Defending your thesis

 Don’t panic
 You’re probably the world’s expert on
this topic by now!

 Your examiners are human

 They’ve sat in your seat
 They will help you find what changes (if
any) are needed to make this the
required quality
Defending your thesis

 Enjoy it
 You’ve the world’s experts in the room
 They want to talk about your work
 How often will that happen in the future?

 If you want, have a practice

 Get your supervisor to set up a “dummy” jury
 Prepare your opening statement
  Review of literature  Methodology
 Is the literature  Is there a clear
relevant? hypothesis?
 Is the review critical or  Are precautions taken
What are just descriptive? against bias?
examiners  Is it comprehensive?  Are the limitations
identified?
looking for?  Does it link to the
 Is the data collected
methodology in the
thesis? appropriately?
 Does it summarize the  Is the methodology
essential aspects? justified?
  Presentation of results  Discussion and
 Have the hypotheses in Conclusions
fact been tested?  Are the limits of the
 Are the results shown to research identified?
support the hypothesis?  Are the main points to
What are  Is the data properly emerge identified?
examiners analysed?  Are links made to the
literature?
 Are the results presented
looking for? clearly?  Is there theoretical
 Are patterns identified development?
and summarized?  Are the speculations
well grounded?
It’s all over

 You’ve finished writing &

defending your thesis
 What do you do next?
It’s all over

 You’ve finished writing &

defending your thesis
 What do you do next?
 Turn it into a book
 Publish some journal
articles around it
 Make a copy for yourself
It’s all over

 You’ve finished writing &

defending your thesis
 What do you do next?
 Just think, you’ll never have to do
it again!
It’s all over

 You’ve finished writing &

defending your thesis
 What do you do next?
 Just think, you’ll never have to do
it again!
 Unless you’re French or German
Good Luck!