'The viva voce examination'

#phdchat tweet log -11th January 2012

@NSRiazat - Welcome to #phdchat - the topic for tonight is 'the viva voce/defence' examination'. #phd #phdchat

@ClaretCarly - @LBA_OX12 Same here, but I have a feeling it'll come round quicker than I'd like to imagine! #phdchat

@beckyheaver - My viva is in a couple of months so definitely joining in #phdchat tonight!

@NSRiazat - @lizith - aww thank you. #phdchat wouldn't be the great resource it is without all your contributions. :)

@lizith - @NSRiazat I'm probably mainly a lurker tonight, but interested in people's experiences #phdchat

@srossmktg - @NSRiazat You mean like dissertation defense? Proposal defense? Both? #phdchat

@profology - Time for academics to withdraw free labour: http://t.co/9rwFTEwl #highered #phdchat #cdnpse

@UK_DZ_Bella - Hi every one #phdchat.

@lizgloyn - Hi #phdchat - I have survived a PhD defence in the US system, but tips on preparation apply to both US and UK way of doing things!

@UK_DZ_Bella - @beckyheaver Me too and good luck #phdchat

@lizgloyn - @srossmktg In UK, the viva voce is the equivalent of the dissertation defence - both happen when PhD has been completed #phdchat

@Janshs - @NSRiazat: Welcome to #phdchat - the topic for tonight is 'the viva voce/defence' examination'. #phd #phdchat

@lizgloyn - @srossmktg In UK, viva is done by two academics who are NOT your supervisor, as opposed to US committee who have seen work grow #phdchat

@srossmktg - @lizgloyn Ah. Interesting. Totally different cultures on that... #phdchat

@beckyheaver - @UK_DZ_Bella Thanks you too! #phdchat

@lizith - don't know if it is just me, but Twitter is very slow here this evening #phdchat

@UK_DZ_Bella - @lizgloyn an external and internal examiners will be there, also your supervisor will attend! #phdchat

@mdanganh - Summer School: "Research on computer-mediated communication in #linguistics" http://t.co/1PXKXEUT #phdchat #CMC

@srossmktg - @lizgloyn Very very true. I have to defend my proposal first. There is no final defence if that doesn't happen. #phdchat

@LBA_OX12 - What is the purpose of the vive? Is it an oral exam or checking that U can justify ur thesis? #phdchat

@srossmktg - @lizgloyn In my dept, that tends to be more a formality. As does the final defence. Unless it's all fatally flawed. #phdchat

@beckyheaver - @lizith It's a bit slow for me too :-) #phdchat

@srossmktg - @lizgloyn Since our committee is supposedly moving us along on the right track, the defence is more of a gauntlet than anything. #phdchat

@lizith - @beckyheaver so I can't blame son for hogging all the bandwidth with his gaming! #phdchat

@carinavr - @LBA_OX12 Purpose of viva is partly to ensure that the thesis is your own work. #phdchat

@lizgloyn - @LBA_OX12 Viva is oral exam which is meant to make sure 1) that you did your own work 2) that you can justify your arguments ... #phdchat

@lizgloyn - @LBA_OX12 3) that you can place your work in the context of wider academic world & 4) that you deserve the doctorate, based on 1-3 #phdchat

@carinavr - @srossmktg In my experience none was a formality but a real hurdle you had to get over. In proposal defence 1 of group failed. #phdchat

@lizgloyn - @srossmktg I didn't have proposal defence, but it did have to be approved by departmental committee - I had to rewrite mine #phdchat

@srossmktg - @carinavr I hadn't seen a failure, but I did see a final defence where the question was relatively easy and it wasnt addressed well #phdchat

@AmandaMichelle - ooh, #phdchat discussion is on dissertation defenses! goll, i hope we revisit this say... some time in 2015/2016, lol! *lurks*

@lizgloyn - @srossmktg Only failures at final defence in US I know of are where student was given advice and utterly ignored it #phdchat

@srossmktg - @lizgloyn Ah, see, my advisor is making me do a "miniproposal" so I don't go horribly off track before the formal one. #phdchat

