Diary of a Viva Ninja: Day 1
In just over a month’s time I will have my PhD viva – 2 hours (more or less) to defend 4 years (6 years, including initial notes and plans) of work. So, a lot is at stake (for me), therefore I am doing all I can to prepare for it. There is a lot of advice out there, some of it contradictory or ambiguous, and so to help ‘narrow the field’ and filter things down to what is useful, and what it is actually like to undergo a Viva (in the UK) I will endeavour to blog my experiences here, for what it’s worth. If nothing else, it’ll keep me sane as I take stock on my day and document what I have done, and hopefully the progress I have made.
I submitted the end of June 2018. After having a recommended break, stepping away from it for the summer, after an intensive end-game of endless editing, etc, as I wrestled my creative and critical components into shape, I finally turned back to it at the start of this month.
Following the most useful practical advice I have:
Re-read my whole thesis (critical component, so far) summarising each chapter.
I have compiled a list of possible questions.
I have arranged a ‘mock-mock’ with friends, which will help me practice articulating answers to possible questions (awaiting date of mock viva).
I have familiarised myself with the work of my internal and external examiners, tracking down their PhD theses, recent articles, and published prose fiction.
I have continued to stay abreast of developments in my field.
What I have found useful has been establishing a daily routine in the lead-up to the big day (let’s call it V-Day). In the morning I work on my current novel-in-progress (I’m a writer, first and foremost; and in my thesis I argue for the validity of practice-based research). In the afternoon I turn to my specific Viva-prep tasks – usually a combination of:
summarising chapters (working through novel).
making notes on questions and (crucially) answers.
reading relevant literature (viva stuff to subject-specific).
refreshing my familiarity with a glossary of key terms.
checking out blogs and other online resources (e.g. videos).
Yesterday I made some Viva Cards, with questions written on them. I also did a Skills Audit (in terms of oral presentation – for the viva has been called ‘a new form of communication’ Rowena Murray). I requested clarification on my institutions code of regulations and practices regarding the Viva (and received a reply today with links to the relevant resources – I’d already found these, but wanted to make sure I hadn’t missed anything).
It is advised to not only keep abreast of developments and literature in the field, but also to consider possible outlets for one’s research: publication. Therefore I have made a list of potential journals for versions of chapter-articles from the critical commentary. I have at least three lined up – all top peer-reviewed journals. As I have been published by one of them already (Writing in Practice) I am positive I’ll get something accepted somewhere at some point!
Today, I reviewed the slides from a ‘Preparing for your Viva’ workshop I took part in back in early March (via an online conference as it was wintry). I’ve undertaken numerous training activities with the Doctoral College at my university (Leicester). They have been indispensable in helping me through the various stages of my PhD. I must have done about a 100 such training events since I registered in 2014 – from Induction through to Submission. My philosophy is: if you’re paying for it, make the most of it.
I drafted and sent an abstract for a subject-specific conference (Great Writing 2019). Examiners want to know your willingness and capability to step into the role of a fully-fledged academic, contributing to the field with continuing research. I have a whole second-phase of critical outputs planned, advised by my supervisor and other academics to stagger my research, and drip-feed my key findings in various articles and papers. An article is planned for Folklore, and a critical edition ultimately, pending funding and possible research assistance – anyway, stuff to keep me out of mischief for a few years.
One of the most useful things I did last week was to contact a couple of friends who had received their doctorates, to ask for their perspective on the whole experience. I had a very useful and encouraging conversation with one of them, who kindly offered me his time and expertise. These first-hand accounts help to counteract the mystique that seems to coalesce around vivas. Anybody think it was like joining the Freemasons!
Fortunately, Viva Ninja is here to cut through the apron of secrecy (with one trouser leg rolled up).
Until tomorrow, Shadow-huggers.
Murray, R. (2015) How to Survive Your Viva: defending a thesis in an oral examination. 3rd Ed. Maidenhead, Berks: Open University Press.
