dissertation interview tips

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Best Way To Include An Interview In A Dissertation​

In relation to interviews, using quotes from interviews, mentioning the interviewee’s name.

• Is it okay if you mention the name? Before including the interviewee’s name in a dissertation, you should ask yourself this question. Determine if the name may be mentioned in consultation with the interviewee. In some cases, the interviewee does not wish to be interviewed. This could be the case if you’ve had an interview with an employee and the employee doesn’t want his or her employer to be able to read the answers since it might jeopardize their working relationship. Another scenario in which this can happen is when the interviewer asks really intimate questions.
• Is it necessary to mention the name? The second consideration is whether or not it is necessary to mention the name. Is there anything it adds to your research? The name of the interviewee is less significant when the interviewee is an unknown individual you encountered on the street. However, if you’ve spoken with the CEO of a significant corporation, it’s important to include his or her name. In the second situation, include a brief introduction so that the dissertation reader understands who this individual is right away.

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Writing your dissertation: top tips from someone who’s been there, done that!

10 February 2021

Anthony Walker-Cook, UCL English Literature PhD student and Senior Postgraduate Teaching Assistant with UCL's Writing Lab, shares top tips he wishes he'd known before starting his dissertation.

So, you’re coming towards the end of your degree and there’s always one project that looms large in your mind: the dissertation! This behemoth might feel threatening but I want to assure you that, with proper planning, this project can be at least manageable and at best (whisper it!) enjoyable.

1. Let’s start at the beginning: picking your topic

Coming up with an idea for a dissertation can itself be a challenge. Think about what modules you’ve really enjoyed from your degree and spend time talking with the academics that led those modules. Were there any questions that you had from a course that were left unanswered? Use those questions and ideas to guide your potential dissertation topic. The most important thing is that you pick a topic that genuinely interests you: you’re going to be spending a significant amount of time on it!

2. Be flexible and allow your project to change as needed

My undergraduate dissertation started off as a study of the representation of dinosaurs in Victorian fiction, but I soon realised there weren't as many dinosaurs as I first thought (I guess you could say they were extinct). But from my research I realised that the contemporary interest in dinosaurs was part of a wider cultural shift that celebrated the emerging concept of the museum. My project thus become an exploration of museums in Victorian fiction, with a chapter on dinosaurs. You never know what direction your research will take you, so be open to change.  

3. Once you’ve picked your topic, spend time on the Library site researching widely in your field

There are two vital points to make at this stage of the process:

Firstly, keep good notes when reading, especially with all the information needed to do your referencing down the line. The last thing you want to be doing when writing is spending hours trying to track down the reference!

Secondly, try not to lose sight of your specific question or topic. You’ll be doing a lot of background reading and you’re intellectually going to be tempted to go down research rabbit holes. Keep your own topic at the forefront of your mind whilst you research. 

4. Don’t let the word count overwhelm you – it disappears quickly

Now, I know the inflated word counts of dissertations can be intimidating. 12,000, 15,000 or even 20,000 words is a far cry from the 2,000 word formatives you completed during your first year! But, once you start dividing the material into chapters that word count will soon disappear. Four or five chapters, an introduction and a conclusion will soon take you up to your limit; suddenly that mountain of words feels manageable. Careful planning will make the project seem not only achievable but also it will help guide and focus your reading. Spending time on a chapter plan early on can really pay off in the long run.

5. Plan in enough time for editing

It’s important to give yourself sufficient writing and editing time. I’d say the latter is almost more important than the former: this is a big piece of work and it will take time to go through it in detail. Ensure you submit sections of your work to your supervisor depending on what your department allows you to submit and act upon their feedback.

6. Have all the guidelines at your fingertips

As you are working, have a copy of your departmental referencing guidelines printed off in front of you and make sure you reference as you go along. Taking time to get the presentation of your thesis to a high standard reflects the significance of the project. Also make sure you firmly understand the project’s regulations, such as deadlines and word counts (double check if footnotes, figures or images contribute towards the final number of words).  

7. Lastly, and perhaps the most important tip, try to enjoy your dissertation.

This is an opportunity for you to both use all of the skills you’ve acquired throughout your degree and for you to engage in an area of work that (should) genuinely interest you. Good luck!

Further information

Practical resources from the Academic Communication Centre

UCL Library support for dissertations and research projects

Anthony Walker-Cook,  UCL English Literature PhD student and Senior Postgraduate Teaching Assistant  

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The Professor Is In

Guidance for all things PhD: Graduate School, Job Market and Careers

Rocking the Phone/Skype Interview

By Karen Kelsky | October 31, 2011

A number of clients have asked me for a post on phone and Skype interviews, and I’m happy to oblige. There are some tricks of the trade for this kind of interview that can very helpful to know.

Now, the standard preparation for interviews of course prevails in these interviews as well. You want to thoroughly investigate the campus, the department, and the specific search well before the interview. You want to know the names of the people interviewing, and can call the department secretary to inquire ahead of time.

You should thoroughly familiarize yourself with the current course catalog as well as this semester’s course offerings, and which faculty teach what. You should glance at each of the search committee members’ work, so that you can refer to it intelligently, should it arise naturally in conversation.

