Defense of Presentations

Ten tips to give a great thesis defense

Recently, a fellow graduate student defended his master’s thesis. He set the record for the shortest time to degree in our College with a nice job lined up afterwards. But that also meant he never presented his work at a conference, or a department/college seminar. This was his first- and most important “big talk”. What follows are the top 10 tips I gave him at one point or another as he was preparing that should be a help to anyone getting ready for a “big talk”.

Planning Your Talk

1)      Know Your Audience

Everyone will tell you to know your audience, which couldn’t be truer when you’re planning the introduction to your talk. Sure, there is a big difference between talking to high school students and presenting at a conference, but try to think: who is coming to my talk? If they are all cellular biologists like you, then skip the central dogma slide. But if you have a mix of disciplines you need to be able to explain your work to a biologist, as well as an electrical engineer. Imagine you’re giving the talk to one person with each potential background. Would each person be able to follow it? Sometimes you need to sacrifice some specific details in order to explain the important stuff to everybody. (But you should be able to talk extemporaneously on the specifics if anyone asks!)

2)      Justify Yourself

An introduction is more than just a history of your field up until now. That is, it’s more than a literature review. You need to review the current literature, but more importantly put your research into context. What have you done (or what are you doing) that no one else has done? Keep in mind that just because no one else has done X doesn’t mean doing X is worthwhile- there might be a very good reason why no one else has done it! As you introduce your research you’ll likely explain why you’re doing it, but make sure you also explain why others in the field care. Even more important that justifying your work is justifying your conclusions. You MUST be able to back up any claims with solid references, or solid experimental results! In many cases this means statistical tests of quantitative data. When in doubt, err on the side of “inconclusive” or qualify/temper any of your statements rather than stretch your conclusions.

3)      Tell A Story

One of the most jarring moments in a bad presentation is the lack of transitions. Your presentation should flow from slide to slide and section to section. This will most likely mean that you aren’t going to present your experiments in the order that you did them. You’re NOT telling the story of you working in the lab! Think: what are the overall conclusions from your work and how can you explain and prove the things you’ve concluded? Walk your audience through the story, laying out the evidence convincing them you’re right about your conclusions. One last thing: you’ve (hopefully) done a lot of experiments, you’ve invested a lot of time, energy, and maybe even money into these experiments and you want to show off everything you’ve done. But if an experiment or data slide doesn’t fit in the “story” you might have to leave it out. If you can’t make it fit in the flow of your story and/or you don’t NEED it: leave it out.

4)      Sweat the Small Stuff

The little details are important. Even if you have some really great results to show, you’re going to anger, upset, or at least annoy your audience if you don’t pay attention to details. Some examples:

· Label the axes of any graphs (with units), don’t use 10E3 mV (when V works) and don’t forget error bars!

· Make sure any images have scale bars, and label items of interest. (You might know what’s a cell and what’s dust, but everyone else might not!) Use the same size, color, and font text.Try to use the same slide layout.

· Make all your graphs, diagrams, molecular depictions, etc. with the same program throughout. It’s noticeable if you copied one molecule from a paper, made some in ChemDraw, and others with ChemSketch. The same holds true with graphs in Excel versus Origin.

· Excel can be your friend but if you use the default graph settings it will be your downfall. Don’t leave on the gridlines or use the standard random colors. Oh, and look into Origin.

5)      Present in Bite Sized Slides

For each slide be sure to explain everything. Explain the x and y axes of your graph, explain what a large value indicates, and a low value indicates. Walk people through how you set up the experiment, how you collected the data, analyzed the results, and talk about the controls. Before moving to the next slide, restate the major finding or “take-away” from this slide. What did this experiment tell you, and what questions are still unanswered. This will help build in transitions as you tell your story. You probably know every piece of your presentation inside and out, but you need to remind your audience of salient points from earlier in the presentation.

Giving the Presentation

6)      Practice, Practice, Practice!

Even the most beautiful slides with the most logical flow and greatest data can trip you up if you don’t know what you’re going to say. It should go without saying that you can’t just read off of your slides, but seriously: practice, practice, practice! Run through it in your head, do in out loud and most importantly, do it in front of other people: schedule practice talks! In the days leading up to your presentation you should be able to run through the talk in your head without notes. As you’re walking the halls, driving, or cooking you should run through the talk over and over. The goal is that when you get up there on the big day, everything comes out naturally- almost second nature. For me, I need to write a script- I don’t memorize it word for word, but the act of writing what I want to say helps. Of course, if you’re a naturally gifted speaker and can give a talk on the fly you’re set- but you should still practice!

7)      Don’t wait until the last minute

The goal of practice talks is to get feedback from friends, lab mates, classmates in general, and hopefully your advisor. It does you little to no good if your practice talks are the day or two right before your talk. You need to give yourself time to integrate their changes into your presentation- both the slides and the talk. I like a formal practice talk the week, and two weeks before the talk. This gives you enough time to change slides, change what you might say, and change the written document (if applicable). If you give yourself enough time you might even be able to squeeze in an extra experiment before the big day to fill any “holes” in your story.

8)      Try out the room and equipment

Not all practice talks are created equal. Sure, you can run through the slides on your laptop in your advisor’s office but you really need to get up in front a group of people- preferably in the same room you’ll be giving your presentation. Not only do you get in the presentation mind set, but you get used to the space, you test the equipment and therefore minimize surprises on presentation day. For example, one talk I went to recently was marred by the screen flashing horizontal bars randomly- it was nearly seizure inducing. Finally, they borrowed someone else laptop but do you really want that stress on your big day? Dress rehearsals are your friend!

