it is important to prepare for a broad range of questions that assess not only the quality of your research but also your understanding of the theoretical, methodological, and practical aspects of the study...
[1] you should be ready to explain the rationale behind your research topic and why it is important to the academic community and industry...
[2] be prepared to discuss the research problem, research gap, and how your study addresses existing limitations in the literature...
[3] examiners often ask why specific theories, frameworks, or models were selected instead of alternative theories...
[4] you should be able to justify your research objectives, research questions, and hypotheses...
[5] be prepared to explain your conceptual framework and the relationships among the variables examined...
[6] expect questions regarding the research methodology and why it was the most appropriate approach for your study...
[7] examiners may ask about the sampling technique, sample size, and why the chosen respondents accurately represent the population...
[8] you should be prepared to explain the validity and reliability of your measurement instruments...
[9] questions may focus on data collection procedures and challenges encountered during the process...
[10] if Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) or similar advanced techniques were used, be prepared to justify the selection of the analytical method and explain how the model fit was assessed...
[11] examiners frequently ask about the most significant findings of the study and their implications...
[12] you may be required to explain findings that were unexpected or inconsistent with previous studies...
[13] be prepared to compare your results with prior literature and explain similarities and differences...
[14] questions may focus on the theoretical contributions made by the study...
[15] you should also clearly articulate the practical and managerial implications of your findings, particularly for industry stakeholders and policymakers...
[16] examiners often examine your awareness of the study's limitations and how these limitations may affect the interpretation of the results...
[17] be prepared to discuss recommendations for future research and how subsequent studies could build upon your work...
[18] you may be asked how the study could be replicated in different industries, countries, or contexts...
[19] examiners may challenge certain decisions made throughout the research process and ask what you would do differently if given another opportunity to conduct the study...
[20] question often revolves around your overall contribution to knowledge, requiring you to summarize in a clear and convincing manner what is genuinely new, unique, and valuable about your PhD research.
mastering these 20 areas will significantly increase your confidence during the viva voce because they cover the most common themes examined by external and internal examiners... more importantly, your answers should consistently demonstrate critical thinking, justification of decisions, awareness of alternatives, and the ability to connect theory, methodology, and findings into a coherent research contribution... given your successful viva voce, these questions can also serve as a useful guide when preparing the amendments requested by the examiners over the coming year...
No comments:
Post a Comment