehand.

In addition to your two examiners, two other people may be present. The first is a chairperson. This is an individual who will be responsible for monitoring the interview and for ensuring proper conduct is followed at all times. The need for an external chairperson will vary between universities, as one of the examiners can also take on this role. The second is your supervisor, whose attendance is decided upon by you in agreement with your examiners. If your supervisor attends, they are prohibited from asking questions or from influencing the outcome of the viva.

To avoid any misunderstandings, we have summarised the above in a table:

Note: In some countries, such as in the United States, a viva is known as a ‘PhD defense’ and is performed publicly in front of a panel or board of examiners and an open audience. In these situations, the student presents their work in the form of a lecture and then faces questions from the examiners and audience which almost acts as a critical appraisal.

How Long Does a Viva Last?

Since all universities have different guidelines , and since all PhDs are unique, there are no standard durations. Typically, however, the duration ranges from one to three hours, with most lasting approximately two hours.

Your examiners will also influence the duration of your viva as some will favour a lengthy discussion, while others may not. Usually, your university will consult your examiners in advance and notify you of the likely duration closer to the day of your viva.

What Happens During a Viva?

Regardless of the subject area, all PhD vivas follow the same examination process format as below.

Introductions

You will introduce yourselves to each other, with the internal examiner normally introducing the external examiner. If an external chairperson is present, they too are introduced; otherwise, this role will be assumed by one of the examiners.

Procedure Explained

After the introductions, the appointed chair will explain the viva process. Although it should already be known to everyone, it will be repeated to ensure the viva remains on track during the forthcoming discussion.

Warm-Up Questions

The examiners will then begin the questioning process. This usually starts with a few simple opening questions, such as asking you to summarise your PhD thesis and what motivated you to carry out the research project.

In-Depth Questions

The viva questions will then naturally increase in difficulty as the examiners go further into the details of your thesis. These may include questions such as “What was the most critical decision you made when determining your research methodology ?”, “Do your findings agree with the current published work?” and “How do your findings impact existing theories or literature? ”. In addition to asking open-ended questions, they will also ask specific questions about the methodology, results and analysis on which your thesis is based.

Closing the Viva

Once the examiners are satisfied that they have thoroughly evaluated your knowledge and thesis, they will invite you to ask any questions you may have, and then bring the oral examination to a close.

What Happens After the Viva?

Once your viva has officially ended, your examiners will ask you to leave the room so that they can discuss your performance. Once a mutual agreement has been reached, which can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour, you will be invited back inside and informed of your outcome.

PhD Viva Outcomes

There are six possible outcomes to a viva:

• Immediate award of degree: A rare recommendation – congratulations, you are one of the few people who completely satisfied your examiners the first time around. You do not have to do anything further at this point.
• Minor amendments required: The most common recommendation – you obtain a pass on the condition that you make a number of minor amendments to your thesis, such as clarifying certain points and correcting grammatical errors. The time you have to make these changes depends on the number of them, but is usually one to six months.
• Major amendments required: A somewhat uncommon recommendation – you are requested to make major amendments to your thesis, ranging from further research to collecting more data or rewriting entire sections. Again, the time you have to complete this will depend on the number of changes required, but will usually be six months to one year. You will be awarded your degree once your amended thesis has been reviewed and accepted.
• Immediate award of MPhil: An uncommon recommendation – your examiners believe your thesis does not meet the standard for a doctoral degree but meets the standard for an MPhil (Master of Philosophy), a lower Master’s degree.
• Amendments required for MPhil: A rare recommendation – your examiners believe your thesis does not meet the standard for a doctoral degree, but with several amendments will meet the standard for an MPhil.
• Immediate fail: A very rare recommendation – you are given an immediate fail without the ability to resubmit and without entitlement to an MPhil.

Finding a PhD has never been this easy – search for a PhD by keyword, location or academic area of interest.

What Is the Pass Rate for Vivas?

Based on an  analysis of 26,076 PhD students  who took their viva exam between 2006 and 2017, the PhD viva pass rate in the UK is 96%; of those who passed, about 80% were required to make minor amendments to their thesis. The reason for this high pass rate is that supervisors will only put their students forward for a viva once they confidently believe they are ready for it. As a result, most candidates who sit a viva are already well-versed in their PhD topic before they even start preparing for the exam.

How Do I Arrange a Viva?

Your viva will be arranged either by the examiners or by the chairperson. The viva will be arranged at least one to two months after you have submitted your thesis and will arrange a viva date and venue that is suitable for all participants.

Can I Choose My Examiners?

At most universities, you and your supervisor will choose the internal and external examiners yourselves. This is because the examiners must have extensive knowledge of the thesis topic in order to be able to examine you and, as the author of the thesis in question, who else could better determine who they might be than you and your supervisor. The internal examiner is usually quite easy to find given they will be from your institution, but the external examiner may end up being your second or third preference depending on availability.

Can I Take Notes Into a Viva?

