Defending Your Thesis
Information compiled by the GradSchools.com team
Thesis writing is one of the most
important and challenging tasks you will encounter as a graduate
student, and the thesis defense is the culmination of that process.
The thesis defense procedure may vary
from college to college but generally you will be expected to announce
your thesis defense appointment in your graduate department, and your
committee is likely to meet before and after your defense. By the time
you are ready to present your defense, your thesis paper should be
nearly complete, and some schools may require that your thesis paper be
completely finished.
During your thesis defense, you will be
expected to present and defend your thesis in front of your advisor,
faculty thesis committee, and other audience members - and to do so in a
cohesive manner. You can expect to be asked a number of questions after
your presentation, and you need to be armed with the knowledge and
skill necessary to answer the questions confidently.
Dress rehearsal
When preparing to defend your thesis,
familiarize yourself with the guidelines and requirements your
department has put into place. Speak with your advisor to be sure that
you know exactly what is expected of you. Each of your committee members
should have a copy of your thesis at least a couple of weeks before
your defense, and your written defense should include an abstract and a
summary. All your forms need to be filled out ahead of time, including
any and all signatures you are required to obtain.
Speaking with people who have already
defended their theses can be extremely helpful, as it can provide you
with confidence as well as a stronger sense of the expectations you are
facing. In addition, attending the defenses of others will afford you
the opportunity to observe interactions between students and committee
members, hear the types of questions you may face, and identify the
characteristics of strong and weak thesis defenses; it will provide
insight on what to do and what not to do.
When it comes to defending your thesis
paper orally in front of your advisor and committee members, practice
really can make perfect. Take any chance you can get to discuss your
thesis with other people. If you can find someone to sit through a
practice defense, take advantage of that. Your audience may ask some of
the questions the committee is liable to ask, which can help you
identify the portions of your defense that need to be honed.
At some point before you defend your
thesis, you should sit down with your advisor for a strategy session.
Use this time to organize and plan your defense. Pay close attention to
your advisor's reactions to your thesis and heed any advice they give
you - he or she has heard many defenses and knows what committees look
for. Having your thesis defense structured well ahead of time will make
you feel more comfortable and focused during your presentation.
Know your lines
The thesis defense is your opportunity to
take the stage and to demonstrate the growth and progress you have
experienced in your years as a graduate student. This is your chance to
showcase your research abilities, as well as to finish your degree
requirements. Defending your thesis statement can help you obtain
helpful feedback and recommendations that you can incorporate into your
final draft.
Make sure to get across the fundamentals
while defending your thesis. First, state your thesis/research question.
You need to describe the importance of your topic and detail how your
research was conducted, including any methods of measurement you have
used. The major findings of your thesis should be made clear, as well as
how your thesis contributes to the body of knowledge in your field.
Finally, you must state the conclusions and recommendations you have
made based on your research.
You must expect, in some fashion, to be
required to answer the crucial question "So what?" What has your
research and writing accomplished, that may be of importance in your
field? Professors will tell you that graduate students tend not to be
bold enough, in making claims for what they have discovered or compiled,
during the process of working on their thesis. If you don't express
confidence about your findings in the thesis, your committee may develop
their own doubts about the value of your work.
Be aware of the fact that you probably
know your topic far better than most or all of the professors who form
your thesis committee. You've likely been researching and contemplating
your topic for well over a year, and the material will be fresher and
more immediate for you than for them. If you pause to think about this,
it should give you extra confidence going into the thesis defense.
At the same time, your thesis committee
members will likely know your field in a much broader sense than you.
They may well ask you to indicate where in the larger scheme of things,
where in your field, your thesis will fit. That's where the big "So
What?" question will arise during your defense. You've been warned;
prepare for it.
Additionally, one question you should
anticipate from your thesis committee is, "What do you plan to do with
the thesis, beyond graduate school?" Do you intend to revise it for
publication as a book? Do you intend to do further research on your
topic once you've gotten a job coming out of grad school? Do you intend
to seek grants to help you further develop your project? Do you intend
to collaborate with another scholar before you offer your work to a
broader audience?
Wardrobe
When defending your thesis, you want to
prove to your committee and advisor that you are capable of producing
more broad-ranging, in-depth pieces of scholarly writing. With this in
mind, you should look the part. You will want to wear professional
attire that is comfortable - the last thing you want is to distract your
audience from the masterpiece that is your thesis by tugging at
clothing while you are presenting your defense or fielding questions.
Nor do you want to disrupt your own ability to concentrate by squeezing
into those cute shoes.
Showtime
No matter how nervous you are, be sure to
focus and to listen with care to the questions posed to you. Take a
moment to pause before you give your answer if you need to - they are
not looking for quick responses, but they are looking for solid ones.
You should expect to be asked to address the more controversial aspects
of your thesis. Keep in mind that you don't have to defend everything
about your thesis. If you don't have an answer to a question, don't fake
it or make any promises - reply that the question is interesting and
that you will consider it in the future. Defending your thesis requires
you to be political to a certain extent.
If you are having trouble with managing
your fears while defending your thesis, you may find it helpful to use
visual aids during your presentation. They can help you stay focused and
confident, as well as help you pace yourself. Visual aids, if you use
them, should clearly state the research problem, objectives, approaches,
and the contributions of your thesis work.
You may also decide to videotape or
audiotape your defense, as it can help you keep track of the reactions,
suggestions, and criticisms that you receive. Often your thesis
committee members will offer tips for revision. These could be crucial
as you revise your work for later publication or development. But you
will be so focused on what you need to say next during your thesis
defense that you will very likely not remember much of what the
professors said after the fact. If you document the session, you will
later be able to retrieve and follow the expert advice your thesis
committee offered during your defense.
One of the most crucial things to
remember when defending your thesis is to maintain a level of passion
about your research. If you are passionate about your work, your advisor
and committee will take note of this, and it will underscore the
importance of your thesis. After all, who isn't passionate about the
concluding event of a long and difficult journey?
Bows
After you have presented your defense,
you will either be told that you have passed, that your thesis needs
minor revisions, that your thesis needs to be resubmitted, or that it
has not been approved. The last two possibilities are rare, especially
if you have followed the thesis writing process properly, and if you
have stayed in meaningful contact with your advisor. If you have been
diligent, there really should be few surprises.
No comments:
Post a Comment