Have the best foundation of knowledge that you can about the ethos of the campus—-does it emphasize warm, immediate connections with undergraduates, or hard-hitting research and a competitive graduate program?

Anticipate 10-15 questions that they are likely to ask you, and write out 1-2 minute responses to these, and practice until they are second nature.

Now, in terms of preparing for a phone interview , here are some pointers:

• Dress for the interview. Wear your interview suit with shoes and the whole nine yards. This puts you into the proper frame of mind for the interview.
• Set up your interview space at a spacious desk or table, with plenty of privacy, and on that desk space set up your laptop or else index cards with some short mental cues that you can quickly refer to when responding. These would include: “My dissertation’s three main themes are xx, yy, and zz”; or “For the Intro course I would use xx textbook with yy supplement,” or “My methods bridge quantitative and qualitative approaches. I can teach a Methods seminar by using xx and yy projects.”
• Make a one-page cheat sheet of the department and set it next to you, with the names of the faculty (search committee at the top), and their research foci, and the title of one publication.
• Do NOT put any pieces of writing near you that will distract you or that require close reading. You must be prepared to speak quickly and conversationally and naturally, so the briefest sound-byte cues work here.
• Have a tablet and pen next to you to take shorthand notes as questions are asked. You may be given a compound question, such as “Tell us about your dissertation, how you got interested in the topic, and what you see as its primary contribution.” Make a note of each part of the question to be able to address each in your response.

For Skype interviews, most of these same techniques equally apply.

Obviously you will thoroughly dress for the interview. This includes the pants, or skirt, and shoes, etc. that will be out of sight of the camera!

You may set up a few cue cards around your skype space, but be very cautious that you don’t give the impression of constantly looking off-screen before speaking. If you can control your eye movements, then the cue cards are useful. If you cannot, then skip them.

Keep the department cheat sheet, but it is even more important that you have nothing around you that will distract you from the interview.

The pen and paper is valuable here as well. It is fine, even in an in person interview, to have a pen and paper in front of you to jot a minimal note or two as questions are being asked.

Now, in terms of Basic Interview Skills.

1) Tell me, what is the most important single factor in an interview response? What? What? I can’t hear you…….

Yes. It is brevity.

Do. Not. Ramble.

Please refer to this post, “The Six Ways You’re Acting Like a Grad Student (And how that’s killing you on the job market)” and mediate on it deeply and profoundly from today until the day of your interview.

It is of paramount importance in a phone and Skype interview, which are rarely more than 20-30 minutes long, and which do not have the benefit of real human interaction and non-verbal cue-exchange, that you ALWAYS LIMIT YOUR RESPONSES to no more than one or two minutes at a time.

It is of critical importance that you give your interviewers the chance to absorb what you’ve said (remember how hard it must be for THEM to keep track of difficult academic topics on the end of a phone call!), and to have the chance to formulate a response.

Always give them the chance to say, “How fascinating, tell us more.”

The PAUSE is your friend! Do not fear The Pause!  End your sound byte on a strong falling note that signals unmistakably:  I have now finished speaking!  Then count, silently, to 5 (1-mississippi, 2-mississippi, etc.) and either allow the next question to come, or resume with something like, “In terms of FUTURE research, beyond my dissertation, I will be moving on to a major second project on xxxxx.”

2) And always think like a candidate for office.  You need a platform.  The platform has, say, five planks.  Generate those planks, memorize them, and never, ever deviate from them.    In my own former case as a young assistant professor on the market, they were:

• Japan area specialization with current gender and race sub-specialization
• Working at the intersection of anthropology and contemporary social theory
• Dynamic publishing and conference program and a book manuscript under advance contract
• Interdisciplinary and transnational, but grounded in hands-on ethnographic methods
• Innovative and dedicated teacher with unconventional methods, especially in large classes

All of my responses would refer back to one of these five elements of my platform.  In this way, I was constantly reinforcing my legibility and memorability as a candidate.

3) Frame always in the positive, not the negative.  Banish the negative.  The negative is the graduate student’s instant default.  Take a question like this:  “Tell us about your plans to revise your dissertation into the book”  Graduate students almost invariably answer in some form of the following, “Well, the dissertation isn’t really in a publishable state yet.  My third chapter is still missing some major elements on the pre-war period that I need to add.  I will need to visit the University of Tokyo library to access some of that material.  I haven’t really submitted the manuscript to a press yet because I’m waiting to resolve issues like that before I do.”

This is one gigantic “reject me now” response.  This person is NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME.  She is talking entirely like an excuse-making subordinated graduate student.  

Here is the proper answer, in the positive, not negative, mode:

“I’m planning to take the book into a couple of exciting new areas of research.  Nobody to date has explored this phenomenon in the prewar period, but I found out that there is a brand new collection at the University of Tokyo library of prewar materials that my former mentor at Tokyo has invited me to visit and use this summer.  I’ll be incorporating that material into my third chapter, and in the meantime, I’ll be drafting a proposal of the book, with a clear statement of the revision plan, to send to presses next Fall.”