A viva is about testing your competence, not your memory. As such, you are allowed to take notes and other supporting material in with you. However, keep in mind that your examiners will not be overly impressed if you constantly have to refer to your notes to answer each question. Because of this, many students prefer to take an annotated copy of their thesis, with important points already highlighted and key chapters marked with post-it notes.

In addition to an annotated copy of a thesis, some students also take:

• a list of questions they would like to ask the examiners,
• notes that were created during their preparation,
• a list of minor corrections they have already identified from their viva prep work.

How Do I Prepare for a PhD Viva?

There are several ways to prepare for a PhD viva, one of the most effective being a mock viva voce examination . This allows you to familiarise yourself with the type of viva questions you will be asked and identify any weak areas you need to improve. They also give you the opportunity to practise without the pressure, giving you more time to think about your answers which will help to make sure that you know your thesis inside out. However, a mock viva exam is just one of many methods available to you – some of the other viva preparation methods can be found on our “ How to Prepare for a PhD Viva ” page.

Browse PhDs Now

Join thousands of students.

Join thousands of other students and stay up to date with the latest PhD programmes, funding opportunities and advice.

PhD Assistance

How do i prepare for a phd viva, phd viva presentation, phd viva questions.

It is a matter and pride great amount of pride to get done with your Ph.D. degree. A great number of efforts goes into making it happen. But preparing dissertations, thesis and getting it reviewed by the panel is no less than a herculean task. Even though you are done with preparing your thesis, yet the journey continues. There exists one big task to complete or to say a bridge to cross before finally getting your thesis approved and being conferred with the doctorate. This essential part during the doctorate or Ph.D. program is the viva. After you have prepared your thesis, the next step is submission to the panel wherein it will be reviewed and the student will be intellectually tested for their knowledge that they have put into the process.

Passing through this hurdle will ensure your doctorate degree which requires little more labor and a lot of sharp wits. So, before heading on to discuss how one can manage or survive the rig-ours of Ph.D. viva let’s take a sneak peek through the actualities of why the viva is conducted and later move towards tips and tricks to ease the entire process:

Why is a Viva required?

Viva is an oral examination wherein students are tested on their thinking caliber in front of a big panel of experts. The primary purpose of a viva is to understand how much does the student know about the topic and to understand their level of contribution. Well, doesn’t that make you read through your work and prepare well for the viva before getting through the actual process?

What does Viva include?

As any other viva session, a Ph.D. viva includes a lot of question and answers with you on the latter side of the panel. The thesis prepared by you will be thoroughly reviewed by experts right from the topic to the format. The formal purpose is to have a direct discussion with the students to test their knowledge of the subject.

Ph.D. being an important degree and thesis being the most essential aspect of the course. Thence one cannot deny its level of crucial and importance. Viva also includes Ph.D. viva presentation wherein the student will be required to prepare a PowerPoint presentation surrounding the topic. The PowerPoint presentation will include all the minute points and details most importantly those points which you wish to highlight in your study, mentioned in a gist. This not only makes the entire process less cumbersome or writing, preparing and presenting viva but also throws out light about the student’s knowledge of the topic.

Summarizing of the topic

The Ph.D. viva begins with the student asked to summarize the entire topic in a gist. The student must thus prepare themselves in advance to speak about your topic, the reason for choosing the topic, what does it convey. Additionally, it is recommended to read the entire thesis well before the presentation and viva, jotting down important points which can be put forth as questions. The summary will be the first ground to set your impression on the invigilator. The topics may also lead to debates, wherein your caliber and expertise in the subject will be tested further.

When preparing for Viva:

Be well abreast with the university’s terms and policies. Each and every institution and university have their own set of terms and conditions. Therefore, it is imperative to primarily read through the conditions and accordingly prepare yourself for the big day. You could also try to find about the panel that would be conducting the viva and get an understanding from peers about the kind of questions they pose and what to expect during the viva, which will prove to be cherry on the cake for your preparation.

• Go through your thesis

Go through your theses, but now not as a student but as a third person. This will help you see through the prism of your thesis and help you gauge any loopholes and whether the research is up-to-date. Moreover, never underestimate the time spent by the examiners in reading through your thesis. And thus, this calls for you to be an equal expert who can handle the questions tactfully.

Along with reading through your thesis, check whether there have been any recent papers which are published in the particular topic same as yours and if so, ensure to read through them to be abreast with the latest happenings.

• Hit the bull’s eye

During a Ph.D. viva, there are usually two examiners who would be present during the process. One who is an external expert from the field, who is not usually from your university and the other an internal one who is a subject expert associated with your field. Your onus is to win the minds of both. It is usually the external examiner who will be shooting the questions. Thus, being pretty updated with the subject knowledge, reading about the contributors who are related to your topic in some way is the best way out for winning the doctorate.

• Prepare your answers

This is an important aspect of the viva and it all depends on how you defend your research.From this perspective, it is necessary to defend your point of view and claims, explaining your contribution and knowledge of the topic. Remember that no project is ever perfect, however, letting the examiner know you have contributed your best to the project is all the more important. For this, you can kick-start with anticipating some of the most sought questions and probable ones which you consider will be asked during the viva. Primarily looking for those which are most asked during a Ph.D. viva will ease your task to a large extent. Mostly the questions will be related to your literature review and conceptual points.