@yukrla - @lizgloyn I am having to rewrite a section of my 'transfer' document too...how did you go along that? #phdchat

@lizgloyn - @srossmktg These things vary hugely from dept to dept and discipline to discipline. Sounds like your advisor has the right idea! #phdchat

@lizgloyn - @yukrla My problem was that my proposed topic was too broad, so I had to narrow it down; basically had to come up w/smaller idea #phdchat

@carinavr - @srossmktg Also not aware of failure in final viva, but do know of major revisions, for which get 18 months to complete. #phdchat

@srossmktg - @lizgloyn Totally. I know our acctg PhDs (we share office) have totally different req's for theirs. #phdchat

@yukrla - Mine is that they say I need to make more explicit an area of the literature and make my argument stand out more #phdchat @lizgloyn

@weeladybird1981 - #phdchat big thing for me is to keep calm enough that i do myself justice in the viva.need to control my nerves so my head doesn't go blank.

@LBA_OX12 - @lizgloyn Thx for the v. helpful explanation #phdchat

@srossmktg - @carinavr I've heard of pass with major or minor revisions. Rarely no revisions. Ours go to journals, so esstly starts tenure clock #phdchat

@yukrla - in my department 5 people have passed this year with no revisions....it is becoming more common #phdchat @srossmktg

@sarahthesheepu - hellos #phdchat whats the topic?

@beckyheaver - @weeladybird1981 Me too, I worry that I won't put myself across well, my mind will go blank or that they just hate it #phdchat

@lizith - @sarahthesheepu the viva #phdchat

@Janshs - @lizith twitter slow/not working? for me too #phdchat

@Janshs - I recommend 'the end is where you begin' Trafford & Leshem re viva #phdchat hope I've remembered title correctly

@carinavr - @srossmktg Have same stories. One person at my Uni in London that I know of had no revisions. #phdchat

@sarahthesheepu - @lizith i loved mine preparation is key #phdchat hope yours is going ok Liz

@weeladybird1981 - @beckyheaver yeah that's exactly how i feel :( i need to convince myself to be calm and confident! #phdchat

@beckyheaver - @sarahthesheepu @lizith What sort of preparation did you do? #phdchat

@NSRiazat - @Janshs - lurking tonight as viva voce exam is something I still need to think about. #phdchat

@carinavr - @beckyheaver Thought it would be so for me also, but on morning of viva I realized that I know most of my work. Preparation key. #phdchat

@srossmktg - @carinavr Mktg scholarship (in the US) has moved to multi-essay format. Books dont help TT, so each essay fcns as a journal article #phdchat

@SteveCooke - Currently waiting for a date for my viva - looking forward to chatting about my thesis to 2 of only 4 people who've read all of it! #phdchat

@sarahthesheepu - @Janshs i really enjoyed mine ive blogged about it http://t.co/O3Uuc1tC #phdchat

@Janshs - @NSRiazat there will be lots about this on the resi w/end but maybe you could bring the archive of #phdchat?

@beckyheaver - @carinavr I feel like I can only hold little bits of it in my head at any one time #phdchat

@one_tim_martin - @beckyheaver @weeladybird1981 just need to work on building confidence... Remember your doing phd as your capable #phdchat

@sarahthesheepu - @beckyheaver @lizith i had a mock viva and worked on having a good prepared answer 2 what is thesis about & re read your work! #phdchat

@carinavr - @srossmktg ah, makes sense. Also closer to real experience of being academic, I suppose. #phdchat

@weeladybird1981 - @beckyheaver exactly - you just can't predict how 2 other people will read it & what they'll pick up on. can't wait til it's over! #phdchat

@beckyheaver - @sarahthesheepu Mock viva might help, will see if I can have one, but my supervisor has left #phdchat

@Janshs - @carinavr for sure #phdchat helped me 'learn' the thesis

@beckyheaver - @weeladybird1981 Agree and agree :-) #phdchat

@lizith - @beckyheaver ask research convenor or DocSchool #phdchat

@carinavr - @beckyheaver I also thought so. But in preparation, when people asked me questions, realized how much had internalized #phdchat