Get it?  All positive and forward looking.  Never negative and backward looking.

Now, in terms of interview questions . In fact, there are some excellent resources on this topic all over the web. Here is one link to start .  I like it, by Mary Corbin Sies, because it’s both savvy and attuned to the snark-factor.

For the purposes of this post I will merely jot down a few questions that I got in interviews and that tripped me up, or that have tripped up clients:

• How does your dissertation intervene in the field of xx?
• What is the most influential book you’ve read in the field of xxx recently?
• How would you teach our Introductory course? Which text would you use? What kinds of assignments would you use?
• How would you teach our Core Theory Seminar? Who would you have them read?
• How would you teach our Methods course?
• How would you incorporate undergraduates into your research?
• Name 2 specialty courses you would teach, one undergraduate and one graduate.
• How do you see your work intersecting with the other emphases in the department?
• We are hoping to build a strength in xxx. How would you participate in that effort?
• We don’t have a lot of funding for the kind of equipment/travel that you require for your research. How would you work with this?
• Our campus is very student-focused. You come from an R1. How do you see yourself fitting in?
• Our campus has high expectations for publication for tenure. How do you see yourself handling the expectations?
• What is your research program for the next five years?
• What are you immediate and longer term publication plans?
• Do you have plans to apply for any major grants? If so, which ones?
• Have you spoken with a publisher about your book?  Where do you stand in negotiations?
• What’s your basic teaching philosophy?
• What you’ve said is all very interesting, but doesn’t some of the work in your field really border on the far-fetched?  (thanks to Mary Corbin Sies for this one).

Be aware that they may ask you this question: “Do you have any questions for us?”

There are good and bad responses to this. The bad responses include:

• U hhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I guess not, I can’t really think of any offhand….
• I’d like to ask about your spousal hiring program.

***ALARM!! NEVER ASK ABOUT OR EVEN REFER TO THE EXISTENCE OF A SPOUSE AT THIS STAGE!***

• Your department seems to be weak in xxxx; are you planning to hire to fill that gap?

***Very bad!   Never, ever appear to judge the department.

• W hat is your department’s relationship with the Dean?
• How is your department viewed on campus?

***These latter two are actually excellent questions to get the answers to while on the campus visit, indirectly and subtly! But they are emphatically not questions to be asked in an initial interview because you look superior, arrogant, and judgmental.

Good responses include:

• What kind of support is there available on campus for conference travel?
• What kind of support is available on campus for summer research?
• What kind of graduate student support is available?
• Is there an active undergraduate/graduate student association? What kinds of activities do they do?

These are benign questions that most departments can answer truthfully with some kind of positive response that doesn’t make them feel bad about themselves or judged.  Be sure that your questions allow the search committee to save face .  Don’t ask questions that might necessitate a negative, embarassing answer.  Ie, “Do you provide automatic junior sabbatical for assistant professors?”  “Uhhh, no.”   That leaves a bad taste in their mouths that will work against you.

In Closing , the most important thing you can do is PREPARE. Know the department inside and out. Make and study the departmental cheat sheet. Know the ad inside and out and be prepared to respond to the specializations mentioned in it. Prepare your responses ahead of time and practice them in front of harsh critics.

And remember, you are the expert in your field. That is why they are shortlisting you! Never, ever grovel, or apologize, or hedge. Speak out, audibly, with confidence and firmness.  Banish any of your graduate student behaviors, and comport yourself entirely like a young, up-and-coming professional with things to say and points to make, hotly pursued by a whole posse of top-ranked campuses, and securely confident in the impact you will make on your field.

Similar Posts:

• What Should Graduate Students Ask Candidates? A Special Request Post
• Advisors, #dobetter
• #Dispatches From the Front: Interview Advice for and by International Scholars
• Preparing for Your Interviews
• The #Facepalm Fails of the Academic Interview

Reader Interactions

October 31, 2011 at 7:08 pm

Great tips, thanks!! I have a video chat interview coming up, and I’m terrified. I’m planning a practice session with friends on FB Rounds next week lol ( http://apps.facebook.com/chatrounds/?publisherid=elena&campaignid=BC&bannerid=0 )

December 14, 2011 at 11:01 am

Just finished a phone interview. It went OK. Should I send a thank you email to the committee? What should said email say?

December 14, 2011 at 12:41 pm

you’ll find an answer to this at the end of the post: Dr. Karen’s Rules of the Campus Visit.

March 19, 2013 at 11:28 am

Dear Karen,

First, thank you for your post, it’s really very helpful.

I’m just curious about your thoughts – I applied for a PhD position in a research group, and have been asked to do a Skype interview that is actually only a couple of days after I submitted my application. I’m quite nervous (as I feel I have very little time to make preparations) and was considering asking them to postpone it, however I’d really rather not affect my chances negatively at such an early stage. Should I just try to do the best I can in this time? Also – is such a short warning normal?!! Best wishes.

March 19, 2013 at 12:58 pm

it’s not uncommon for late-running searches; don’t ask to postpone.