• Practice the technique of answering

Well, you are not going to get a chance for reading your answers from your laptop verbatim in front of the examiner. However, being well prepared like knowing the answers like the back of your hand is the most important aspect. Articulate your answers and try to present yourself an answer in the tone you would be using for answering the examiner.

• Take a printed copy of your thesis at the time of viva

It is always better to have an extra copy of your thesis present with you at the time of viva. In this copy, mark the important points and highlight them which you think might be useful at the time of viva. This will surely leave an impression on the examiner about your commitment to and involvement in the topic.

Now coming to what to do during a viva:

• First impression matters

The first few minutes of introduction is all that can create an impression. Therefore,,keep a calm demeanor with no pinch of nervousness (though it is bound to exist). You will be getting a total of 15 minutes to articulate your knowledge to the examiner regarding the project. You must hence prepare well for your answers which showcases your knowledge of the topic, thinking-process and more importantly your confidence.

Avoid short and non-specific answers, this can turn the whole viva upside down.Thus, ensure you break the ice of silence and march ahead in the journey of achieving the Ph.D. degree and adding the prefix of Dr. to your name.

• Do not think negative

Often examiners do not render comments to the students. This gets students into a pickle wherein they consider the answers to be either wrong or not so impressive to the examiners. Most often the institutional policy prohibits giving comments and sometimes the examiner notes it in the thesis remark.

• Be ready for a healthy debate

A presentation or viva might not always be a smooth ride. There might be moments of debates that would require you to showcase your prowess. So don’t miss the opportunity, answer each question tactfully. The student here must know when to be more tactful, conceptual and when to apply a friendly tone.

• When in doubt better to get it clarified

No one is a wizard and during the viva, there might be moments due to nervousness and a constant hit of questions when you need to look through your thesis for reference. Thus, herein you can ask your examiner for some time to write it down and during the time conceptualize your answer.

• No time bar

Be well prepared and know that your viva might go on for one to 3 hours or even more. So accordingly, be well prepared with your answers and focus on explaining and expressing your contribution to the topic in a precise and concise manner.

While it might seem stressful, a Ph.D. viva is quite easy if you have a good understanding of the topic and confidence in yourself.

So running through the whole points:

• Be confident
• Read through the thesis
• Mark important points

Be tactful with your answers to sail through the viva smoothly.

Research Help Guide Research Subject

Related Topics

PhD Trending Topics thesis viva doctoral viva phd viva preparation Secondary research methods Journal Publishing Primary and secondary research Academic Research scholarly research

• doctoral viva
• failed phd viva
• phd thesis viva
• phd viva exam
• phd viva preparation
• phd viva tips
• phd viva voce
• preparing for your viva
• thesis viva
• viva phd meaning

Quick Contact

• Adversial Attacks
• Artificial Intelligence
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and ML ( Machine Learning )
• Big Data Analysis
• Business and Management
• Categories of Research methodology – PhDAssistance
• Category of Research Proposal Services
• coding & algorithm
• Computer Data Science
• Category of Machine Learning – PhDassistance
• Computer Science/Research writing/Manuscript
• Course Work Service
• Data Analytics
• Data Processing
• Deep Networks
• Dissertation Statistics
• economics dissertation
• Editing Services
• Electrical Engineering Category
• Engineering & Technology
• finance dissertation writing
• Gap Identification
• Healthcare Dissertation Writing
• Intrusion-detection-system
• journals publishing
• Life Science Dissertation writing services
• literature review service
• Machine Learning
• medical thesis writing
• Peer review
• PhD Computer Programming
• PhD Dissertation
• Phd Journal Manuscript
• Annotated Bibliography
• PhD Publication Support
• Phd thesis writing services
• Phd Topic Selection
• Categories of PhdAssistance Dissertation
• Power Safety
• problem identification
• Quantitative Analysis
• quantitative research
• Recent Trends
• Referencing and Formatting
• Research Gap
• research journals
• Research Methodology
• research paper
• Research Proposal Service
• secondary Data collection
• Statistical Consulting Services
• Uncategorized

PhD Dissertation Defense Slides Design: Start

• Tips for designing the slides
• Presentation checklist
• Example slides
• Additional Resources

Purpose of the Guide

This guide was created to help ph.d. students in engineering fields to design dissertation defense presentations. the guide provides 1) tips on how to effectively communicate research, and 2) full presentation examples from ph.d. graduates. the tips on designing effective slides are not restricted to dissertation defense presentations; they can be used in designing other types of presentations such as conference talks, qualification and proposal exams, and technical seminars., the tips and examples are used to help students to design effective presentation. the technical contents in all examples are subject to copyright, please do not replicate. , if you need help in designing your presentation, please contact julie chen ([email protected]) for individual consultation. .

• Example Slides Repository
• Defense slides examples Link to examples dissertation defense slides.