9)      Be comfortable with your knowledge

In many cases when you present your research you will be the most knowledgeable person in the room about your topic. Be comfortable with that, and confident that you know what you’re talking about. Professors and especially your thesis committee (whom probably know a decent amount about your topic) can smell fear like sharks find blood in the water. Don’t make it easier for them! Don’t let them know you’re nervous, or might not be sure about something. Confidence goes a long way, BUT don’t let it go too far. Don’t get cocky because nothing is more tantalizing that crushing an OVER confident student. Be confident, but not cocky.

10)   Be humble

You know your research, your techniques, your experiments, and your data. But you might get questions a little removed (or a lot removed) from your research. You might even get questions you don’t know the answer to, or aren’t sure about. The best advice I can give someone going into a defense- even last minute- is don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know.” Guessing, or even worse, making something up, is so much worse that admitting you don’t know the answer to a question. I’ve seen professors who will grill a student and not stop until they say “I don’t know” or they catch them answering wrong (guessing/making something up). You’ll never know everything about everything so don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know”. But it is inexcusable to guess or make up an answer- it will only get more painful from that point on. On the flip side, don’t answer every question with “I don’t know”- it’s not a get out of jail free card!

How to Make Thesis Defense Slides

Few graduate students are as quite prepared for their thesis defense as they would like to be. The rite of passage, just before they head into the world of academics, is a forethought presented with little preparation. Understanding the procedures, however, will enable the candidate to recite his presentation with confidence. Many students choose to utilize PowerPoint and other presentation software to encapsulate their findings. Digital presentations help navigate the board through a point-by-point, logical process that demonstrates effective time-management and maturity.

Instructions

1. Introduction

o 1

Comb through the information in your dissertation's introduction to use as a framework for the defense slides.

o 2

Type in the title of the dissertation in bold, centered font. Type in your name, the name of your university's department and the date in smaller font on the same title slide.

o 3

Title the next slide "Acknowledgment" and list the names of your faculty advisor and those who contributed to the success of your work.

o 4

Insert a brief statement on the following slide. Substantiate the statement with several slides that reflect data, statistics and relevant pictures about the problem.

o 5

Address the significance of the research in one slide, followed by a page of community and nationwide applications of your findings.

o 6

List all research questions as they appear within your dissertation.

o 7

Provide a literature review of relevant texts and previous experiments conducted by other researchers.

2. Method and Analysis

o 8

Create a slide that provides an overview of the methods used to research each question. Address the rationale for each specific method in addition to its reliability.

o 9

Insert tables, graphs, and charts that demonstrate the results of your experiments.

o 10

Highlight critical findings that validate or disprove your hypothesis. Account for error using statistical methods.

3. Conclusion

o 11

List your findings and their relevance to your field of study.

o 12

Describe any limitations that emerged during the research process.

o 13

Recommend pathways and alternatives for future studies. Identify a logical continuation of your work for yourself and others.

Presentations

Presentations and reports are ways of communicating ideas and information to a group. But unlike a report, a presentation carries the speaker's personality better and allows immediate interaction between all the participants.

A report is the orderly presentation of the results of the research which seeks truth and interprets facts into constructive ideas and suggestions (Gwinn, 2007). A report is normally built on research that finds, develops, or substantiates knowledge. Once all the facts are collected, they are then organized and presented in a report designed to meet a need for specific information.

A presentation is created in the same manner as a report; however, it adds one additional element — The Human Element.

A good presentation contains at least four elements:

o Content — It contains information that people need. But unlike reports, which are read at the reader's own pace, presentations must account for how much information the audience can absorb in one sitting.

o Structure — It has a logical beginning, middle, and end. It must be sequenced and paced so that the audience can understand it. Whereas reports have appendices and footnotes to guide the reader, the speaker must be careful not to loose the audience when wandering from the main point of the presentation.

o Packaging — It must be well prepared. A report can be reread and portions skipped over, but with a presentation, the audience is at the mercy of a presenter.

o Human Element — A good presentation will be remembered much more than a good report because it has a person attached to it. However, you must still analyze the audience's needs to determine if they would be better met if a report was sent instead.

The Voice

The voice is probably the most valuable tool of the presenter. It carries most of the content that the audience takes away. One of the oddities of speech is that we can easily tell others what is wrong with their voice, e.g. too fast, too high, too soft, etc., but we have trouble listening to and changing our own voices.

There are five main terms used for defining vocal qualities (Grant-Williams, 2002):

o Volume: How loud the sound is. The goal is to be heard without shouting. Good speakers lower their voice to draw the audience in, and raise it to make a point.

o Tone: The characteristics of a sound. An airplane has a different sound than leaves being rustled by the wind. A voice that carries fear can frighten the audience, while a voice that carries laughter can get the audience to smile.

o Pitch: How high or low a note is. Pee Wee Herman has a high voice, Barbara Walters has a moderate voice, while James Earl Jones has a low voice.

o Pace: This is how long a sound lasts. Talking too fast causes the words and syllables to be short, while talking slowly lengthens them. Varying the pace helps to maintain the audience's interest.

o Color: Both projection and tone variance can be practiced by taking the line “This new policy is going to be exciting” and saying it first with surprise, then with irony, then with grief, and finally with anger. The key is to over-act. Remember Shakespeare's words “All the world's a stage” — presentations are the opening night on Broadway!