March 20, 2013 at 8:00 am

Hello Karen, I have been offered a phone/Skype interview for a masters program I applied to, but the program also offers an on-campus interview that includes a tour (at my expense). Do you think I should do the phone interview or on-campus one? It seems that there are pros and cons of both and I’m not sure which would be best. Thank you!

March 20, 2013 at 9:36 am

If you can afford it, I’d probably go to campus. It helps you understand the job so much better. But don’t take out any new debt to achieve this!

June 18, 2013 at 4:09 am

These are excellent points. I will have a phone interview tomorrow and this is my first such interview.

I have a question about the way I should call the interviewer? Should I use their first name or should call them Dr. X. Thanks, Asela

July 17, 2013 at 4:01 am

Thanks for this post I’ve got interview next week and now I’m a little less freaked out. Wish me luck 🙂

October 26, 2013 at 3:21 am

Thank you so much for posting questions that tripped you and candidates up. Several of these questions were asked during my phone interview and I was prepared because of this list. I knew the course offerings, what textbooks I would use and possible courses that I would be interested in forming. At the conclusion of the phone interview, they asked me to visit campus! THANK YOU

December 9, 2013 at 2:59 pm

Thanks for the advice – this was helpful in the interview I just did for an assistant professorship

Toughest Question: How much funding will you bring with you to our department? Wow!

January 25, 2014 at 6:18 pm

I just had my first-ever interview for a TT faculty position in a State Engineering department (and it was on Skype). For whatever reason, my internet sleuthing skills were impaired and I didn’t find this website until now.

What is your opinion of the “Do you have a question for us” question: -What is the tenure process like at University X for young faculty? -Are there any grant workshops in place to aid junior faculty in submitting competitive grants in aid?

February 21, 2014 at 2:09 pm

How wonderful! I made the short list for the first time (after revising everything according to your blog posts, thank you) and have a Skype call in one week! The bad news is that after my initial shock of receiving my first ever call for an interview and hearing the format (6 professors will be on call, sending questions prior to call, they hope to make a decision in two months, etc.) I was asked the dreaded, “Before we hang up, what questions do you have for us?” “Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I can’t think of anything at this moment.” Darn! I know this is a terrible answer, but the moral is to be prepared even before you start the interview process. I hope this isn’t a deal breaker!

March 11, 2014 at 11:29 pm

Rock it I did – many thanks for the great advice and list of questions (that I got several of)

March 17, 2014 at 8:46 am

Dear Karen, I would have a Skype interview with my potential professor. She said she wants to talk about funding opportunities with me. Currently, I’m studying at a university and I would like to transfer. However, I didn’t mention about this on my emails. I thought she might lose interest in me. So, I don’t know how to tell her about it. Should I tell her on the interview or wait for more time?

December 2, 2014 at 11:40 am

Thanks for this post, Dr. Karen – it ROCKS!! I recently had a Skype interview but sadly, I didn’t read this post beforehand. Several of those questions you listed came up. The worst one was “How do you see your work intersecting with all of us?” because although I had carefully read all of the faculty profiles, at that very moment my mind went blank! So, I can’t stress enough that you must ****drill the information into your head*** so that the answers come out automatically, even when you get blinded in the spotlight.

December 5, 2014 at 12:21 pm

I’m curious if you think it’s better to be one of the first interviewed, or last. Thanks!

February 24, 2015 at 11:44 am

Here’s a question that recently tripped me up in a phone interview that I was otherwise pretty well prepared for: What is your approach to undergraduate advising?

May 8, 2015 at 8:14 pm

Any advice for as associate professor who hasn’t been on an interview in over a decade? I have a Skype interview soon; the department/school is large 70+ faculty; I’m terrified.

December 8, 2015 at 9:31 am

Dear Dr. Karen,

Thank you so much for this write up. I found it very helpful. I just finished a Skype interview. I think it went very well. It lasted about an hour. Are they supposed to last that long? Is it a good sign?

March 10, 2016 at 4:40 pm

Just got done with a phone interview. Thank you for the question suggestions – many of them were spot on. A new question to add that caught me off guard: how does your teaching philosophy and teaching style fit in with the mission statement of our institition?

March 19, 2016 at 1:30 pm

Thanks! Love the encouragement!

May 4, 2016 at 10:01 pm

What is your position regarding follow-ups to phone/skype interviews? Should a candidate follow up in general? What about when there’s that feeling after: “ugh, I could have answered that question better – the committee ought to know THIS info about me and I didn’t say it.” Ok to follow-up or just too bad?

May 7, 2016 at 1:24 am

Don’t follow up.

February 8, 2017 at 3:40 pm

I finished my last education degree in 2012 and started looking for an assistant professor job in 2016. Is my resume too stale? How do I fill this gap? Currently, apart from job search, I am also serving as a reviewer for two top journals of my field.

October 31, 2017 at 10:08 am

How long after a phone/skype interview with no word about a campus invite is it safe to assume you were not selected as a final candidate? And at what point (if at all) should you reach out to them to check in?