Useful Links

• CIT Thesis and dissertation standards
• Dissertations and Theses @ Carnegie Mellon This link opens in a new window Covers 1920-present. Full text of some dissertations may be available 1997-present. Citations and abstracts of dissertations and theses CMU graduate students have published through UMI Dissertation Publishing. In addition to citations and abstracts, the service provides free access to 24 page previews and the full text in PDF format, when available. In most cases, this will be works published in 1997 forward.
• Communicate your research data Data visualization is very important in communicating your data effectively. Check out these do's and don'ts for designing figures.

Power Point Template and other Resources

• CEE Powerpoint Slide Presentation Template 1
• CEE Powerpoint Slide Presentation Template 2

Source: CEE Department Resources https://www.cmu.edu/cee/resources/index.html

• CMU Powerpoint Slide Template

Source: CMU Marketing and Communications

https://www.cmu.edu/marcom/brand-standards/downloads/index.html

• Use of CMU logos, marks, and Unitmarks

Email me for questions and schedule an appointment

Top 7 tips for your defense presentation

1. show why your study is important, remember, your audience is your committee members, researchers in other fields, and even the general public. you want to convince all of them why you deserve a ph.d. degree. you need to talk about why your study is important to the world. in the engineering field, you also need to talk about how your study is useful. try to discuss why current practice is problematic or not good enough, what needs to be solved, and what the potential benefits will be. , see how dr. posen and dr. malings explained the importance of their studies..

• Carl Malings Defense Slides with Notes
• I. Daniel Posen Defense Slides with Notes

2. Emphasize YOUR contribution 

Having a ph.d. means that you have made some novel contributions to the grand field. this is about you and your research. you need to keep emphasizing your contributions throughout your presentation. after talking about what needs to be solved, try to focus on emphasizing the novelty of your work. what problems can be solved using your research outcomes what breakthroughs have you made to the field why are your methods and outcomes outstanding you need to incorporate answers to these questions in your presentation. , be clear what your contributions are in the introduction section; separate what was done by others and what was done by you. , 3. connect your projects into a whole piece of work, you might have been doing multiple projects that are not strongly connected. to figure out how to connect them into a whole piece, use visualizations such as flow charts to convince your audience. the two slides below are two examples. in the first slide, which was presented in the introduction section, the presenter used a flow diagram to show the connection between the three projects. in the second slide, the presenter used key figures and a unique color for each project to show the connection..

• Xiaoju Chen Defense Slides with Notes

4. Tell a good story 

The committee members do not necessarily have the same background knowledge as you. plus, there could be researchers from other fields and even the general public in the room. you want to make sure all of your audience can understand as much as possible. focus on the big picture rather than technical details; make sure you use simple language to explain your methods and results. your committee has read your dissertation before your defense, but others have not. , dr. cook and dr. velibeyoglu did a good job explaining their research to everyone. the introduction sessions in their presentations are well designed for this purpose. .

• Laren M. Cook Defense Slides with Notes
• Irem Velibeyoglu Defense with Notes

5. Transition, transition, transition

Use transition slides to connect projects , it's a long presentation with different research projects. you want to use some sort of transition to remind your audience what you have been talking about and what is next. you may use a slide that is designed for this purpose throughout your presentation. , below are two examples. these slides were presented after the introduction section. the presenters used the same slides and highlighted the items for project one to indicate that they were moving on to the first project. throughout the presentation, they used these slides and highlighted different sections to indicate how these projects fit into the whole dissertation. .

You can also use some other indications on your slides, but remember not to make your slides too busy.  Below are two examples. In the first example, the presenter used chapter numbers to indicate what he was talking about. In the second example, the presenter used a progress bar with keywords for each chapter as the indicator. 

Use transition sentences to connect slides 

Remember transition sentences are also important; use them to summarize what you have said and tell your audience what they will expect next. if you keep forgetting the transition sentence, write a note on your presentation. you can either write down a full sentence of what you want to say or some keywords., 6. be brief, put details in backup slides , you won't have time to explain all of the details. if your defense presentation is scheduled for 45 minutes, you can only spend around 10 minutes for each project - that's shorter than a normal research conference presentation focus on the big picture and leave details behind. you can put the details in your backup slides, so you might find them useful when your committee (and other members of the audience) ask questions regarding these details., 7. show your presentation to your advisor and colleagues, make sure to ask your advisor(s) for their comments. they might have a different view on what should be emphasized and what should be elaborated. , you also want to practice at least once in front of your colleagues. they can be your lab mates, people who work in your research group, and/or your friends. they do not have to be experts in your field. ask them to give you some feedback - their comments can be extremely helpful to improve your presentation. , below are some other tips and resources to design your defense presentation. .

• Tips for designing your defense presentation

How important is your presentation, and cookies?

