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  • For students

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    • Preparing for an Oral Defence (7:26) The experience of the Oral Defence (9:33)

      Dr Aise Kim, University of South Australia

      Dr Joe McIntyre, University of South Australia

      For students, the oral defence is a momentous occasion. It is likely to be both challenging and exhilarating, the culmination of years of hard work, requiring careful preparation. It is best understood as a conversation about your research with experts in the field who have given your work detailed attention. There are few other times in a researcher's career which provide such careful reading and engagement with their work. The information and resources below are designed to enable you to prepare for and make the most of this opportunity.

    • Frequently asked questions

    • In attendance in the room will be the chair of the meeting, your supervisor/s (if you agree they should be present), and perhaps also technical support at the start of the meeting. The supervisor is a silent party, and most of the conversation will take place between the student and the examiners with the chair facilitating proceedings.

    • Before the meeting:

      • The student and supervisor receive the preliminary examiner reports, without the preliminary recommendation. Before the oral defence the student and supervisor are notified of the person who will chair the oral defence, and of the date, time and place of the oral defence.
      • The student can decide if they would like their supervisor/s to attend the meeting. The supervisor may choose to attend the final summation of the feedback and recommendation even if they were not present during the oral defence. Students must inform the case manager if they wish the supervisor/s to attend.
      • Arrangements are put in place to arrange for any additional support that may be needed to accommodate for a disability or other accessibility requirements.
      • All communication prior to the oral defence with the examiners, must occur through the Research Examinations office. The chair may contact the examiners for introductory purposes prior to the meeting only. 
      • Each examiner receives a copy of the other's report.

      During the meeting:

      • The chair contacts and meets with the examiners before the student (and supervisor/s, if in attendance) are invited into the room. The chair and the examiners will discuss the questions and issues they wish to raise and the structure of the agenda.
      • The student (and supervisor/s, if in attendance) wait outside the room.
      • The student (and supervisor/s, if in attendance) are invited into the room once the examiners and the chair have finalised the agenda.
      • The student answers the examiners questions, followed by open discussion.
      • The student is invited to make a concluding statement should they wish to do so.
      • The student (and supervisor/s, if in attendance) wait outside the room while the chair and examiners finalise the feedback.
      • The student (and supervisor/s, if in attendance) are called back into the room.
      • Examiners inform the student of the result and any requirements for amendments.

      After the meeting the chair and the examiners will finalise their written report, taking into consideration both the thesis and the oral defence. The normal examination process will then apply regarding the process for any corrections.

    • The oral defence will normally be held within 10 to 12 weeks of the thesis being dispatched to the examiners. Student and Academic Services (SAS) will notify you of the date and time of your oral defence. Your allocated case manager will advise you of the room location of your oral defence. As most examiners will be based overseas, the oral defence will probably take place via videoconference, and the timing of the oral defence may be out of normal working hours. Every attempt will be made to find a time that is most convenient for all parties.

    • The oral defence will be held on your local campus and every attempt will be made to secure a quiet room where the discussion cannot be overheard, observed or interrupted. If a suitable room is not available, then you may be required to attend another metropolitan campus. The room will have the necessary video conferencing technology. A local Case Manager from your Academic Unit will assist with room bookings and logistics. If you would like to view the room where your oral defence will be held prior to the meeting please contact your Case Manager.   

    • Typically the oral defence, including the meetings between the chair and the examiners before and after the student's discussion with the examiners, will take two to three hours, but this can vary. The part of the oral defence in which the student is present can take anywhere from 30 to 120 minutes. It is important for the student to be present for the entire process including the pre-defence examiner and chair meeting. Chairs may not begin the pre-defence meeting until the student arrives, albeit outside the room. 

    • At the beginning of the meeting the chair typically introduces the process, asks if the student is comfortable, and if there are any questions before starting proceedings. The chair will then invite the student to address the examiners for up to 10 minutes without interruption. There is no policy regarding whether or how the student introduction should go ahead, or the minimum time it should take. You are not required to prepare a formal presentation with PowerPoint/visual aids for this introduction as a verbal presentation is what is expected. If you feel a visual presentation is required you should advise the chair prior to the meeting that you will be bringing a USB on the day. This will ensure the technology is appropriately configured to support a screen sharing component. You may choose to move straight to questions rather than provide an introduction. 