December 23, 2017 at 3:54 am

Professor at the end of the interview said, we will be in contact with you in the future. Does it mean I am not selected? I applied for postdoc position and then had a phone interview. Later they gave me 2 days to present my whole research as they were very interested in knowing about my PhD research. The blue jeans interview was Ok. I could not judge anything by professor’s attitude. Should I follow up?

April 8, 2018 at 3:05 pm

Good tips. But, your writing style is a little annoying and patronizing. You should work on that 😉

April 9, 2018 at 11:26 am

oh wow, just what i needed, a rando man to mansplain and tone police. Thx.

April 25, 2018 at 2:56 pm

Any advice for a teaching-only position phone interview?

January 15, 2019 at 11:59 am

I am in a really strange situation. I had a phone interview yesterday, in one academic field of the humanities. My husband had a phone interview in another discipline at the same university, was invited for the campus visit which he will go to in the next three days. There is a really high chance that he may get the offer. Is asking for a spousal hire going to 1. (maybe) get me the position since they do have one open and, since they shortlisted me, they clearly think that I am qualified, or 2. not going to happen because legally they have to rank me with everyone else who has applied, or they will incur in legal trouble?

March 16, 2019 at 4:24 pm

***ALARM ALARM ALARM!!!! NEVER ASK ABOUT OR EVEN REFER TO THE EXISTENCE OF A SPOUSE AT THIS STAGE!*** … And then spouse opens door and walks in behind lol.

January 31, 2020 at 8:52 am

Evidently Professor Mary Corbin Sies has moved since 2011. The list of questions URL ( http://otal.umd.edu/~sies/jobquess.html ) is dead; evidently, the server doesn’t exist anymore.

I was able to find a PDF of her interview questions at: http://careerservices.syr.edu/phd/Questions-for-Job-Interviews-Sies.pdf

[…] The Professor Is In “Rocking the Phone/Skype Interview“ […]

[…] the first hoop and been short-listed, the phone or Skype interview can help get you in the door. The Professor Is In has some really good advice about how to rock these (as well as lots of other career advice, for […]

[…] was my first video interview, so I prepared by reading a few blogs (here’s a great one, here, and here).  The interview felt really awkward at first; I waved and said “Hi” each time […]

[…] “Rocking the Phone/Skype Interview” […]

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Preparing For Your Dissertation Defense

13 Key Questions To Expect In The Viva Voce

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) & David Phair (PhD) . Reviewed By: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | June 2021

Preparing for your dissertation or thesis defense (also called a “viva voce”) is a formidable task . All your hard work over the years leads you to this one point, and you’ll need to defend yourself against some of the most experienced researchers you’ve encountered so far.

It’s natural to feel a little nervous.

In this post, we’ll cover some of the most important questions you should be able to answer in your viva voce, whether it’s for a Masters or PhD degree. Naturally, they might not arise in exactly the same form (some may not come up at all), but if you can answer these questions well, it means you’re in a good position to tackle your oral defense.

Viva Voce Prep: 13 Essential Questions

• What is your study about and why did you choose to research this in particular?
• How did your research questions evolve during the research process?
• How did you decide on which sources to include in your literature review?
• How did you design your study and why did you take this approach?
• How generalisable and valid are the findings?
• What were the main shortcomings and limitations created by your research design?
• How did your findings relate to the existing literature?
• What were your key findings in relation to the research questions?
• Were there any findings that surprised you?
• What biases may exist in your research?
• How can your findings be put into practice?
• How has your research contributed to current thinking in the field?
• If you could redo your research, how would you alter your approach?

#1: What is your study about and why did you choose to research this in particular?

This question, a classic party starter, is pretty straightforward.

What the dissertation or thesis committee is assessing here is your ability to clearly articulate your research aims, objectives and research questions in a concise manner. Concise is the keyword here – you need to clearly explain your research topic without rambling on for a half-hour. Don’t feel the need to go into the weeds here – you’ll have many opportunities to unpack the details later on.

In the second half of the question, they’re looking for a brief explanation of the justification of your research. In other words, why was this particular set of research aims, objectives and questions worth addressing? To address this question well in your oral defense, you need to make it clear what gap existed within the research and why that gap was worth filling.

#2: How did your research questions evolve during the research process?

Good research generally follows a long and winding path . It’s seldom a straight line (unless you got really lucky). What they’re assessing here is your ability to follow that path and let the research process unfold.

Specifically, they’ll want to hear about the impact that the literature review process had on you in terms of shaping the research aims, objectives and research questions . For example, you may have started with a certain set of aims, but then as you immersed yourself in the literature, you may have changed direction. Similarly, your initial fieldwork findings may have turned out some unexpected data that drove you to adjust or expand on your initial research questions.

Long story short – a good defense involves clearly describing your research journey , including all the twists and turns. Adjusting your direction based on findings in the literature or the fieldwork shows that you’re responsive , which is essential for high-quality research.

#3: How did you decide on which sources to include in your literature review?

A comprehensive literature review is the foundation of any high-quality piece of research. With this question, your dissertation or thesis committee are trying to assess which quality criteria and approach you used to select the sources for your literature review.

Typically, good research draws on both the seminal work in the respective field and more recent sources . In other words, a combination of the older landmark studies and pivotal work, along with up-to-date sources that build on to those older studies. This combination ensures that the study has a rock-solid foundation but is not out of date.

