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TOPIC 1 : THE NEEDS FOR VIVA VOCE
1.1
DEFINING VIVA VOCE
Literally, viva voce means ‘
by the living voice
’ or ‘by
word of mouth
’. It is an oral examination –
commonly known as a thesis defence
(really a defence?)
. There are many misconceptions
about the viva voce, for instance, the belief that it is a ‘defence’ which erroneously positions
the students in a defensive manner throughout this oral session.
Many believe that viva voce is the final hurdle of the research work. Really a hurdle? In
real meaning, viva voce is more to celebrate one’s enhanced knowledge. The whole process of
viva voce is not a defence. However, the elements of defence may be a minor part of it.
Source :
https://careerprojections.wordpress.comDefence: the action of defendin
g from attack or resisting attack.Synonyms of defence:
protection, shielding, safeguardi , guarding, rebuttal, denial
Viva: A brief r look
Did the viva panel (examiners) ask you to carry out the research?
It is you the one who chose the research topic, probably together with your supervisor.
Why the panel members are there?
They are there to witness whether or not you met your research objectives and the scope
which have been established by you.
What do they want from you?
To verify whether or not you have attained the required standard for the awarded degree.
Show all the evidences to prove your achievements.
What type of engagement should you expect to have with them? Recall the term defence,
are you sure defending?
To have a healthy academic engagement with the experts of the field (examiners). Avoid
having a defensive engagement. It is more on discussion and knowledge sharing. Learn as
much from the panel members’ comments/suggestions.