There are two good methods for improving your voice:

1. Listen to it! Practice listening to your voice while at home, driving, walking, etc. Then when you are at work or with company, monitor your voice to see if you are using it how you want to.

2. To really listen to your voice, cup your right hand around your right ear and gently pull the ear forward. Next, cup your left hand around your mouth and direct the sound straight into your ear. This helps you to really hear your voice as others hear it... and it might be completely different from the voice you thought it was! Now practice moderating your voice.

The Body

Your body communicates different impressions to the audience. People not only listen to you, they also watch you. Slouching tells them you are indifferent or you do not care... even though you might care a great deal! On the other hand, displaying good posture tells your audience that you know what you are doing and you care deeply about it. Also, a good posture helps you to speak more clearly and effective.

Throughout you presentation, display (Smith, Bace, 2002).:

o Eye contact: This helps to regulate the flow of communication. It signals interest in others and increases the speaker's credibility. Speakers who make eye contact open the flow of communication and convey interest, concern, warmth, and credibility.

o Facial Expressions: Smiling is a powerful cue that transmits happiness, friendliness, warmth, and liking. So, if you smile frequently you will be perceived as more likable, friendly, warm, and approachable. Smiling is often contagious and others will react favorably. They will be more comfortable around you and will want to listen to you more.

o Gestures: If you fail to gesture while speaking, you may be perceived as boring and stiff. A lively speaking style captures attention, makes the material more interesting, and facilitates understanding.

o Posture and body orientation: You communicate numerous messages by the way you talk and move. Standing erect and leaning forward communicates that you are approachable, receptive, and friendly. Interpersonal closeness results when you and your audience face each other. Speaking with your back turned or looking at the floor or ceiling should be avoided as it communicates disinterest.

o Proximity: Cultural norms dictate a comfortable distance for interaction with others. You should look for signals of discomfort caused by invading other's space. Some of these are: rocking, leg swinging, tapping, and gaze aversion. Typically, in large rooms, space invasion is not a problem. In most instances there is too much distance. To counteract this, move around the room to increase interaction with your audience. Increasing the proximity enables you to make better eye contact and increases the opportunities for others to speak.

o Voice. One of the major criticisms of speakers is that they speak in a monotone voice. Listeners perceive this type of speaker as boring and dull. People report that they learn less and lose interest more quickly when listening to those who have not learned to modulate their voices.

Active Listening

Good speakers not only inform their audience, they also listen to them. By listening, you know if they are understanding the information and if the information is important to them. Active listening is NOT the same as hearing! Hearing is the first part and consists of the perception of sound.

Listening, the second part, involves an attachment of meaning to the aural symbols that are perceived. Passive listening occurs when the receiver has little motivation to listen carefully. Active listening with a purpose is used to gain information, to determine how another person feels, and to understand others. Some good traits of effective listeners are:

o Spend more time listening than talking (but of course, as a presenter, you will be doing most of the talking).

o Do not finish the sentence of others.

o Do not answer questions with questions.

o Aware of biases. We all have them. We need to control them.

o Never daydream or become preoccupied with their own thoughts when others talk.

o Let the other speaker talk. Do not dominate the conversation.

o Plan responses after others have finished speaking...NOT while they are speaking. Their full concentration is on what others are saying, not on what they are going to respond with.

o Provide feedback but do not interrupt incessantly.

o Analyze by looking at all the relevant factors and asking open-ended questions. Walk the person through analysis (summarize).

o Keep the conversation on what the speaker says...NOT on what interest them.

Listening can be one of our most powerful communication tools! Be sure to use it!

Part of the listening process is getting feedback by changing and altering the message so the intention of the original communicator is understood by the second communicator. This is done by paraphrasing the words of the sender and restating the sender's feelings or ideas in your own words, rather than repeating their words. Your words should be saying, “This is what I understand your feelings to be, am I correct?” It not only includes verbal responses, but also nonverbal ones. Nodding your head or squeezing their hand to show agreement, dipping your eyebrows to show you don't quite understand the meaning of their last phrase, or sucking air in deeply and blowing out hard shows that you are also exasperated with the situation.

Carl Rogers (1957) listed five main categories of feedback (Demos, Zuwaylif, 1962). They are listed in the order in which they occur most frequently in daily conversations (notice that we make judgments more often than we try to understand):

1. Evaluative: Makes a judgment about the worth, goodness, or appropriateness of the other person's statement.

2. Interpretive: Paraphrasing to explain what another person's statement mean.

3. Supportive: Attempt to assist or bolster the other communicator

4. Probing: Attempt to gain additional information, continue the discussion, or clarify a point.

5. Understanding: Attempt to discover completely what the other communicator means by her statements.

Nerves

The main enemy of a presenter is tension, which ruins the voice, posture, and spontaneity. The voice becomes higher as the throat tenses. Shoulders tighten up and limits flexibility while the legs start to shake and causes unsteadiness. The presentation becomes canned as the speaker locks in on the notes and starts to read directly from them.

