Dissertation Mistakes to Avoid
Embark on your dissertation journey with confidence! This comprehensive guide unveils the pitfalls to steer clear of, ensuring your academic masterpiece is nothing short of exceptional.
Today we will talk about 10 mistakes to avoid when defending your thesis or dissertation.
Dissertation Defense Mistake Number 1: Talking Too Fast or Too Slowly.
I don’t know which one is worse -- too fast or too slow. I certainly made the mistake or talking too fast in my dissertation defense. Now, years later, when I watch my own doctoral defense, I’m like -- why did I have to talk that fast?
My answers would have sounded so much better, and I would have come across as so much calmer had I talked a bit more slowly. Now of course, nervousness had something to do with it.
I was tense and I was nervous,
I was also very eager,
I was much younger then as well of course.
I think the professors on the panel, my opponents, got that. I think they understood that I was a bit nervous and I was eager and I was trying very hard. I don't believe that they held that against me. I think overall my defense went just fine. But, if I could do my doctoral defense again, I’d talk more slowly.
All right, so this is not a huge deal.
Mistake no. 1 is not the biggest mistake one can make, but since i feel like i made it, it's worth mentioning.
Dissertation Defense Mistake Number 2: Rambling On And On.
Have a clear structure in your answer and try to be concise. Thank you for the question, it's a very interesting one. In response, there are three aspects that come to mind. Firstly, secondly, finally. Does that address your question? Thank you.
Even if some of the substance of the answer might be a little vague, I’d still consider this a good response overall, because it is a clear, structured, and concise answer, I’d appreciate that!
Dissertation Defense Mistake Number 3. Not Asking For Clarifications When the Question Is Unclear.
This is a mistake I myself made some years ago when I defended my own doctoral dissertation. The questioner asked a question,
I am sure it was a great question, but I didn't really get it.
Because it was a long and complicated question and he spoke really fast, so the question was not really clear to me.
But because I was nervous,
Because I was intimidated by the seriousness and the formality of the situation, for whatever reason, I didn't ask for clarifications. The natural and logical and obvious thing for me to do should have been to ask for clarification, but I didn't.
And that was a mistake.
Don't you make many mistake? If the questioner's question is not clear to you -- politely ask for clarifications. Say -- my apologies, but I’m afraid I didn't quite catch the essence of your question. Can you please help me better understand what you meant when you said this or that. Don't be afraid. If the question is unclear, politely ask for clarification.
Dissertation Defense Mistake Number 4. Cutting The Question Off.
Well, don't cut off the question, don't interrupt the questioner. Let them finish their question. Regardless whether or not you expected that question, regardless whether you know the answer to that question or not, at least let them finish asking their question.
Don't cut them off. It's just rude and disrespectful, so don't do that.
Plus, let them talk.
They will feel important when they talk. So, let them. And -- some would argue -- the more time they spend talking, the better. Because they are using up all the time, so you get fewer questions. So, in general, I’d say -- don't interrupt the questioner, let them talk, let them finish their questions.
Dissertation Defense Mistake Number 5. Pretending To Know the Answer When You Don't.
If the question is indeed unexpected, it is a difficult one, something you did not prepare for and something to which you can't come up with a good answer on the spot. My suggestion is -- be honest. Don't pretend to know the answer. This is something I also talked about in one of my previous article concerning dissertation defense, I’ll link it down.
My suggestion is this -- it is very likely that there are gonna be some questions that we can't answer, because we just can't prepare for all possible questions and have answers to all of them. So, have something prepared for when you are confronted with a question you truly don't know how to answer, have a polite response prepared, so that you know you have something to say, something to rely on.
In general, I’d say -- don't pretend to know the answer when you don't, because whatever fake answer you come up with, most likely, it is a bad answer, it's the wrong answer, the professors know that you don't know the correct answer, and you are wasting everyone's time. So, don't do that. Be honest. Sometimes in a dissertation defense, honesty can be impressive. Because being honest shows courage.
Mistake Number 6: Rushing Yourself Before The Defense.
In general, we know the dissertation defense is a tense and serious situation where one tends to be nervous. So, give yourself plenty of time prior to the dissertation defense to get ready.
Don't rush yourself.
Get everything ready and in order ahead of time.
In this way, right before the dissertation defense, you can take some time to just relax, calm down, and put yourself in the right state of mind. Don't rush yourself before the defense, give yourself plenty of time to get ready.
Mistake Number 7: Not Knowing the Protocols, the Format, and the Panel.
So the point here is that we want to avoid surprises.
We want to know what's will happen.
Most universities publish some kind of protocol for dissertation defenses, outlining and describing what's will happen in the defense, what the format or procedure will be used, and which professors will be on the panel. It is a mistake, when these protocols are there, but we don't familiarize ourselves with them.
So, read the protocols, attend a few dissertations defenses prior your own, and research the background of the professors on your panel. In this way, you’re are a bit better prepared for what might happen during the dissertation defense.
Dissertation Defense Mistake Number 8. Being Arrogant.
You want to be confident of course, you want to be as confident as you possibly can, but you don't want to be arrogant. You don't want to overdo it. What I often see is this -- in trying to be confident, in trying to deal with one's own nervousness, one over-does it. In trying to suppress one's nervousness, they somehow become over-confident, to the point of being arrogant and unpleasant.
Look, this might depend a little bit on the culture. But in general, people know that a dissertation defense is bit of a scary situation, especially if it is a good and reputable university that does things very seriously and very formally -- with multiple professors on the panel and maybe even a public audience in the auditorium.
In such a situation it is understandable and even expected that the student or the candidate is a bit nervous, a bit tense, perhaps a little intimidated as well. So nobody's gonna fail you just because you are a nervous, because you are not supposed to be nervous. Don't let your nervousness somehow propel you into being arrogant, or disrespectful, or making too many silly jokes, or being over the top defensive and constantly disagreeing with whatever the questioner says.
It is a formal and serious situation, so be serious, and be formal. It's natural and good to be a little nervous. Because it shows that you are taking this seriously. Don't be arrogant. At least, I don't quite like it. Arrogance does not impress me. Most of the people that I know who are very arrogant are usually hiding some sort of insecurity or shortcoming.
Mistake Number 9: Assuming That You Know Everything About Your Own Dissertation.
This is a natural assumption to make.
After all, I am the one who wrote the dissertations, I’m the one who conducted the research, so I know everything about it. Well, that really might not be the case. We might know some aspects of our dissertation really, really well, but some other aspects of the dissertation which we did a while back, we might have forgotten.
So, give your dissertation a very thorough read before the defense. Do a couple of mock defenses with friends, see what questions they might come up with concerning your dissertation. Don't make the mistake of assuming we know everything about our dissertation.
Mistake Number 10: Thinking You Will Be A Natural At This.
Some students say -- oh, I don't really need to prepare for this, I don't want to over-rehearse. I'll be a natural at this. I'll just need to show up, be spontaneous, and by myself. I'll do great that way. Well, maybe you will. Maybe you are among the few who truly are by nature very good at this. But my opinion is, and my experiences have been, for most people, and just like most things in life -- practice makes perfect. So, preparation is important, doing some mock defenses and dressed rehearsals is important.
So, don't assume -- I’ll be a natural at this and I don't need to prepare. You probably do need to prepare. So how should I prepare? Well, it is very good that you're have read this blog of mine. Now, go read the other blog I have about dissertation defense. Then you'll be good to go! So, success with all your preparations; have a great dissertation defense; and most importantly, try to enjoy it!
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