• Next: Tips for designing the slides >>
• Last Updated: Jan 9, 2024 11:18 AM
• URL: https://guides.library.cmu.edu/c.php?g=883178

Ph.D Viva voce presentation format (1).ppt

PRESENTATION FORMAT Read less

Recommended

More related content, what's hot, what's hot ( 20 ), similar to ph.d viva voce presentation format (1).ppt, similar to ph.d viva voce presentation format (1).ppt ( 20 ), recently uploaded, recently uploaded ( 20 ).

• 2. [TITLE] Viva voce Submitted to Texila American University in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in [Investment Management] Submitted by [Gladys Njoukiang Asaah] Under the guidance of [Prof Marcel T. Ngambi]
• 3. Abstract of the Thesis  This study seeks to examine the role corporate governance plays on the performance of commercial banks in Cameroon.  Does corporate governance have any effect on the financial performance ?  The study used the ex-post facto research design to find answer to the research question.  The sample was 10 banks and data was from 2015 to 2019.
• 4. Abstract of the Thesis  The study revealed that disclosure of governance by commercial banks in Cameroon has a positive and significant relationship with the financial performance of commercial banks in Cameroon (t=2.702, p=.007).  Capital adequacy ratio, as a measure of external corporate governance mechanism, had statistically significant positive effect on bank performance.  The researcher recommends that in order to advance corporate governance more effort should be paid on the value of the stock ownership of board members.
• 5. Chapter-I Introduction
• 6. 1.1 Introducing the topic of Research  Corporate governance plays a vital role in creating a corporate culture of consciousness, transparency, and openness.  In modern business corporations, the main external stakeholder groups are;  Internal stakeholders are the board of directors, executives, and other employees (Akpan & Riman, 2012).
• 7. Introduction cont’d  Corporate governance is the collection of mechanisms.  Governance structures and principles identify the distribution of rights and responsibilities among different participants.  Corporate governance is necessary because of the possibility of conflicts of interests between stakeholders.
• 8. Introduction cont’d  In Cameroon, the collapsed of commercial banks in the late 1980s and 1990s was seriously blamed on inadequate supervisory, official recklessness and industry was notorious for ethical abuses (Kouassi et al 2007).  Poor corporate governance was identified as one of the major factors in virtually all known instances of bank distress in the country.  Weak corporate governance remain a worrisome feature of the banking system
• 9. 1.2 Conceptual Definitions Sir Adrian Cadbury came out with an acceptable of corporate governance.  Corporate governance is the system by which companies are directed and controlled.  Boards of directors are responsible for the governance of their companies.
• 10. 1.2 Conceptual Definitions  The shareholders' role in governance is to appoint the directors and the auditors and to satisfy themselves that an appropriate governance structure is in place.  The responsibilities of the directors.  The Board's actions are subjected to laws, regulations and the shareholders in general meeting (Olayiwola, 2010).
• 11. Chapter - II Review of Literature
• 12. II Review of Literature  Devoid of a unified or systematic theory, its paradigm, diagnosis and solutions lie in multidisciplinary fields i.e. economics, accountancy, finance among others (Cadbury, 2002).  In any organization, corporate governance is one of the key factors that determine the health of the system and its ability to survive economic shocks.  The health of the organization depends on the underlying soundness of its individual components and the connections between them.
• 13. II Review of Literature Cont’d According to Morck, Shleifer and Vishny (1989), among the main factors that support the stability of any country’s financial system include:  good corporate governance; effective marketing discipline; strong prudential regulation and supervision;  accurate and reliable accounting financial reporting systems;  a sound disclosure regime and an appropriate savings deposit protection system.
• 14. II Review of Literature Cont’d  Gompers et al. (2003) found that the risk-adjusted returns of firms with strong governance were 8.5% higher than firms with poor governance.  Balasubramanium et al. (2008) found a positive significant association between their overall India Corporate Governance Index (ICGI).
• 15. II Review of Literature Cont’d  Brown and Caylor (2004) found positive association between corporate governance scores and financial performance of firm  One of the key findings of Mani and Sreedharan (2004
• 16. Theoretical Framework Agency Theory Stewardship Theory
• 17. Rationale & need for the Study The work is specifically to the banking industry.  Not restricted to the framework of the OECD principles which is based primarily on shareholder sovereignty.  compliance of code of corporate governance in Cameroon commercial banks with the Cameroonian code of corporate governance.  Lastly another gap this study intended to fill is that while other studies on corporate governance had ignored the operating performance variable as proxies for performance.
• 18. Research questions This study addressed issues relating to the following pertinent questions emerging within the domain of study problems: 1. To what extent does board size affect and the financial performance of commercial banks in Cameroon? 2. Is there a significant difference in the financial performance of commercial banks with foreign directors and banks without foreign directors in Cameroon? 3. Is the relationship between the proportion of non-executive directors and the financial performance of commercial banks in Cameroon statistically significant? 4. To what extent does the level of corporate governance disclosure affect the performance of banks in Cameroon?
• 19. Objectives Main objective Specific Objectives
• 20. Hypotheses To proffer useful answers to the research questions and realize the study objectives, the following hypotheses stated in their null forms will be tested; Hypothesis 1: H0: There is no significant relationship between board size and financial performance of commercial banks in Cameroon Hypothesis 2: H0: There is no significant difference in the financial performance of commercial banks with foreign directors and commercial banks without foreign directors in Cameroon
• 21. Hypotheses Hypothesis 3: H0: The relationship between the proportion of non-executive directors and the financial performance of Cameroonian commercial banks is statistically not significant Hypothesis 4: H0: There is no significant relationship between the governance disclosures of commercial banks in Cameroon and their performance
