MPhil Viva--Some Guidelines

Structure of presentation for MPhil viva 1. Opening slide with title, your name and registred no 2. Background to your research areas 3. Objective of your research 4. Outcome of Literature review 5. Methodology followed-Justification 6. Discussion 7. Findings 8. Conclusion 9. Suggestions for further research Things to Keep in Mind 1. Ensure that your findings and conclusion match your objectives and research questions stated in the beginning of the dissertation 2. When the question as to why you chose the topic you could begin with your personal reason but emphasise on the research gap that led you to the research 3. Avoid putting points on the PPT which are not there in your dissertation. Presentation 1. Greet the external examiner, internal examiner, guide, faculty members and others. Welcome them to the presentation. 2. After the question answer session thank the external examiner, internal examiner, guide, faculty members, others. 3. Dress formally 4. As far as possible the slide design should be plain black and white Defense 1. In case a genuine gap in your dissertation or argument is shown accept it. Say you will attend to it. 2. Be confident but polite while answering any question.

Standard Questions asked in MPhil/PhD Vivas 1. What is your research question? 2. What is your methodology? 3. How does your research methodology justify your research question? 4. Why did you do this research?-Research gap 5. Do your research question and methodology reflect in the title? How? 6. Why did you choose these films/these photographs/this institution/text for study? (The answer should come from the nature of research question and not person choice, preference, or guide suggested etc.) 7. Justification for methodology. Why did you chose this method/methodology and not another one? 8. Why didn't you chose Indian texts /films? All the best.

B: PREPARING FOR THE VIVA 2

1 The most obvious form of preparation is to re-read your thesis. Try to anticipate questions, comments and criticisms, and think how you would respond. Although you may not be able to anticipate actual questions to be asked by the examiners,

this approach will encourage you to think actively about your work.

2 You should also refresh your memory of the relevant literature. Do not attempt to re-read every paper in the bibliography of your thesis; instead, re-read carefully some of the more recent key references. If you have left university after submitting your thesis you may be unaware of very recent work. Ask your supervisor a couple of weeks before the viva whether any work of direct relevance to your thesis has been published since you submitted your thesis.

3 A good way to prepare for your viva is to practise. Your supervisor should give you a mock viva, or arrange for this to be undertaken by a member of your upgrade panel. C: DURING THE VIVA EXAMINATION

1 A viva is an academic interview at which your examiners will be looking for an understanding of the subject matter of your thesis, an appreciation of its significance to established knowledge in the field, and an awareness of the breadth of the subject area.

2 Your supervisor will be invited to attend your viva examination, unless you request otherwise; you must indicate this on your examination entry form. Your supervisor does not have the right to participate in the viva examination but may contribute if invited to do so by the examiners.

3 The examiners will expect you to:

show a critical analysis of your own work and of that of others appreciate the limitations of the methods employed and the results obtained by yourself and others understand how the broad conclusions of your thesis support, add to or conflict with previous work know the major concepts and recent developments in your subject.

4 There is no formal procedure laid down for the conduct of the viva examination. Some examiners prefer to work through the thesis in the order in which it is written. Other examiners prefer to discuss topics. Very few examiners will perform a page by page criticism. You may be asked to prepare a presentation of your work in a suitable format.

5 You are not expected to know your thesis by heart, but to refer to the appropriate page when the examiners wish to discuss a specific point. Please ensure that you bring to the viva examination a copy of your thesis paginated in the same way as the copies you have submitted to the Research Degree Examinations Office.

6 Do not answer simply 'yes' or 'no' to questions; on the other hand do not give a prepared exposition. Try to answer the question as it is put, remembering that you are engaged in an academic conversation.

7 Be prepared to justify your ideas and conclusions. If the examiners challenge your interpretation but you feel that your case is a good one, muster your arguments and be willing to present your case firmly but courteously. However, if the examiners have identified a genuine weakness, concede the point gracefully. Even if you feel the examiners are unreasonably critical do not become argumentative or allow the discussion to become heated. You can agree to differ and to reconsider the point. If you make any comments to your examiners which put them under moral pressure (eg alluding to the consequences of failure for you) or if you offer any incentive to your examiners to pass you, they must terminate the examination and report to the Chair of the Research Degrees Committee via Research Degrees in the Registry.