So, make sure that your study draws on a mix of both the “classics” and new kids on the block, and take note of any major evolutions in the literature that you can use as an example when asked this question in your viva voce.

#4: How did you design your study and why did you take this approach?

This is a classic methodological question that you can almost certainly expect in some or other shape.

What they’re looking for here is a clear articulation of the research design and methodology, as well as a strong justification of each choice . So, you need to be able to walk through each methodological choice and clearly explain both what you did and why you did it. The why is particularly important – you need to be able to justify each choice you made by clearly linking your design back to your research aims, objectives and research questions, while also taking into account practical constraints.

To ensure you cover every base, check out our research methodology vlog post , as well as our post covering the Research Onion .

#5: How generalizable and valid are the findings?

This question is aimed at specifically digging into your understanding of the sample and how that relates to the population, as well as potential validity issues in your methodology.

To answer question this well, you’ll need to critically assess your sample and findings and consider if they truly apply to the entire population, as well as whether they assessed what they set out to. Note that there are two components here – generalizability and validity . Generalizability is about how well the sample represents the population. Validity is about how accurately you’ve measured what you intended to measure .

To ace this part of your dissertation defense, make sure that you’re very familiar with the concepts of generalizability , validity and reliability , and how these apply to your research. Remember, you don’t need to achieve perfection – you just need to be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of your research (and how the weaknesses could be improved upon).

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#6: What were the main shortcomings and limitations created by your research design?

This question picks up where the last one left off.

As I mentioned, it’s perfectly natural that your research will have shortcomings and limitations as a result of your chosen design and methodology. No piece of research is flawless. Therefore, a good dissertation defense is not about arguing that your work is perfect, but rather it’s about clearly articulating the strengths and weaknesses of your approach.

To address this question well, you need to think critically about all of the potential weaknesses your design may have, as well as potential responses to these (which could be adopted in future research) to ensure you’re well prepared for this question. For a list of common methodological limitations, check out our video about research limitations here .

#7: How did your findings relate to the existing literature?

This common dissertation defense question links directly to your discussion chapter , where you would have presented and discussed the findings in relation to your literature review.

What your dissertation or thesis committee is assessing here is your ability to compare your study’s findings to the findings of existing research . Specifically, you need to discuss which findings aligned with existing research and which findings did not. For those findings that contrasted against existing research, you should also explain what you believe to be the reasons for this.

As with many questions in a viva voce, it’s both the what and the why that matter here. So, you need to think deeply about what the underlying reasons may be for both the similarities and differences between your findings and those of similar studies.

#8: What were your key findings in relation to the research questions?

This question is similar to the last one in that it too focuses on your research findings. However, here the focus is specifically on the findings that directly relate to your research questions (as opposed to findings in general).

So, a good way to prepare for this question is to step back and revisit your research questions . Ask yourself the following:

• What exactly were you asking in those questions, and what did your research uncover concerning them?
• Which questions were well answered by your study and which ones were lacking?
• Why were they lacking and what more could be done to address this in future research?

Conquering this part dissertation defense requires that you focus squarely on the research questions. Your study will have provided many findings (hopefully!), and not all of these will link directly to the research questions. Therefore, you need to clear your mind of all of the fascinating side paths your study may have lead you down and regain a clear focus on the research questions .

#9: Were there any findings that surprised you?

This question is two-pronged.

First, you should discuss the surprising findings that were directly related to the original research questions . Going into your research, you likely had some expectations in terms of what you would find, so this is your opportunity to discuss the outcomes that emerged as contrary to what you initially expected. You’ll also want to think about what the reasons for these contrasts may be.

Second, you should discuss the findings that weren’t directly related to the research questions, but that emerged from the data set . You may have a few or you may have none – although generally there are a handful of interesting musings that you can glean from the data set. Again, make sure you can articulate why you find these interesting and what it means for future research in the area.

What the committee is looking for in this type of question is your ability to interpret the findings holistically and comprehensively , and to respond to unexpected data. So, take the time to zoom out and reflect on your findings thoroughly.

#10: What biases may exist in your research?

Biases… we all have them.

For this question, you’ll need to think about potential biases in your research , in the data itself but also in your interpretation of the data. With this question, your committee is assessing whether you have considered your own potential biases and the biases inherent in your analysis approach (i.e. your methodology). So, think carefully about these research biases and be ready to explain how these may exist in your study.

In an oral defense, this question is often followed up with a question on how the biases were mitigated or could be mitigated in future research. So, give some thought not just to what biases may exist, but also the mitigation measures (in your own study and for future research).

#11: How can your findings be put into practice?

Another classic question in the typical viva voce.

With this question, your committee is assessing your ability to bring your findings back down to earth and demonstrate their practical value and application. Importantly, this question is not about the contribution to academia or the overall field of research (we’ll get to that next) – it is specifically asking about how this newly created knowledge can be used in the real world.

Naturally, the actionability of your findings will vary depending on the nature of your research topic. Some studies will produce many action points and some won’t. If you’re researching marketing strategies within an industry, for example, you should be able to make some very specific recommendations for marketing practitioners in that industry.

