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Preparing for a defense can be challenging and also a bit stressful at times. You keep thinking what the examiners might
ask and whether you'd be able to answer the questions convincingly. It's your work, and by the end of the defense you'd
realize that it wasn't too bad after all, but here are some excepts from various sources that could help boost that
confidence during the preparation stage. I have also included a list of possible questions that I put together based on
various sources.
Question 1: In few sentences, can you tell us what your study is all about?
The question is simple right? Many professors will tell you that most students get choked on a question like this.
Anyways the question is simple, but a bit technical. To answer this question, you need to know every detail of your
research project from chapters one to the end. The question needs an answer in form of a summary of the entire study,
therefore, to ace this particular question you need to know every detail in your abstract. If you wrote a good abstract,
this question will be a cross over for you.
Question 11: Based on your findings what areas will you suggest for future research?
Questions like this are just there to test your reasoning and authority in your research area. Based on your findings in a
manageable scope, you should be able to suggest future research areas in line with your study. For example, if I
researched on the challenges of personal income tax collection in Nigeria, a good area for further study will be in other
forms of taxation such as VAT, Company tax etc.
Question 12: How can your research study be put into practice?
Easy for the computer scientist and engineering students, but a bit tough for management and social sciences since
most management/social science projects are more of abstract in nature. However, you should try your best to be
realistic here. Relate your study to current trends in your environment, office, economy, government, schools, church
etc. Use of relevant examples and illustrations will score you good point here.
Question 13: How would you summarize your study to a practitioner in a few sentence?
Your ability to convey technical information from the study will score you good points here.
Question 14: What would you change if you were to conduct the study again?
Hmmm. Be careful! Do not be too jovial. There is a loophole here! Just like your limitations, this question can be asked
to identify your week points.
Question 18: What do you plan to do with your research project after Graduation?
Here you are at liberty to say your mind. If you intend to publish it, this is the best opportunity to discourse and interact
with the committee members-maybe a professor there can help.
Question 19: What source of data was employed for the study?
At this point you have to state the source(s) you got data from. In general you have to state whether data was gotten
from primary or secondary source or both. You can further convince the committee members by discoursing on
literature reviewed for the study-both theoretical and empirical.
Question 20: What theories or theoretical framework is your study based on?
This is a very technical question but interesting. Before you step into the defense room, you should know at least two
relevant theories that relate to your study. For example, the “impact of motivation on employee productivity” will be
based on Maslow’s Theory and other theories of motivation. If you cannot find relevant theories to back up your study,
consult your supervisor for help.
Question 21: How would you relate your findings to existing theories on the study?
To ace this question, one will have to read extensively. You should know existing theories on the subject matter as well
as empirical studies too. Your ability to link your findings to previous research studies (Whether they agree or not) will
go a long way in validating your study. You will score good points here trust me.
BONUS TIPS
When confronted with a difficult question, adopt a strategy to make them rephrase or repeat the question. This will give
you more time to think.
If your research project is Empirical in nature, or you used any statistical tool to test hypothesis, try to know how you
arrived at such conclusion. Also know how your data was analyzed and the various tools used for the analysis.
Before your defense day. Practice with your supervisor or your friends. Make them to drill you with likely questions.
Talk calmly with confidence. Do not talk too fast as this may pave way for tension and stage freight.
Read your project thoroughly. Know basic definitions and terms used in the study.
I believe all the questions that will be thrown to you will be coming from or derived from your own report
itself…
Which if it is coming from me, my question will be, Why or What made you pick that particular subject /topic??
A question that may sound simple and easy yet in my view may take you the whole day to satisfactory answer..
Which means that you really did the whole research and actually wrote and used all, (the whats, the hows, the
whys,), throughout the whole paper.. As if you will have to step-by-step walk me thru the whole process you
went thru that enabled your arrival to the conclusion of the project…using all the reasons or acceptable
justifications.