First, do not fight nerves, welcome them! Then you can get on with the presentation instead of focusing in on being nervous. Actors recognize the value of nerves...they add to the value of the performance. This is because adrenaline starts to kick in. It's a left over from our ancestors' “fight or flight” syndrome. If you welcome nerves, then the presentation becomes a challenge and you become better. If you let your nerves take over, then you go into the flight mode by withdrawing from the audience. Again, welcome your nerves, recognize them, let them help you gain that needed edge! Do not go into the flight mode! When you feel tension or anxiety, remember that everyone gets them, but the winners use them to their advantage, while the losers get overwhelmed by them.

Tension can be reduced by performing some relaxation exercises. Listed below are a couple to get you started:

o Before the presentation: Lie on the floor. Your back should be flat on the floor. Pull your feet towards you so that your knees are up in the air. Relax. Close your eyes. Feel your back spreading out and supporting your weight. Feel your neck lengthening. Work your way through your body, relaxing one section at a time — your toes, feet, legs, torso, etc. When finished, stand up slowly and try to maintain the relaxed feeling in a standing position.

o If you cannot lie down: Stand with you feet about 6 inches apart, arms hanging by your sides, and fingers unclenched. Gently shake each part of your body, starting with your hands, then arms, shoulders, torso, and legs. Concentrate on shaking out the tension. Then slowly rotate your shoulders forwards and the backwards. Move on to your head. Rotate it slowly clockwise, and then counter-clockwise.

o Mental Visualization: Before the presentation, visualize the room, audience, and you giving the presentation. Mentally go over what you are going to do from the moment you start to the end of the presentation.

o During the presentation: Take a moment to yourself by getting a drink of water, take a deep breath, concentrate on relaxing the most tense part of your body, and then return to the presentation saying to yourself, “I can do it!”

o You do NOT need to get rid of anxiety and tension! Channel the energy into concentration and expressiveness.

o Know that anxiety and tension is not as noticeable to the audience as it is to you.

o Know that even the best presenters make mistakes. The key is to continue on after the mistake. If you pick up and continue, so will the audience. Winners continue! Losers stop!

o Never drink alcohol to reduce tension! It affects not only your coordination but also your awareness of coordination. You might not realize it, but your audience will!

Questioning

Keep cool if a questioner disagrees with you. You are a professional! No matter how hard you try, not everyone in the world will agree with you!

Although some people get a perverse pleasure from putting others on the spot, and some try to look good in front of the boss, most people ask questions from a genuine interest. Questions do not mean you did not explain the topic good enough, but that their interest is deeper than the average audience.

Always allow time at the end of the presentation for questions. After inviting questions, do not rush ahead if no one asks a question. Pause for about 6 seconds to allow the audience to gather their thoughts. When a question is asked, repeat the question to ensure that everyone heard it (and that you heard it correctly). When answering, direct your remarks to the entire audience. That way, you keep everyone focused, not just the questioner. To reinforce your presentation, try to relate the question back to the main points.

Make sure you listen to the question being asked. If you do not understand it, ask them to clarify. Pause to think about the question as the answer you give may be correct, but ignore the main issue. If you do not know the answer, be honest, do not waffle. Tell them you will get back to them... and make sure you do!

Answers that last 10 to 40 seconds work best. If they are too short, they seem abrupt; while longer answers appear too elaborate. Also, be sure to keep on track. Do not let off-the-wall questions sidetrack you into areas that are not relevant to the presentation.

If someone takes issue with something you said, try to find a way to agree with part of their argument. For example, “Yes, I understand your position...” or “I'm glad you raised that point, but...” The idea is to praise their point and agree with them as audiences sometimes tend to think of “us verses you.” You do not want to risk alienating them.

Preparing the Presentation

After a concert, a fan rushed up to famed violinist Fritz Kreisler and gushed, “I'd give up my whole life to play as beautifully as you do.” Kreisler replied, “I did.”

To fail to prepare is to prepare to fail

The first step of a great presentations is preplanning. Preparing for a presentation basically follows the same guidelines as a meeting (a helpful guide on preparing and conducting a meeting, such as acquiring a room, informing participants, etc.)

The second step is to prepare the presentation. A good presentation starts out with introductions and may include an icebreaker such as a story, interesting statement or fact, or an activity to get the group warmed up. The introduction also needs an objective, that is, the purpose or goal of the presentation. This not only tells you what you will talk about, but it also informs the audience of the purpose of the presentation.

Next, comes the body of the presentation. Do NOT write it out word for word. All you want is an outline. By jotting down the main points on a set of index cards, you not only have your outline, but also a memory jogger for the actual presentation. To prepare the presentation, ask yourself the following:

o What is the purpose of the presentation?

o Who will be attending?

o What does the audience already know about the subject?

o What is the audience's attitude towards me (e.g. hostile, friendly)?

A 45 minutes talk should have no more than about seven main points. This may not seem like very many, but if you are to leave the audience with a clear picture of what you have said, you cannot expect them to remember much more than that. There are several options for structuring the presentation:

o Timeline: Arranged in sequential order.

o Climax: The main points are delivered in order of increasing importance.

o Problem/Solution: A problem is presented, a solution is suggested, and benefits are then given.

o Classification: The important items are the major points.

o Simple to complex: Ideas are listed from the simplest to the most complex. Can also be done in reverse order.

You want to include some visual information that will help the audience understand your presentation. Develop charts, graphs, slides, handouts, etc.

After the body, comes the closing. This is where you ask for questions, provide a wrap-up (summary), and thank the participants for attending.

Notice that you told them what they are about to hear (the objective), told them (the body), and told them what they heard (the wrap up).