To help you flesh out points for this question, look back at your original justification for the research (i.e. in your introduction and literature review chapters). What were the driving forces that led you to research your specific topic? That justification should help you identify ways in which your findings can be put into practice.

#12: How has your research contributed to current thinking in the field?

While the previous question was aimed at practical contribution, this question is aimed at theoretical contribution . In other words, what is the significance of your study within the current body of research? How does it fit into the existing research and what does it add to it?

This question is often asked by a field specialist and is used to assess whether you’re able to place your findings into the research field to critically convey what your research contributed. This argument needs to be well justified – in other words, you can’t just discuss what your research contributed, you need to also back each proposition up with a strong why .

To answer this question well, you need to humbly consider the quality and impact of your work and to be realistic in your response. You don’t want to come across as arrogant (“my work is groundbreaking”), nor do you want to undersell the impact of your work. So, it’s important to strike the right balance between realistic and pessimistic .

This question also opens the door to questions about potential future research . So, think about what future research opportunities your study has created and which of these you feel are of the highest priority.

#13: If you could redo your research, how would you alter your approach?

This question is often used to wrap up a viva voce as it brings the discussion full circle.

Here, your committee is again assessing your ability to clearly identify and articulate the limitations and shortcomings of your research, both in terms of research design and topic focus . Perhaps, in hindsight, it would have been better to use a different analysis method or data set. Perhaps the research questions should have leaned in a slightly different direction. And so on.

This question intends to assess whether you’re able to look at your work critically , assess where the weaknesses are and make recommendations for the future . This question often sets apart those who did the research purely because it was required, from those that genuinely engaged with their research. So, don’t hold back here – reflect on your entire research journey ask yourself how you’d do things differently if you were starting with a  blank canvas today.

Recap: The 13 Key Dissertation Defense Questions

To recap, here are the 13 questions you need to be ready for to ace your dissertation or thesis oral defense:

As I mentioned, this list of dissertation defense questions is certainly not exhaustive – don’t assume that we’ve covered every possible question here. However, these questions are quite likely to come up in some shape or form in a typical dissertation or thesis defense, whether it’s for a Master’s degree, PhD or any other research degree. So, you should take the time to make sure you can answer them well.

If you need assistance preparing for your dissertation defense or viva voce, get in touch with us to discuss 1-on-1 coaching. We can critically review your research and identify potential issues and responses, as well as undertake a mock oral defense to prepare you for the pressures and stresses on the day.

Psst... there’s more!

This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...

14 Comments

Very interesting

Interesting. I appreciate!

Really appreciating

My field is International Trade

Interesting

This is a full course on defence. I was fabulously enlightened and I gained enough confidence for my upcoming Masters Defence.

There are many lessons to learn and the simplicity in presentationmakes thee reader say “YesI can”

This is so helping… it has Enlightened me on how to answer specific questions. I pray to make it through for my upcoming defense

Lovely to hear that 🙂

Really educative and beneficial

Interesting. On-point and elaborate. And comforting too! Thanks.

Thank you very much for the enlightening me, be blessed

Thankyou so much. I am planning to defend my thesis soon and I found this very useful

Very interesting and useful to all masters and PhD students

Wow! this is enlightening. Thanks for the great work.

Thank you very much ,it will help me My Master Degree. and am comfortable to my defense.

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Ethics Form for Dissertation | A Guide with Examples

The dissertation interview questions are designed to acquire detailed information, knowledge, and perspectives of the individuals or groups taking part in the dissertation research process. Interviewing dissertation research is one of the most important activities in collecting detailed insights and rich qualitative data. The success of interviews depends on the quality of questions, which are essential for gathering meaningful responses that are essential for your research objectives.

Review a Comprehensive Guide on Conducting Interviews for Your Dissertation

This dissertation interview guide will help you understand the role of interview questions, explore their types, and craft effective questions for your dissertation, ensuring you collect the data needed to answer your research questions with practical examples.

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Understanding the role of interview questions in your dissertation.

Interview questions are essential for delving deep into your research topic by exploring the experiences and perspectives of your participants. The questions you ask depend on your research design, study nature, and the data you need to collect.

Key Considerations

• Research Objectives : Your interview questions are supposed to focus on the main purpose of your study. They should be designed to assist you in answering the core research questions.
• Type of Interview : Whether you’re conducting structured, semi-structured, or unstructured interviews will influence the format and flexibility of your questions.
• Participant Expertise : Tailor your questions to the knowledge and experience of your participants to ensure you gather relevant and insightful information.

Types of Interview Questions

By knowing the different types of interview questions, you will ensure that you cover all aspects of your research.

Open-ended Questions

Open-ended questions make respondents think and explain their views in greater detail. These types of questions are good for examining complicated matters and looking for ways to better understand them.

Example “Please tell me about your interaction with remote work and how this has influenced the level of productivity.”

To enhance the quality of the data collected by permitting the participants to express themselves in their own language and perspective.