@srossmktg - @carinavr Probably more a function of books not counting for tenure in our field. Multi-essay easier than carving up a monograph. #phdchat

@profology - Up for #Tenure, Facing Depression: http://t.co/Q3gzR2rA #highered #faculty #phdchat

@beckyheaver - @lizith They won't have read it though, but I guess it would be good to practise general questions #phdchat

@weeladybird1981 - @one_tim_martin @beckyheaver yeah you're right - need to remember that. thanks. #phdchat

@beckyheaver - @carinavr Yes I do surprise myself sometimes at what I do remember when people ask, thanks #phdchat

@carinavr - @beckyheaver Also didn't have supervisor at end, but friends who completed PhDs, asked me questions, as if mock viva. #phdchat

@lizith - @beckyheaver have you colleagues that might grill you - I've got a couple of docs of nasty qns from an OU colleague #phdchat

@beckyheaver - @weeladybird1981 @one_tim_martin Yes, thanks :-) #phdchat Need to write that on a post-it

@carinavr - @beckyheaver I also googled for type of questions asked; many blog postings that very helpful. #phdchat

@beckyheaver - @carinavr Ok, mock viva def seems to be way to go, then it wont' be so bad the second time #phdchat

@beckyheaver - @lizith Would you be willing to forward them to me? #phdchat

@lizith - while folk are around, please look at http://t.co/LB2dGBQR & nominate @NSRiazat for in recognition for all she has done for us #phdchat

@lizith - @beckyheaver will do - your sussex address I assume? #phdchat

@carinavr - Friend reminded me before viva that I am only person to have done my specific research. It was MY research. Gave me confidence. #phdchat

@evalantsoght - I nominate @NSRiazat for a Shorty Award in #education because of her dedication to the #phdchat community http://t.co/RDuelC1E

@beckyheaver - @lizith Yes please! Thanks :-) #phdchat

@carinavr - Viva was wonderful experience. 2 people took time to read every word I wrote & then engaged me on those for 3 hours - how amazing #phdchat

@beckyheaver - I have to sign off now, but thanks everybody! #phdchat

@yukrla - #phdchat Very nice session, thank you @NSRiazat once more. Bye for now!

@aeratcliffe - Just arrived and caught up on the tweets. My viva is a ways off, but good to start thinking of it now. I like the idea of a mock. #phdchat

@christiepooh - @srossmktg @lizgloyn I am that same: defend proposal, no final. Thank goodness! #phdchat

@lizith - @NSRiazat thanks for organising as ever #phdchat

@christiepooh - Since my defend is after committee approval of proposal, I wonder if it is mostly formal or a real oral test? Now I wonder! #phdchat

@rob_dphillips - Good day #phdchat supervisor chat :-)

@eLizHartnett - Preparing for my viva last March-May, I used Rowena Murray's book http://t.co/EkMrFbbB #phdChat as well as those nasty OU questions @lizith

@JackieKirkham - sorry to miss #phdchat re viva. Enjoyed mine (thx to @KateT_health who was external!). Prepare, relax, don't have a watch! Reread b4 helped.

@EmmaBurnettx - @NSRiazat sorry I missed #phdchat this evening. For a nice change I was totally engrossed in writing & didn't realise time!

@JackieKirkham - @eLizHartnett @lizith yes me too, helpful book even tho just skimmed it #phdchat

@mark_carrigan - Is it a bad idea to self-publish an academic book? People keep telling me it is but I think this won't be accepted til people do it #phdchat

@qui_oui - So many of my ideas are in my notebooks. I've decided to digitise those and put them with my other dissertation materials. #PhDchat

@elebelfiore - @mark_carrigan This is true. It all depends on whether you are prepared to pay the price any pioneer has to pay #phdchat

@sarahthesheepu - problem with #phdchat on vivas is most of the postdocs dont seem to be about tonight we need to do #askapostdoc questions

@NSRiazat - @salma_patel @PhDViva - thanks for the link Salma - have RT'd to #phdchat