And finally, the important part — practice, practice, practice. The main purpose of creating an outline is to develop a coherent plan of what you want to talk about. You should know your presentation so well, that during the actual presentation, you should only have to briefly glance at your notes to ensure you are staying on track. This will also help you with your nerves by giving you the confidence that you can do it. Your practice session should include a live session by practicing in front of coworkers, family, or friends. They can be valuable at providing feedback and it gives you a chance to practice controlling your nerves. Another great feedback technique is to make a video or audio tape of your presentation and review it critically with a colleague.

Habits

We all have a few habits, and some are more annoying than others. For example, if we say “uh”, “you know,” or put our hands in our pockets and jingle our keys too often during a presentation, it distracts from the message we are trying to get across.

The best way to break one of these distracting habits is with immediate feedback. This can be done with a small group of coworkers, family, or friends. Take turns giving small off-the-cuff talks about your favorite hobby, work project, first work assignment, etc. The talk should last about five minutes. During a speaker's first talk, the audience should listen and watch for annoying habits.

After the presentation, the audience should agree on the worst two or three habits that take the most away from the presentation. After agreement, each audience member should write these habits on a 8 1/2 "x 11" sheet of paper (such as the word “Uh”). Use a magic marker and write in BIG letters.

The next time the person gives her or his talk, each audience member should wave the corresponding sign in the air whenever they hear or see the annoying habit. For most people, this method will break a habit by practicing at least once a day for one to two weeks.

Slides

Your slides should not only be engaging, but also easy to understand quickly (Reynolds, 2008). Think “Visual” — such as pictures, charts, and drawings that support what you will be speaking about. You want the slides to support and clarify the story you will be telling rather than simply be redundant text that mimics what you are saying.

Tips and Techniques For Great Presentations

Eleanor Roosevelt was a shy young girl who was terrified at the thought of speaking in public. But with each passing year, she grew in confidence and self-esteem. She once said, “No one can make you feel inferior, unless you agree with it.”

o If you have handouts, do not read straight from them. The audience does not know if they should read along with you or listen to you read.

o Do not put both hands in your pockets for long periods of time. This tends to make you look unprofessional. It is OK to put one hand in a pocket but ensure there is no loose change or keys to jingle around. This will distract the listeners.

o Do not wave a pointer around in the air like a wild knight branding a sword to slay a dragon. Use the pointer for what it is intended and then put it down, otherwise the audience will become fixated upon your “sword”, instead upon you.

o Do not lean on the podium for long periods. The audience will begin to wonder when you are going to fall over.

o Speak to the audience...NOT to the visual aids, such as flip charts or overheads. Also, do not stand between the visual aid and the audience.

o Speak clearly and loudly enough for all to hear. Do not speak in a monotone voice. Use inflection to emphasize your main points.

o The disadvantages of presentations are that people cannot see the punctuation and this can lead to misunderstandings. An effective way of overcoming this problem is to pause at the time when there would normally be punctuation marks.

o Learn the name of each participant as quickly as possible. Based upon the atmosphere you want to create, call them by their first names or by using Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms.

o Tell them what name and title you prefer to be called.

o Listen intently to comments and opinions. By using a lateral thinking technique (adding to ideas rather than dismissing them), the audience will feel that their ideas, comments, and opinions are worthwhile.

o Circulate around the room as you speak. This movement creates a physical closeness to the audience.

o List and discuss your objectives at the beginning of the presentation. Let the audience know how your presentation fits in with their goals. Discuss some of the fears and apprehensions that both you and the audience might have. Tell them what they should expect of you and how you will contribute to their goals.

o Vary your techniques (lecture, discussion, debate, films, slides, reading, etc.)

o Get to the presentation before your audience arrives; be the last one to leave.

o Be prepared to use an alternate approach if the one you've chosen seems to bog down. You should be confident enough with your own material so that the audience's interests and concerns, not the presentation outline, determines the format. Use your background, experience, and knowledge to interrelate your subject matter.

o When writing on flip charts use no more than 7 lines of text per page and no more than 7 words per line (the 7 x 7 rule). Also, use bright and bold colors, and pictures as well as text.

o Consider the time of day and how long you have got for your talk. Time of day can affect the audience. After lunch is known as the graveyard section in training and speaking circles as audiences will feel more like a nap than attending a presentation.

o Most people find that if they practice in their head, the actual talk will take about 25 percent longer. Using a flip chart or other visual aids also adds to the time. Remember — it is better to finish slightly early than to overrun.

Outline for presentations at final exams ("defenses") of doctoral dissertations

General comments:

(a) Defenses usually consist of a presentation no longer than 45 minutes, followed by questioning from one to two hours.  Expect to be interrupted for short clarification questions during the presentation. Questions after the presentation typically explore the assumptions, limitations, extensions, and applications of the dissertation work.

(b) The defense is intended to be a "public" presentation.  That means you should design it not for your doctoral committee but for intelligent listeners in the field in which you are getting the Ph.D. Avoid acronyms and other jargon as much as possible. Your committee's vote on your performance will put significant weight on how you handled questions from nonmembers of the committee.

(c) As with presentations at science and engineering conferences, you should rehearse your talk in advance.  It is best to give a practice run for your entire dissertation committee, but at least you should present it orally to your dissertation supervisor.  The practice run should help both with judging the length of the talk and finding things that can be improved.