      After your introduction, the examiners will typically provide their opening remarks, often highlighting the strengths of the thesis or exegesis and artefact and their experience of reading and engaging with your work. This is followed by a series of questions from the examiners to the student, and back and forth conversation around questions and answers. The question answer period often takes up the longest part of the meeting, after which a more open ended discussion may ensue. You are able to provide closing remarks, if you wish to do so. The chair calls the discussion to a close and asks the student and supervisor/s, if present, to leave the room.

      While the student is out of the room, the chair facilitates a consensus decision with the examiners regarding the results and any requirements to amend the thesis or exegesis. The student and supervisor/s, if in attendance, are then invited back into the room whereupon the examiners inform the student of their recommendation to the University, and summarise any amendments or other feedback they would like considered. Even where the student declines attendance by supervisors during the oral defence proper, supervisors are permitted to attend this part of the proceedings if they wish to do so.

    • The following advice is recommended in preparing for the oral defence. Remember that preparation for the oral defence begins from the day you embark on your degree program. The experiences and opportunities you'll participate in from orientation and beyond will assist you to develop the skills needed to participate in the oral defence effectively.

      • Participate in seminars, conferences and other events both within your Academic Unit and in your field of research both to present and to become familiar with your field of research.
      • Make the most of UniSA workshops, online resources on thesis, exegesis and publication writing, and on oral communication (including events like the 3MT), throughout your candidature. These will assist you to understand what a good research summary contains, and how to write and speak to the 'contribution' or 'significance' of your research, and how to justify your methodology.
      • Keep a diary containing your reflections on the research process and outcomes during your research. This may become helpful not only to your research learning, but for the oral defence.
      • Attend an EDGE workshop on the oral defence in the final year of your candidature. Several workshops will run throughout the year. You can register on EDGEx.
      • Find out whether one or more of the supervisory panel have participated in an oral defence as part of their own examination or as examiners or chairs, and if so, talk to them about their experience.
      • Stay up to date with literature, and work towards publishing your best work.

      Devote plenty of time to preparing for the day. In the time leading up to the defence:

      • Work through the information on this site.
      • Check Guideline AB-58 AD8 Oral Defence of the Thesis in Research Degrees for an overview of the process and participants.
      • Go through the examiner reports with supervisors, and reflect upon and take notes in response to their comments.
      • Take short (two to four sentence) summaries of the thesis findings or précis, as well as of the key point within each of the middle chapters.
      • Take notes on what the thesis contributes to your discipline or field, and its key implications.
      • Read your research diary and summarise key points about your learning during the research process and what you might do differently if you could do it all again.
      • Make a list of likely questions and prepare answers for them. Ask your supervisors for feedback and advice on your notes.
      • Put sticky labels/tags in your thesis to make it easy to find key information during the oral defence. If you prefer to use a digital copy of your thesis you can bring your laptop along. Make sure you use the same copy of your thesis that was uploaded for examination as you want to ensure the page numbers match what the examiners have been looking at.
      • Make a list of any typographical errors you find as you go, with page numbers.
      • Remind yourself of your examiners' background (this may include their methodology, conceptual approach, specialism, and country context). Knowing who your examiners are will assist in preparing for, interpreting and understanding their remarks and in deepening your engagement with them.
      • Work through the checklist from Vitae, a peak international body for the professional development of researchers.
      • Have a mock oral defence with your supervisors or other academic/s.
      • Practice speaking to camera to remote mock examiners.

      You might also plan ahead of time:

      • to visit the room and familiarise yourself with its layout and how to get there,
      • what you will wear on the day,
      • transport to and from the meeting,
      • where you will park,
      • after hours access and security if required.

      It is important to carefully read through the material sent out to you by Student and Academic Services closer to the time of your oral defence as it will include more precise information relevant to your oral defence.

    • Bring along copies of the examiner's comments, and a copy of the same thesis the examiners have. Ensure that page numbers are the same for your own and the examiner's copy so you can refer to any sections of text that are discussed in the meeting. The most important thing to bring along will be your notes. Your notes should include:

      • a summary of the thesis or exegesis and its chapters,
      • an outline of the 'significance' or the contribution of your work, or in other words, an explanation of what your findings or argument offer or mean within your field of research,
      • a list of questions that might be asked, along with answers,
      • notes on what you would have done differently if you could do it all again, including reflection on the weaknesses of the work (which provides an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of and insight into your work),
      • notes on reflections arising within the research process and what you learned along the way,
      • your methodology and why it was chosen,
      • a list of any typographical or other corrections you pick up as you re-read your thesis or exegesis.

