The Art of Intellectual War: Defending your PhD
A rose by any other name would smell sweet too, and a PhD defense thesis would be just as challenging. Whether it is called defense of research, dissertation defense or thesis defense, the essential questions asked by the committee focus on the following: Has original, high-quality research been conducted? Can independent research programs be carried out by the student? Are results well communicated? #1: A Good Thesis Proposal is Half the Battle Won Excellent PhD defense begins with the thesis proposal that increases chances of success. The proposal should be original, creative and exciting. #2: Geek Speak: How to Talk in Academic Lingo The successful defense of your PhD dissertation involves these ingredients if you are looking for your recipe for structuring the conversation. Again, these are crucial considerations which center around the following: What is the problem being solved? Why is the problem worth researching? What solutions does my research provide? Which peer reviewed journal articles support my thesis? What theorems have to be provided and what is the research framework? What is the methodology and evaluations which have been carried out? Who else has conducted research in this field and how is it better/worse than mine? What next line of research can be taken? #3: Practice Makes Perfect The flow of the talk will improve if you practice the questions. Think up of answers to important issues and prepare backup slides for them as well. Practice your PhD defense with laboratory colleagues or even in front of a mirror. #4: Preparation is Everything Making model slides from the scratch or structuring the presentation is not easy if you are not well prepared. Be comfortable with the topic and familiar with the structure of your research defense. #5: Check out the Competition Another important point while preparing for the thesis defense talk is to listen to how others are presenting their perspectives. Both good and bad research defense presentations can be the perfect learning experience! Conclusion Experience is necessary, but when it comes to PhD research defense, passion is equally critical. Love your topic and it will show when you have to fight for your...
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