Posted by The dissertation defense is one of the finalizing steps in getting a degree. It is all about the practical demonstration of your efforts during the research tenure. In defense, students are asked to state their research problem and give details about their methods to solve a scientific query. The thesis defense is a pretty straightforward process. It only demands us to present our research work to faculty members. The chances of failing in it (especially at the undergraduate level) are meager; you only fail when you do not speak a single word to defend your work. This article brings a lot of information to guide students about the process of thesis defense and the number of chances one can avail.
1. Dissertation defense and its purpose:
In research-based degrees, a dissertation defense is the last formal step to be eligible for getting degrees. During a dissertation defense, a student has to present the research project and its outcomes in front of the faculty members and class fellows. This finalizing step aims to introduce your area of interest to other research students. It has several other purposes, such as it allows a candidate to communicate his findings with a broader group of scholars. The dissertation defense clarifies that the research was submitted to the university by the candidate’s name, who is independent in thoughts and accomplished the research with minimal assistance from the faculty members. It is also a most sophisticated method of assessment that unites various field dissertation experts in one place to ask questions about the research. The faculty members also sit in the defense to confirm whether the student researched independently, so they usually ask conceptual questions. Thus, if you have not completed the research on your own, you can get yourself an online masters dissertation help. So, you shouldn’t need to worry about the defense.
2. Why is dissertation defense so important?
2.1 Importance of dissertation defense for students:
The dissertation defense is essential for students and professors working in university settings. On the one hand, defending your findings in front of field experts highlights several facts that you never thought of before. It allows you to see the situation from other perspectives as well. Moreover, if you are defending your undergraduate thesis, it will probably suggest new ideas for your master’s research. It teaches how to remain confident in front of people having vast knowledge in your field of interest. Likewise, it also improves your argumentative, critical, and analytical thinking skills. The thesis defense is only an exercise designed to prepare students to present their research in any corner of the world confidently. It believes in a point that ‘the more you discuss your research, the more layers of knowledge you will be able to unfold.’
2.2 Importance of dissertation defense for teachers:
The dissertation defense is also essential for professors, teachers, and other teaching or training staff. When a student presents a thesis, they discuss all critical aspects of the research. During the presentation, all professors and members of a panel make short notes addressing the strengths, weaknesses, and even suggestions. Once a student is done with his presentation, they all start sharing their views on their respective turns. This practice allows the supervisor to know many additional things initially ignored. Thus, dissertation defense is beneficial for students, but the tutors also get an opportunity to organize their following research projects better.
3. Consequences of failure in dissertation defense:
Many students feel anxious and get nervous by thinking, ‘what if they fail in dissertation defense.’ Remember, always seeing the dark side of a picture disappoints people and takes away the courage or enthusiasm to at least try new things. You must know that people rarely fail in undergraduate and master-level defense. In case you feel blank, your supervisor never lets you down. A student only fails when he certainly does not know the basis of the thesis. However, if a candidate remains entirely speechless and unacceptable, it is up to the committee to decide whether they would like to give him a second chance. If students get a second chance, they must work on identified shortcomings and complete revisions to get at least passing marks. However, after multiple failures, the chances of cancelation of the degree brighten. Thus, the number of chances a student can avail solely depends on their performance in the previous attempt. If the committee allows it, you can even avail yourself of more than two or three chances to defend your research.
To get ready for your dissertation defense, you can follow the following steps:
4. Steps for getting prepared for the dissertation defense:
After spending almost a year of research and writing a minimum of 100-200 pages dissertation, you would not have to spend days of hard work preparing for a dissertation defense. Instead, you should use a Smart approach that can prepare you for the defense in a few hours:
Step 1: Outline the entire background of your study:
You must start your defense by providing a little background on your studies. The background helps the audience to understand the nature of the study.
Step 2: Pick out a few of the most relevant studies from the literature review section:
After background, the next practice must be to note down some highly relevant studies to your work. You can also refer to these studies to defend your findings.
Step 3: Never forget to understand the conceptual and literal meaning of every term you use in the title, aims, objectives, and research questions sections:
Title, aims, objectives, and research questions are some of the most readable parts of a dissertation. So while preparing for dissertation defense, you must know the meaning of every terminology.
Step 4: Give special attention to the reasons for selecting the research method for data collection and analysis:
Why do you prefer a particular research method over another? This is the most frequently asked question in the thesis defense. So you have prepared it as well.
Step 5: Practice summing up your finding concisely:
In the last, you summarize your discussion by describing the main events and their results.
Final thoughts:
This article can be summarized by stating that dissertation defense is the passcode for attaining a research-based degree. It is essential to introduce a student to the experts in a research field. You can easily pass it even if you have only basic knowledge about your research. The students rarely fail in defense. The only student who fails often does not know the project. On average, you can avail of two to three chances only if the committee at your institute allows you.