      You should also bring:

      • a hard copy/digital version of your thesis or exegesis, with labels for key sections,
      • water or other refreshment you might need,
      • your charged phone (to call someone afterwards if you want to).

      Be sure to carefully read through the material sent out to you by Student and Academic Services closer to the time of your oral defence as it will include more precise information relevant to your oral defence.

    • Examiners will be as diverse as supervisors, and it is a good idea to be prepared for both positive and negative reactions to your work, both of which are likely and normal. Examiners will ask critical questions, query your understanding, and they are also likely to praise what they see as the strengths of the work. They may offer constructive criticism about how the work may be improved, or ask you to account for decisions and arguments made in the research process and in the thesis or exegesis. They will definitely want to know what you understand to be the 'contribution' or 'significance' of your work. Much of the time examiners' questions are likely to be pointed, referring to a specific part of the thesis. For this reason it is important to have a copy of the thesis with the same page numbers as the examiners' copy, and to have prepared summaries of each chapter.

      Please be sure to carefully read through the material sent out to you by Student and Academic Services closer to the time of your oral defence as it will include more precise information relevant to your oral defence.

    • Some tips for striking the right tone in your responses are given below.

      • Your examiners expect you to engage with them on a peer footing.
      • Cultivate your self-confidence by practicing talking about your research well before your oral defence.
      • Ask for clarification when needed
      • Offer corrections to misunderstandings.
      • Provide clear explanations (have these ready).
      • Don't read direct from notes, but refer to them as needed.
      • Accept criticism gracefully.
      • Don't apologise for yourself or your work.
      • Don't be defensive and try not to appear arrogant.
      • Ask for advice if appropriate.
      • Be honest.
      • Don't panic!
      • Remember, you can always refer back to notes.
      • Take a breath and think if in doubt about anything.
      • Admit if you don't know something (but not too often!)

      Please be sure to carefully read through the material sent out to you by Student and Academic Services closer to the time of your oral defence as it will include more precise information relevant to your oral defence.

    • Reflecting as a student on the Oral Defence (5:23) Advice for students (3:43)

      Dr Ruchi Sinha, University of South Australia

      Dr Martyn Mills-Bayne, University of South Australia
      Oral Defence Preparation (7:21)

      Ms. Fiona McKenzie, PhD student, UniSA Business School

      Student experience of the oral defence

      Each student's experience of the oral defence is unique, but there are some commonalities that run across all or almost all oral examinations. Most students will feel a degree of anxiety before the thesis defence, which is normal, as is the case for any form of assessment or examination. Nevertheless, most students look back on their oral examination as a positive experience, and many say they enjoyed it.

      To hear more about the experience of students, watch the interviews embedded in this resource with UniSA and other academics with PhDs from universities in which an oral defence was part of the examination process. Interviewees talk about their preparation for and experience of the thesis defence, offering some good advice about what they would do differently with the benefit of hindsight. 

      A student speaking about their experience in the UK, where the 'viva' process is the same as at UniSA and likely to be familiar to UK examiners, says: 'From the very first moment, my examiners sought to put me at ease, and every time they asked a difficult question, they stressed that it was not a test but simply a discussion. They had taken the time to carefully read my thesis, and it was a joy to scientifically converse with them'. Read more.

      Watch a mock oral defence video

      This mock oral defence video aims to depict what a real-life oral defence would be like from the initial introductions, moving through the questions around the phases in the research (literature review, method, findings and discussion), to the final remarks delivered to the student by the examiners and the Chair. The previous Dean of Graduate Studies, Professor Pat Buckley, acts as the Chair of the oral defence, and the two mock examiners, who are present via Zoom, are Professor Susan Hillier and Professor Steve Milanese from the then Division of Health Sciences (now known as UniSA Allied Health & Human Performance). The student role is acted by Associate Professor Craig Williams who was also from that Division. The third person in the room is Barbara Chamberlain, an Administration Officer from the Teaching Innovation Unit acting as a Supervisor.

      To watch this three-part, mock oral defence video, please click on each of the three images below in turn. The total running time of the mock oral defence is approximately 25 minutes.

    • The Preparing for your Oral Defence workshop

      The University's Research Education Team offers a regular online (Zoom) workshop on preparing for your Oral Defence. You can check out when these are coming up and book into one using EDGEx.

      Resources from the workshop including the presentation and the two videos used can be found by following this link. They are, of course, no substitute for attending the workshop!


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