(e) The core of your presentation should be a set of novel claims from your work and the validation of your claims.  This is supplemented with how these claims relate to prior work and what is different about them, plus speculations about future implications of what you have done.

Outline:

NOTE: Slide counts recommended below are for 28 point font.  Do not use font smaller than this for exams with videoconferencing, and less than 20 point otherwise, with the possible exception of important figures and tables that cannot be compressed.

1. What problem are you addressing (1-2 slides).  Focus on the primary problem if there is more than one.

2. Why this problem is important (1 slide).

3. What contributions you have made that no one previously has done (1-2 slides).  The contributions must be to the field of the degree. State them as claims.  Most of the remainder of your presentation will be the validation of your claims.

4. Previous work addressing the same problem with different methods than yours (1-3 slides, depending on the topic).  Give names of researchers and summarize succinctly what they did.  Explain why previous work didn't solve your problem completely.

5. Previous work addressing different problems with similar techniques to those you used in the dissertation work (2-5 slides, depending on the topic).  This can be short if you used well-known techniques.

6. Design of the validation for each of your claims (5-15 slides). The validation can include experiments, tests, and proofs.  If you built something, this is where you describe it.  Note that validation can be of design as well as of implementation, although validation of an implementation is more convincing.  Thorough validation is the key feature distinguishing Ph.D. dissertations from Master's theses.

7. Results of the validation of each of your claims (2-10 slides). Usually this is presented in the form of statistics and some analysis of data that has been collected.

8. Conclusions: How your validated claims have contributed to the solution of the original problem (1-2 slides).

9. Broader implications: Why your work is useful to society (1-2 slides).

Total: 15-42 slides

Outlining and Planning an Oral Presentation

Learn the basic outline for any oral presentation. Most consist of four parts:

1. Introduction

2. Body

3. Closing

4. Question-and-answer period

Introduction

The introduction to an oral presentation usually includes these components:

Your name and other identifying marks you want to include (title, organization usually)

The title of your presentation, including the type of presentation it is(report, proposal, design review, etc.)

The motivation for discussing your topic

The statement of objective

Forecasting the contents of your talk (if your talk is over five minutes)

To lend structure to your oral presentation, repeat key phrases from your introductory overheads throughout your presentation.

For further discussion and examples of overheads, see Examples of Materials for an Oral Presentation: A Design Review.

Body

The body of an oral presentation includes these elements:

An elaboration of the background of your topic, such as a theory or hypotheses for an experimental approach or procedure

Development of specific content relevant to the type of report you are giving: citing equations, displaying relevant graphs or other figures (see Preparing Overheads and Other Display Media), presenting results and discussion of those results

Closing

The closing of an oral presentation includes these elements:

A summary statement of your conclusions or recommendations, or other material suited to your report type (such as time schedules in a proposal)

A request for questions from the audience where that is expected and appropriate

Question-and-Answer Period

In the question-and-answer period, you do the following things:

• Interact with the audience by responding to their queries. Use the question-and-answer period as a means of collaborating with your audience: learn what you failed to communicate effectively; incorporate suggestions from the audience into the next stage of your work, where appropriate.
• Gauge the effectiveness of your presentation from the kinds of questions you are asked. If the questions seem trivial or repetitious, then you probably did not communicate well to that audience.
• Go into more detail about some points you covered.
• Present new material in response to a question (when this material is used to support major points in your presentation).

You should try to anticipate what kinds of questions you may be asked and prepare viewgraphs for this possibility.

Title and Title Page

Begin every technical document except a memorandum with a clear and specific title. Prospective readers may judge whether your document will be worth their time just be reading the title. The subject line of a memo serves as the title.

Long formal documents have a separate title page. For shorter documents, a title page may be required, optional, or unnecessary, depending on the specific context and conventions in your field.

A title page should include the title, the author or authors, their affiliation (if appropriate), and the date. It may also include additional information, such as a specific grant or project number.

Problem Statement

If you are focusing on a problem, be sure to define and state it specifically enough that you can write about it. Avoid trying to investigate or write about multiple problems or about broad or overly ambitious problems. Vague problem definition leads to unsuccessful proposals and vague, unmanageable documents. Naming a topic is not the same as defining a problem.

Statement of Objective

If appropriate, state your document's objective at the beginning. Readers of technical writing are often busy people; such a statement will alert them that it is important to read further.

The following opening sentence from a memorandum by an engineer at Morton Thiokol warning his superiors of the problem that later caused the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger provides an example of a good statement of objective.

Forecasting

Present the whole before the parts. One of the common problems in reading science and engineering materials is that of trying to understand the context of the discussion. Give your reader a general view of where you are going before you plunge into the details. This principle applies to the introductions of documents, as well as to the openings of document sections.

Thesis Defense Guidelines

General Guidelines

•Defense should summarize thesis

•Do not count on all committee members to have given your thesis a thorough reading prior to the defense

•Present enough information for members to understand what you did, why you did it, and what the implications are of what you did. Also include suggestions for future research

More Guidelines

•Satisfy your advisor first and foremost!!!