@openinformation - very nice @mdanganh: Summer School: "Research on computer-mediated communication in #linguistics" http://t.co/2hAObqTR #phdchat #CMC

@sarahthesheepu - @DrHG no not at all! anyone got any viva questions still now there are 2 of us here? #phdchat

@linguisticsbonn - @mdanganh: Summer School: "Research on computer-mediated communication in #linguistics" http://t.co/oEmiIuj3 #phdchat #CMC

@EmmaBurnettx - A must read: A personal experience of successfully surviving (and enjoying!) your #phd Viva by @sarahthesheepu #phdchat http://t.co/jKJjMrKF

@AmandaMichelle - "@sarahthesheepu: problem with #phdchat on vivas is most of the postdocs dont seem to be about tonight we need to do #askapostdoc questions

@AmandaMichelle - @sarahthesheepu i have SO MANY postdoc questions! #phdchat

@DrHG - @AmandaMichelle @sarahthesheepu I am happy to answer any postdoc questions you have #phdchat

@NSRiazat - @janshs - reading an academic researcher's interpretation of how to 'mould and manoeuvre' organisational culture. Not convinced... #phdchat

@152Sm - working on chemical reagents and doing computation on them, Can any one suggest me a comprehensive handout/book for Gaussian? #phdchat

@NSRiazat - @janshs - but also come across a great conceptual model for organisational culture earlier so a productive evening of reading. #phdchat

@AmandaMichelle - YAYAY!!! #phdchat RULZ! RT @sarahthesheepu: @DrHG @me ooh we have http://t.co/kMpD6bcP now a wiki for post docs

@KateT_health - @JackieKirkham aww I enjoyed your viva too. My first time on that side of the table. My own was almost disappointingly friendly .. #phdchat

@k10death - @qui_oui i'm finally reading the long-ago bookmarked posts you wrote on mental health & phd studies. great work. #phdchat

@daciatakesnote - I nominate @nsriazat for a Shorty Award in #education b/c of her hard work and dedication to #phdchat http://t.co/Mxp8WSRb

@TwtrChat411 - #PhDchat starts at 7:30pm GMT moderated by @NSRiazat Participate!

@LSEImpactBlog - Podcasts, presentations, and how-to guides on writing abstracts and more #academia #phdchat #blogging http://t.co/TdrBeoFa

@ai1sa - oh i worked right throgh #phdchat not a problem- my phd has no viva at the end. Had a colloquium 1/3rd of way in instead

@ai1sa - happens after lit rev & method organised tentatively written & with ethics thought through, but b4 data collect Australia. Not NZ #phdchat

@KingTawhiao - #Audio #Annotation of Freedmand & Holmes *The #Teacher's #Body": http://t.co/1UBVjzLB #phdchat

@cheeflo - "Hit send. Hit publish." A piece on #writing for a living. http://t.co/fADWu5u7 applicable to #phdchat (via @digitalpromises)

@ianrobsons - @MrsRF realised that how we *actually* talk is messy and multi tracked!! #phdchat #transcription

@JackieKirkham - @DrHG @AmandaMichelle @sarahthesheepu me too! #phdchat suspect viva will be an ongoing conversation point!

@KingTawhiao - #Audio #annotation in which I briefly address Orson Scott Card on #slampoetry: http://t.co/LilOIqoS #phdchat

@JackieKirkham - on a lighter note, one for the #phdchat crowd: how to read an academic article http://t.co/C2ZV96sl

@laurapasquini - What Does It Mean To Be an Academic? - http://t.co/gX6jnWPz #phdchat

@thesiswhisperer - Good one @researchwhisper! RT #shutupandwrite googlemap ready for additions http://t.co/9yjyxz14 #phdchat

@Helen_otuk - I can do this. . .RT @JackieKirkham on a lighter note, one for the #phdchat crowd: how to read an academic article http://t.co/iL1F0YqE

@profragsdale - I just got a PhD timeline 4 my last semester at Rice -- that is an intimidating timeline! #phdchat