• 22. III Methodology Statement of the Problem  Banks have always been at the heart of the world’s last financial crisis.  Code of Corporate Governance for banks in Cameroon requires banks to control challenges integration processes of information technology and culture.  The problem of corporate governance still remains un-resolved, thereby increasing the level of fraud which endanger depositors’ funds.
• 23. III Methodology Statement of the Problem  The boards of directors are more often criticized for the decline in shareholders’ wealth and corporate failure.  It is in the light of the above problems, that this research work
• 24. III Methodology Cont’d Research Design The research design that was adopted for the study was ex-post facto research design. This design was considered appropriate because the researcher had no control over the dependent and the independent variables being studied.
• 25. III Methodology Cont’d Data Gathering Method The data used for this study will be secondary data derived from the audited financial statements of the selected registered commercial banks in Cameroon. A five years period from 2015-2019 will be the period of concentration. This study also made use of books and other related materials especially the BEAC and Douala Stock exchange.
• 26. III Methodology Cont’d Research Instruments • In determining the level of corporate governance disclosure among the Registered banks in Cameroon, the study used the content analysis technique as a means of eliciting data from the audited annual reports of the selected banks. This was done using the researcher’s checklist constructed using the the OECD code of corporate governance. • This is divided into 5 broad categories: • Financial disclosures, • non-financial disclosures, • annual general meetings, • timing and means of disclosure, and • best practices for compliance with corporate disclosure.
• 27. III Methodology Cont’d Method of Data Presentation • Data gathered from the annual reports of the sampled banks are presented in tabular forms. Percentages were also used to present the level of compliance to corporate governance disclosure.
• 28. Variables • 3.5 Model Specification • The Econometric model of Miyajima et al (2003) is therefore seen below as; • Yit = Yit = o + 1Git + 2SZEt + 3 BDTt + et • Where: • Yit represents firm performance variables which are: return on capital employed, earnings per share, return on assets and return on equity for banking firms at time t. • Git is a vector of corporate governance variables which include: Board Size (BDS), Board Composition (BDC) which is defined as the ratio of outside directors to total number of directors, a dummy variable (CEO) to capture if the board chairman is the same as the CEO or otherwise, CEO’s tenure of office (CET).
• 29. Variables Model Specification • The Econometric model of Miyajima et al (2003) is therefore seen below as; • Yit = 0 + 1Git + 2 SZEt + 3 BDTt + et • Where: • Yit represents firm performance variables which are: return on capital employed, earnings per share, return on assets and return on equity for banking firms at time t. • Git is a vector of corporate governance variables which include: Board Size (BDS), Board Composition (BDC) which is defined as the ratio of outside directors to total number of directors, a dummy variable (CEO) to capture if the board chairman is the same as the CEO or otherwise, CEO’s tenure of office (CET).
• 30. Variables Cont’d • SZEt is the size of the firm • BDTt is the debt structure of the firm • et, the error term which account for other possible factors that could influence Yit that are not captured in the model. • Based on the fact that we employed different governance and performance proxies, the above model is therefore modified to determine the relationship between bank performance and corporate governance of banks in Cameroon. In doing this we therefore developed two simple definitional models to guide our analyses. These models are as follows;
• 31. Variables Cont’d Model 1 • ROEit = f(BOSt, BCOMPt, CGDIt )……………………………….. (1) • ROEit = o + 1BOSt + 2BCOMPt + 3CGDIt +et ……………….. (2) Model 2 • ROAit = f(BOSt, BCOMPt, , CGDIt )…………………………………(3) • ROAit = o + 1BOSt + 2BCOMPt + 3CGDIt +et……………. (4)
• 32. Variables Cont’d • Where: • ROE and ROA represents firm performance variables which are: Return on assets and Return on equity for banking firms at time t. • BOS represents the Board Size; Board Composition is represented by BCOMP which is defined as the ratio of outside directors to total number of directors, while CGDI represents Corporate Governance Disclosure Index respectively.
• 33. Variables Cont’d • et, the error term which account for other possible factors that could influence ROEit and ROAit that are not captured in the model. The a priori is such that: • 1BOSt; 2BCOMPt; and 3CGDIt > 0. • The implication of this is that a positive relationship is expected between explanatory variables ( 1BOSt; 2BCOMPt; and 3CGDIt) and the dependent variable. • The size of the coefficient of correlation will help us explain various levels of relationship between the explanatory variables.
• 34. Sample Study Population • The population for this study consists of all the 15 registered commercial banks in Cameroon as at 2020. Sample Size • The judgmental sampling technique was used in selecting the 10 listed banks out of the 15 registered commercial banks.
• 35. Data analysis & Technique • Panel Data Regression Analysis: this is a type of regression analysis that involves panel data analytical technique.
• 36. IV Results & Discussions Years Bank 1 Bank 2 Bank 3 Bank 4 Bank 5 Bank 6 Bank 7 Bank 8 Bank 9 Bank 10 2015 23 30 32 24 23 21 18 23 24 31 2016 24 28 33 27 32 27 24 28 33 32 2017 29 32 33 32 35 32 29 31 34 34 2018 30 35 33 34 32 34 30 34 34 36 2019 32 34 36 36 40 38 39 43 41 38 Total 138 159 167 153 162 152 140 159 166 171 Av 27.6 31.8 33.4 30.6 32.4 30.4 28 31.8 33.2 34.2 CGDI 0.61 0.71 0.74 0.68 0.72 0.68 0.62 0.71 0.74 0.76 Level of Corporate Governance Disclosure by commercial banks in Cameroon
• 37. IV Results & Discussions Cont’d Percentage of Banks’ Compliance to Corporate Governance Disclosure Items Source: computed by researcher using data extracted from annual reports of banks (2020) CGD ITEMSS CGD 1 CGD 2 CGD 3 CGD4 CGD 5 CGD 6 CGD 7 CGD8 CGD9 CGD1 0 CGD1 1 CGD12 Ave. no of compliant banks 10 6 10 2 10 2 4 5 10 4 5 8 % of compliant banks 100 % 60% 100 % 20% 100 % 20% 40% 50% 100% 40% 50% 80% CGD ITEMS CGD 13 CGD 14 CGD 15 CGD1 6 CGD 17 CGD 18 CGD 19 CGD2 0 CGD2 1 CGD2 2 CGD2 3 CGD24 Ave. no of compliant banks 10 10 10 10 10 10 2 4 10 10 2 8 % of compliant banks 100 % 100 % 100 % 100% 100 % 100 % 20% 40% 100% 100% 20% 80% CGD ITEMS CGD 25 CGD 26 CGD 27 CGD2 8 CGD 29 CGD 30 CGD 31 CGD3 2 CGD3 3 CGD3 4 CGD3 5 CGD36 Ave. no of compliant banks 10 10 1 3 1 7 6 10 10 10 4 10 % of compliant banks 100 % 100 % 10% 30% 10% 70% 60% 100% 100% 100% 40% 100% CGD ITEMS CGD 37 CGD 38 CGD 39 CGD4 0 CGD 41 CGD 42 CGD 43 CGD4 4 CGD4 5 Ave. no of compliant banks 1 4 10 10 10 7 6 10 10 % of compliant banks 10% 40% 100 % 100% 100 % 70% 60% 100% 100%