•No surprises! Advisor should not learn anything new in the defense

•You are not ready to defend until your advisor thinks you are

•Try to keep rest of committee informed, but advisor is most important

Preparing Presentation

•Make sure text is large enough to be readable

•Ensure any inserted graphics, tables, etc. are clear

•Use spellcheck, but ALSO proofread. Do both, not one or the other

•Save often, keep multiple copies - (Murphy’s law inevitably strikes, just be ready to recover)

Preparing to Present

•If using overhead

–Test machine ahead of time (days in advance and on day of event)

–Arrive early to set up

–Make sure transparencies are numbered (in case you drop them)

–Have paper copies as a backup (in case machine or power fails)

Preparing to Present

•If using computer:

–Load presentation and test machine ahead of time (do not be struggling with machine operation during the defense)

–Arrive early to set up

–Have transparencies and/or paper copies as a backup (in case machine or power fails)

Fielding Questions

•Decide to take questions at end or during presentation

•Questions may be inquisitive, curious, or hostile

–Inquisitive:committee member wants you to bring out an area of your research you didn’t explain to his satisfaction

–Curious: committee member simply wants to know more about what you did or the field under study

–Hostile: committee member is trying to expose an area of inadequacy

Inquisitive Question

•Answer question to best of your ability

•Never try to answer more than you know

•At this point you should know everything related to your specific research problem, but nowhere near everything related to your field

•Allow advisor to step in (only if he initiates)

•If a question goes beyond the scope of your research - and you do not know it - explain that you don’t know and that your research is not intended to address that area

Curious Question

•Answer question if you can

•Good to show relevance of your work to other areas of study, particularly those of interest to other committee members

•Do not let the defense spend a lot of time on unrelated areas

Hostile Question

•Don’t let the question get to you - remain professional

•Sometimes a case of a committee member out to get you; or a conflict between two committee members; or evidence that you didn’t do all the work you were supposed to do

•Answer to best of ability, but DO NOT fake answers

•Best if your advisor comes to your rescue

•If committee member is flat out wrong, point out error, but do not engage in an argument with him

•If you are wrong, admit the error and move on as quickly as possible

Preparing for a Thesis Defense

Upon the approval of your thesis committee and the appointment of an external examiner,

the date for your defense is selected. The thesis defense committee includes the three

members of your thesis committee plus an external reviewer.

The thesis defense may be, arguably, the most important step in the thesis process.

Although it may seem intimidating, the defense provides you with the opportunity to share your research with peers, colleagues, and members of the community at large. It allows you to showcase your efforts and present your findings in a supportive environment.

There are two parts to a thesis defense:

(a) the presentation of the findings by the student,

and (b) questions by the thesis defense committee (and others present) that follows this presentation.

The thesis defense presentation:

The development of your thesis presentation is your first opportunity to showcase your work. Your presentation should be about one-half hour long and should concentrate on your findings and recommendations. A sample outline of your presentation might look like this:

• goal/objectives of the research (2 min)

• literature review/theoretical framework (5 min)

• methodology (5 min)

• findings (10 min)

• recommendations (5 min)

Hint: Practice your presentation at home. This will help increase your comfort level with the slides and speakers notes, the timing of each piece of your presentation and allow you to remain within the recommended time for the presentation. Practice will provide you with the means to speak to your work without relying on your speakers notes word-for-word. Some of the best presentations I’ve seen are done by those who don’t have to rely on their speakers notes, but can expand on their statements in their own words.

The findings and recommendations are the crux of your thesis defense presentation. The literature review, theoretical framework and methodological/ethical issues should form the backdrop and context for these findings.

Hint: Develop your presentation starting with your findings and recommendations and work backwards. By understanding which pieces of your literature review and theoretical framework are needed to support your findings, you will ensure all of the appropriate information is included. This also helps you make decisions about the inclusion of extraneous information, which may be interesting but may not support your findings and recommendations.

Preparation

 Go to defences: The best way to find out what happens in a defence is to make a point of going to several defences before your own. You will likely feel much more comfortable and assured when you see the best and worst that can happen, and take note of examples to emulate and to avoid.

 Timing: For our department, plan your presentation to run about 20-25 minutes, 30 min. max! Remember, the presentation is primarily for the benefit of the Examination Committee, not for additional people who may wander in to listen--it's not a public lecture!--and the Exam Committee will all have read your thesis. They don't need or want an exhaustive description.

 Contributions: Don't be modest; be clear on your contributions! If someone asks, "Why should you get a degree?," how will you justify yourself? "I've been here 2 years" won't cut it.

 Slides:

 Turn on slide numbering. This makes it easy for viewers to jot them down and then say, "Please go back to slide 23..." With PowerPoint you can press 2-3-Enter and zap right to the given number.

 Avoid using acronyms on the slides without defining them. Some presenters successfully put the spelled-out version elsewhere on the same slide in small font, so people who don't know the acronym can see the meaning, while not distracting from the main points.

 Identify slides that you can afford to skip over if you see time is getting tight. Some Exam Chairs will cut you off, so don't assume you can talk forever.

 Think of some expected questions and prepare some extra slides to answer them (the dry run really helps for this, see next point).

 Rehearsal: Do a "dry run" with faculty and grad students from your research group. Pay attention to their suggestions for improvement, but realize that "you can't please everyone" and tastes will differ.

 Paper copy: Make sure you bring along a copy of your own thesis, since numerous questions will take the form "On page 25, what did you mean by...?" or "Table 3-1 is not clearly labelled," etc. You will need to be able to turn rapidly to those references and give a suitable explanation. Do not make the mistake of bringing a later revision of your thesis than the one handed out to the committee! Such things make the defence ridiculous and annoying for the examiners.

At the defence

If your Advisory Committee has approved the thesis as "defensible," you will almost certainly pass and get your degree. Don't worry about that! So what is really at stake?

