Research defense should not
be the first venue to critique the output of your paper. It is important that
you review the contents of your paper first prior to submission. The research
panel expected that your paper is all set and you are entirely prepared for the
presentation. For the majority of the students, research defense is a nerve-wracking experience. However, it shouldn’t be that way.
If you are well prepared, the
research defense should go on smoothly. Remember, you are the ones who made the
study; therefore, you are the first person to understand your study better among other people in the
room. Just think of the research panels as validators, not critiques. So how do
we describe that you are indeed ‘well-prepared’ for research defense’? This
means that (1) you have enough time to review, check, re-check your paper prior
to submission; (2) you have enough time to prepare yourself for oral
presentation; and lastly, (3) because of the long preparation, you became very
familiar of the contents and the needed documents of the manuscript. Below are the guidelines on how to prepare for the big day.
Prior
to the Submission of the Paper/Manuscript
Check the entire study for important discussions; the following questions should be discussed in your manuscript.
1.
Introduction
2. Methods
1.1 What is the problem of
the study?
1.2 What was the need to conduct the study?
1.3 What is the research gap?
1.4 What is the relevance of the theoretical findings to the findings
of your study?
1.5 Does the statement of the problem reflect in the conceptual
paradigm?
1.6 Is the Review of Related Literature
intensively discussed?
1.7 Were the variables of the study discussed?
1.8 How does the theoretical foundation of the
study contribute to the findings of the study?
2.1 Is the research design discussed?
2.2 What was the sampling technique used?
2.3 How was the sample computed? What was the basis of the sample size?
2.4 How were the respondents recruited?
2.5 What are the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the respondents?
2.6 Were the reliability and validity tests discussed? Were the results of the reliability and validity test included in the discussion?
2.7 Do the statistical analyses answer the statement of the problem?
2.8 Were the assumptions of statistical tests discussed?
2.9 Was the ethical consideration discussed?
3. Results
3.1 Did the instrument and statistical analyses
accurately depict the results?
3.2 Were the results backed up by literature?
3.3 What are the recommendation and the implications of the study?
3.2 Were the results backed up by literature?
3.3 What are the recommendation and the implications of the study?
4. Title. Does the title reflect the most
important findings of the study?
5. Check citations and references.
6. Check that the institutional format for
research is followed.
7. Check appendices for:
1. copies of the instrument,
2. ethics approval,
3. informed consent,
4. certificates of appearance,
5. minutes of the meetings,
6. summary of transcripts of interviews,
7. list of
key informants: names, position, address, pictures to support veracity,
8. letters
of permission to conduct the study,
9. actual printouts of statistical tests from the computer which is unformatted,
10. certificates of third party experts such as
editing, plagiarism, grammar check, interpretation, content reviewers both
practitioners and scholars, and
11. Curriculum vitae.
After Submission of the Paper/Manuscript and Before the Oral Presentation
It is essential that you
are also very familiar to the point that you nearly memorized the specific
pages of the contents of the paper. This is important for easy retrieval of the
content during Q&A. Also, the research panel will gauge how well you know
your document.
1. Familiarize
the table of contents with specific pages.
2. Put
dog ears on the different parts of the paper for easy retrieval.
3. Familiarize/memorize
table titles, significant numeric results, interpretation, highest ratings, the lowest rating, and author support.
4. Familiarize/memorize
every recommendation and the table titles and pages that support them.
5. Familiarize/memorize the structure of each part like how the introduction was written, the content of each
paragraph.
It is also important to assume different questions
from the research panel. Below are some examples commonly asked during oral
defense:
1.
Why did you choose this study?
2.
How is your study different from other studies?
3. What new knowledge will your study contribute to
the field of *medicine (*for example)?
4.
What are the most important findings in your
study?
5.
What are the implications of your study?
Before Oral Defense:
1. Prepare the required presentation format during the oral defense.
Practice your presentation at least 3 times. By practicing your oral presentation,
you will be able to identify some missing points and you become very familiar with
the terms of the contents. Also, you
will be able to identify the length of the presentation. Take note that there
is a time limit in every presentation that you must follow. The oral
presentation may vary from 7 to 12 minutes. It depends on the rules given by
the research instructor or the institution.
2. Choose an appropriate dress.
3. Prepare the things needed for the oral defense: laptop, projector,
a copy of the manuscript, necessary documents, and writing materials for the
minutes of the oral defense.
4. Relax. If you have done all the necessary preparations, the rest
will lie in the hands of the research panel.
5. Appear confident. If you look tense, the research panel might
misinterpret it that you are not ready. Of course, it is normal to be nervous,
but don’t let your nervousness wreck all your preparations.
6. Do not say something you don’t know. Remember ‘anything you will
say will be used against you’.
7. Defend your research but do not argue with
your research panel. Be polite. They are there to help you. If they give
suggestions, you may say ‘thank you for your suggestion(s), we (I) will take
note of that...’
I hope these guidelines find it
useful. Share this article with your friends with an ongoing thesis. I wish you well in your research endeavors.
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