How to Prepare for PhD Viva Presentation
A good PhD viva voce test depends critically on producing well-structured slides and giving a professional presentation in the allocated time. This factor greatly influences how you come across to the examiner.
You must carefully consider what you want to highlight and what you may leave out before you start creating the presentation slides. Given the vast amount of data gathered throughout the research program (usually 4 to 5 years), the difficulty is in choosing the most important research findings and important contributions.
You must practice time management to ensure the presentation concentrates on the important details. (If you need guidance related to PhD Viva Presentations, Schedule a FREE consultation and get your queries answered. CLICK HERE to Schedule.)
Plan priorly
Begin your preparation well in advance of your viva date to allow ample time for research, drafting, and rehearsal. Establish a realistic timeline that includes milestones for outlining your presentation, gathering feedback, and refining your delivery. Breaking down the preparation process into manageable tasks will help you stay organized and focused as your viva date approaches.
Example Structure for a Ph.D. Viva-Voce Presentation Slides:
Lots of students get confused on how to prepare ppt for PhD viva, this is the most ideal structure to follow and you can also modify this according to your viva voce requirements.
1: Title Slide
2: Presentation Outline
3: Introduction
4: Identification of Research Gaps or Rationale for the Research Study
5: Problem Statement
6: Objectives of the Study
7: Methodology
8: Results and Discussion
9: Conclusion
10: Publications
11: References
12: Acknowledgements
13: Thank You Slide
Flow of Presentation
- If you are confused about how to introduce yourself in PhD viva, remember the most important key is confidence! Both in you and in your research.
Once you are confident your words will flow effortlessly and you will be able to answer all questions directed towards you as well. In case you need PhD research guidance, before your viva voce, you can approach your mentors and get a clear vision of your work so far. - About, how to start PhD viva presentation, always do so by providing an introduction to the research topic, (Also, check out my book, ‘A Guide to a Topic Selection Journey for First-time Researchers: ZEROING IN ON A RESEARCH TOPIC’) emphasizing its importance and applicability within the relevant domain.
Disseminate the background information, employing bullet points rather than using extensive paragraphs. This must be followed by a 4-5 lines problem statement. - Next, you delve deeper into the background of your research question, including the key concepts and approaches that either already exist in the field or served as the impetus for your investigation.
This clarifies the framework that your work is built around and helps your audience anticipate any complex relationships. If you have made use of PhD thesis writing services for your research, make sure to re-read through it thoroughly, to make this step in the presentation easier. - Explain your research strategy, data gathering procedures, and analytical approaches here and discuss any restrictions or difficulties you ran into. Now is the moment to present the results of your research. Did you encounter any surprises along the way? If so, how did you manage them?
Are the results uniform? Identify the challenges you faced and how you resolved them. Use this space to openly and honestly discuss your research. This is an opportunity to show that you’ve approached the topic with dedication and depth, instead of opting for the easiest path. - Showcase your data analysis and study results, emphasizing important trends, patterns, and insights. Analyse your results in light of your theoretical framework and research question.
Think critically about your findings, taking into account their significance, ramifications, and possible directions for further investigation. Do this by using visually appealing graphs and charts.
Respond to any rebuttals or different views. At this point most people hesitate and lose track of their opinions on the research, hence it is essential to know how to answer PhD viva questions.
For this, prepare for possible queries and topics of interest that examiners might bring up priorly. Show your breadth of knowledge and capacity for critical engagement with your research by participating and remaining receptive to constructive criticism. - Finally Summarise the main points of your presentation, and your research contributions, and conclude with a compelling closing statement. It’s better to be on the safe side with a list of sources after your conclusion as well.
Usually after the Presentation, the jury will ask you questions. At this moment one must always stay calm and not lose the confidence you had since the start of the presentation.
Remember to not fidget too much and stand upright at the time of the Q&A round. Don’t speak too fast when answering questions or while delivering the presentation.
As long as you follow all these tips, you shall ace your presentation. Good luck!!