• 38. ROE BOS BCOM CGDI ROE 1 BOS -.449** 1 BCOM -.486** -.289** 1 CGDI .252** .228** .119 1 **. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). IV Results & Discussions Cont’d Pearson’s Correlation Coefficients Matrix for Model 1 Source: computed by researcher using data extracted from annual reports of banks (2020)
• 39. ROA BOS BCO M CGD I ROA 1 BOS -0.452** 1 BCOM -.323** .289** 1 CGDI .134* .228** 0.119 1 ** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). Pearson’s Correlation Coefficients Matrix for Model 2 Source: computed by researcher using data extracted from annual reports of banks (2020) IV Results & Discussions Cont’d
• 40. Coefficientsa Model Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized Coefficients t Sig. B Std. Error Beta 1 (Constant) 5.514 1.131 4.875 .000 BOS -.253 .043 -.307 -5.872 .000 BCOM -.418 .056 -.381 -7.418 .000 CGDI .118 .044 .136 2.702 .007 a. Dependent Variable: ROE Regression Result of model I R Squared = 0.59 Adjusted R Squared = 0.51 F- Statistics = 49.009 IV Results & Discussions Cont’d
• 41. IV Results & Discussions Cont’d Regression result for model II Coefficientsa Model Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized Coefficients t Sig. B Std. Error Beta 1 (Constant) 10.444 1.537 6.797 .000 BOS -.173 .058 -.179 -2.961 .003 BCOM .463 .076 .359 6.052 .000 CGDI -.134 .059 -.132 -2.271 .024 a. Dependent Variable: ROA R Squared = 0.63 Adjusted R Squared = 0.54 F- Statistics = 54.83
• 42. IV Results & Discussions Cont’d Hypothesis 1: There is no significant relationship between board size and financial performance of commercial banks in Cameroon. • The correlation analysis between board size and return on equity (ROE) has a coefficient (r) of -.449, meaning that there exists an inverse correlation between the two variables. Also, the regression coefficient of the model is negative (-.253), with a p- value of .000 significant at 1%.
• 43. IV Results & Discussions Cont’d Hypothesis 2: The relationship between board composition and the financial performance of Cameroonian commercial banks is statistically not significant. • The correlation result of this aspect of the study revealed a negative correlation coefficient of -.48 which indicates that the more the number of non-executive directors, the less the financial performance of commercial banks in Cameroon.
• 44. IV Results & Discussions Cont’d Hypothesis 3: There is no significant relationship between the governance disclosures of commercial banks in Cameroon and their performance. • The result of this aspect of the study revealed that there is a positive correlation of 0.252 was observed between corporate governance disclosure by selected commercial banks and the performance of banks as measured by return on equity (ROE).
• 45. Summary & Conclusion
• 46. Summary The summary of findings was in line with the results of the statistical analysis carried out to examine the relationship that exists between corporate governance and the financial performance of commercial banks in Cameroon. 1. The findings from the descriptive analysis of this study showed that the average board size of commercial banks in Cameroon is 15 which is relatively moderate board size.
• 47. Summary 2. Also, board composition which is the proportion of non-executive directors to the executive directors on the board meeting recorded a mean of 75%. This means that on average, about 75% of the board members are outside directors (non-executive directors). 3. The average level of corporate governance disclosure is 84% which showed that at least all the banks present a statement of their corporate governance practices. Nevertheless, the comprehensiveness of the statement differs from one bank to another
• 48. Summary Cont’d 4. The result of the regression analysis revealed that board size (BOS) has a negative (-.253) relationship with the financial performance of commercial banks in Cameroon. • This result was also significant (t=-5.87, p=.000). • The findings clearly indicate that an inverse relationship exist between board size and the financial performance of commercial banks in Cameroon as measured by ROE
• 49. Summary Cont’d 5. Also, the regression analysis indicated that there exist a negative (-.418) between board composition (proposition of non-executive directors) and the financial performance of commercial banks in Cameroon as measured by ROE. This result was equally significant (t=-7.418, p=.000). The negative sign observed here means that an increase in the non- executive directors on the board of directors will lead to a corresponding decrease in the financial performance of commercial banks in Cameroon.
• 50. Conclusion • Based on the findings obtained from this study, the following conclusions could be made; most of the governance issues disclosed by commercial banks in Cameroon has no consistency. • Even though all the banks disclose their corporate governance practices, what is usually disclosed is not in conformity with a particular standard. • Information on the performance of debt is hardly made known to the public. • Such information assist investors and would be investors an idea of outstanding debts in terms due dates and their ages.
• 51. Limitations of the study • Due to the current civil unrest in the country data collection was difficult though the researcher planned her movements to enable her collect the required data • The researcher did not have sufficient resources thus the work took a longer time than anticipated • The researcher did not get the much needed support from the internal guide but the co-guide dedicated much of his time to the best of his ability.
• 52. Directions for Future Research Based on the findings of this research, we therefore present the following recommendations which will be useful to stakeholders. 1) In order to advance corporate governance more effort should be attentive to the value of the stock ownership of board members, since this positively affect the operating performance. 2) Advocates of board independence should note with caution the negative relationship between board individuality and future operating performance.
• 53. Directions for Future Research 2) Hence, if the purpose of board independence is to improve performance, then such efforts might be ill-advised. However, if the purpose of board independence is to discipline management of poorly performing firms or otherwise monitor, then board independence has merit.
• 54. References Appendices
• 55. Wishing you the best of luck in your mentoring endeavors! Thank You Very much for you kind attention