Closed-Ended Questions

Closed-ended questions expect a yes or a no or some options from the respondent. These may not be as comprehensive however they are useful when trying to get specific pieces of information or when applied in structured interviews.

Example “Do you believe you have become more productive due to working remotely?”

Purpose To obtain clear, precise data that is easy to measure or classify.

Probing Questions

Probing questions are follow-up questions that require the participants to provide or elaborate on their previous answers. Probing questions aim at clearing the answers given and defining the topics more thoroughly than in the previous responses.

Example "Please explain how remote work suits your communication with your colleagues now better than in the past."

Purpose To find out more with reference to a specific answer provided by a participant previously.

Behavioral Questions

Behavioral questions require the participant to describe how they handled specific situations in the past. These are useful in understanding real-life applications and behaviors related to the research topic.

Example "Could you provide an example of a challenge you faced while working remotely, and what strategies you used to overcome it?"

Purpose It captures how participants apply their abilities and knowledge in real-world situations to provide practical information about their experiences.

Hypothetical Questions

Hypothetical questions ask participants to imagine a situation and describe how they might react. These are useful for investigating action possibilities as well as the dynamics behind choice processes .

Example "If your company decided to revert to office-based work, how would you think it would affect your productivity?"

Purpose To assess how participants might react to future scenarios, providing insights into their expectations and concerns.

Leading Questions (Use with Caution)

Leading questions suggest an answer or indicate a required answer to the participant. Generally, they should be avoided, yet sometimes it is necessary for validating particular information.

Example "Don't you think that working from home made it more difficult to separate work from personal life?"

Purpose These are used to guide the respondents to a line of thought, though they should not be overused to avoid response bias.

How to Write Interview Questions for Dissertation

When writing interview questions for dissertation research, you need to reflect on your research questions, the type of data you would like to collect, and the appropriate ethical issues. Your questions must adhere to the ethical guidelines outlined in your dissertation's ethics form to help you protect your participants' rights and confidentiality. Here are some tips to help you create good questions;

Start with Broad Questions

Start off with general, open types of questions that get the respondents comfortable in the interview and can offer some background contextual material. These can also serve sometimes as a foundation for more specific follow-up questions:.

"How has your experience with working remotely been so far?

Avoid Leading or Biased Questions

Questions that suggest a particular answer can impact the responses of participants, thereby potentially distorting your data. In contrast, it is advisable to formulate neutral inquiries that enable participants to articulate their authentic opinions and experiences.

Replace "Don’t you think remote work is more stressful?" with "How has remote work affected your stress levels?"

Probing Questions to Explore Responses

When a respondent offers an intriguing or ambiguous reply, it is advisable to employ probing inquiries to delve deeper into their response. This methodology facilitates the acquisition of more comprehensive and refined information.

"Could you elaborate on what you mean by 'challenging'? Which specific aspects of remote work have been problematic for you?

Keep Questions Clear and Concise

Avoid questions that are too long or complicated because those could confuse respondents or lead to ambiguous responses. Make certain that every question is straightforward and easily understood.

Instead of asking, "How do you feel remote work has influenced your productivity, work-life balance, and overall job satisfaction?" break it down into separate, focused questions.

Pilot Your Questions

Before running your actual interviews, you should pilot your questions with a friend or family member to identify any potential issues or ambiguities. This step will help you to refine your questions and maximize the clarity of your interview.

After piloting, you might realize that some questions are too vague or that participants need more context to provide meaningful answers.

Dissertation Interview Questions Examples

Following is a sample interview questions for dissertation of qualitative research questions that might relate to your dissertation on remote work and its effect on people's productivity;

Opening Question

"How would you describe to me your remote work experience so far?"

Productivity

"What is the impact that remote work has had on your daily productivity?"

"What have been the enabling factors that brought a change in your productivity?"

Work-Life Balance

"Has remote work affected your work-life balance?"

"If yes, how?"

"What strategies have you used to maintain boundaries between work life and personal life?”

Communication

"How has working from home changed your communications with colleagues?"

"Have you encountered any communication problems while working remotely?"

Job Satisfaction

"How does this impact your feelings about your job in general?"

"Do you feel more or less satisfied with your job since you started working remotely?"

Closing Question

"Is there anything else you'd like to add regarding your feelings about working remotely?"

Analysing and Using the Data

After conducting the interviews, your next step would be data analysis. Transcribe the interviews and then begin coding the responses in themes, patterns, and insights that emerge from the data. These then form the basis of your analysis throughout the dissertation and help you answer your research questions.

• Thematic Analysis : Group similar responses together to identify common themes.
• Quotes and Evidence : Utilize direct quotes from participants to illustrate salient points in your dissertation.
• Comparative Analysis : Comparison among responses from diverse participants in order to observe similarities and differences.

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Crafting effective interview questions for thesis is a critical step in conducting meaningful qualitative research. By carefully designing your questions, you can gather rich, insightful data that will enhance the depth and rigour of your dissertation. Remember to pilot your questions, remain flexible during the interview process, and always keep your research objectives in focus. With well-crafted questions, you’ll be well-equipped to conduct successful interviews that contribute significantly to your dissertation.

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