Got any suggestions?

We want to hear from you! Send us a message and help improve Slidesgo

Top searches

Trending searches

15 templates

26 templates

49 templates

american history

76 templates

great barrier reef

17 templates

39 templates

PhD Dissertation

It seems that you like this template, phd dissertation presentation, free google slides theme and powerpoint template.

In order to achieve the highest academic degree there is, you need the best presentation for your dissertation. Years of hard work will pay off with this free template by Slidesgo, which can help you focus on your message without having to worry about the visual design.

The color palette is neutral, as it plays with gray, conveying maturity. You’ll find several inspiring pictures with a grayish blue filter, and these come with a nice variety of topics that reinforce the human side of things. Use our slides to place quotes, tables, timelines and graphs to properly display references, data, schedule and statistics. You’ll find it very easy to distribute your text within the composition, and the typography focuses on seriousness and stability. Everyone will soon address you as Doctor!

Features of this template

• A professional presentation template with a minimalist look and inspiring pictures
• 100% editable and easy to modify
• 16 different slides to impress your audience
• Contains easy-to-edit graphics and maps
• Includes 1000+ icons and Flaticon’s extension for customizing your slides
• Designed to be used in Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint
• 16:9 widescreen format suitable for all types of screens
• Includes information about fonts, colors, and credits of the free resources used

How can I use the template?

Am I free to use the templates?

How to attribute?

Attribution required If you are a free user, you must attribute Slidesgo by keeping the slide where the credits appear. How to attribute?

Related posts on our blog.

How to Add, Duplicate, Move, Delete or Hide Slides in Google Slides

How to Change Layouts in PowerPoint

How to Change the Slide Size in Google Slides

Related presentations.

Premium template

Unlock this template and gain unlimited access

Register for free and start editing online