 1. Everyone wants to look good: You want to look smart, your supervisor wants to be proud of you, the examiners want to look insightful and thorough, and the department wants to maintain high standards. You should contribute to all of that, and not undermine it by being poorly prepared, disrespectful, sloppily dressed, late arriving, showing irritation or anger, and so on. Do not attempt to "pressurize" the examiners into giving you a break: "My plane is leaving on Monday" "My new job is starting tomorrow" "I can't afford to pay more tuition." Respect the integrity of the process, and take what the examiners dish out without complaining.

 2. You want to minimize your "damage": this refers to how much additional work you have to put into corrections and revisions. At worst, examiners will demand more research and/or experiments, and they will insist on rereading the thesis before they sign off. That could take you weeks, even months! At best, there will be some minor wording improvements, checked only by your supervisor. Ordinarily, you'll be asked to insert or clarify some explanations. If you explain your work well and answer questions well, it is less likely that many or major revisions will be demanded.

 3. Taking a philosophical view, whether the revisions are little or much trouble, they will make your thesis a better document . Admittedly, it's possible that no one may ever read your thesis again; but it's also likely that you or your supervisor will write one or more articles based on your thesis, in order to disseminate your work. If the thesis is better because of the revisions, those articles may be more publishable and/or easier to write. If you are continuing in an academic or research career, high quality publications in reputable conferences and journals are extremely valuable to you.

 4. Occasionally, a defence will transcend a mundane rite of passage. For this to happen, the examiners must really be engaged with the research and the student, and the "chemistry" will be right. At such times, the questions, the speculation, the theorizing, the discussion, the proposals, the unexpected connections that spontaneously flow can open up fruitful avenues of research and even answer open problems. If you attend even one such defence--let alone your own--you will feel that it was an honour and a pleasure, and that this is what academe is supposed to be about.

"Defence" implies "attack." Expect to be attacked, and take a confident attitude anyway. Probably you know more than anyone in the room on your particular topic, so don't feel frightened!

Answering questions from the examiners:

 Examiners get annoyed when (a) students don't understand their questions, (b) students don't answer them directly, forcing them to repeat/reword, (c) students blab too much, using up the limited defence time. Annoyed examiners tend to demand MORE REVISIONS, then you will be sorry.

 Pay careful attention to questions and try to answer what is really asked! If you must, frankly ask, "Can you please repeat that?" Don't let your mouth run on beyond the basic answer, or you may say something flaky that invites more probing. Be aware that an outside examiner with insufficient background in your area may really ask a "dumb question," but you should give a polite answer that doesn't appear to put them down.

 Don't look pleadingly at your supervisor(s) for help! It's your thesis, not theirs. If they sense you need help, they can ask some leading "softball" questions during their turns, and they always get the last questions by convention. If you look at them anxiously, you may trigger them to speak out on your behalf, which is bad form, makes them look silly, and may earn a rebuke from the Exam Chair. They can advocate your case after the defence is over, behind closed doors while your fate is being discussed.

 Don't worry about writing down everything people say needs to be changed in your thesis. Your supervisor(s) will keep careful notes of this for you.

Will the general audience ask questions? If there is time and the Exam Chair invites them to, they may. But you should not invite them; it is the Exam Chair who is running the defence.

When the questions are over--typically there will be two rounds, and the Exam Chair may or may not ask some--you will be thanked for your presentation and put out of the room, along with any other audience members. Hopefully, some supporters will keep you company in the hallway, so you don't get too anxious.

The examiners will then decide, first, whether you have passed, and second, what revisions are required. (In our department, you can pass even if one examiner dissents.) These can be either major --meaning that the examiners feel strongly enough about them that they want to reread the thesis themselves before signing off--or minor , left to your supervisor(s) to wind up. In rare cases, no revisions at all are required, but do not expect that outcome, no matter how wonderful you and your supervisor(s) think your thesis is. During this discussion, your supervisor(s) will advocate on your behalf and clear up any misunderstandings, but they will try to be open to input from their peers who may legitimately disagree with them. If there is an external examiner (say, for a Ph.D. defence), their expert opinion will be taken very seriously, since they were selected for that purpose.

If things go smoothly this phase may take as little as ten minutes. Eventually you will be called back into the room, most likely congratulated on passing, and then the demanded revisions will be outlined. Most likely, it will be left to your supervisor(s) to detail the revisions. If the examiners ask for more revisions than you wanted, this is not the time to argue and pout. Instead, accept their criticisms graciously.

Finally, if you truly feel you have been unfairly abused by the examination process--it does happen rarely--talk with your supervisor(s), the faculty member in charge of the graduate program, the Chair, and the Dean of Graduate Studies. Work your way up the chain until someone listens to you. Ask the Graduate Student Union for advice. There will be some avenue of appeal that can see the injustice rectified, so you don't have to become a "victim."

THE DEFENCE

Structure of Examination

For a thesis defence, a Chair is appointed by the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. They can ask questions if they choose, but will primarily chair the examination. For a project, the external examiner and the Chair is the same person, and the Chair is expected to ask questions. After introductory comments, the student presents the research (in less than 20 minutes). Then, questioning begins, starting with the external examiner (for a project, the community member/client starts the questioning), then committee members, and finally the supervisor. After questions are exhausted (usually after 90 to 120 minutes), the student is asked to leave the room while the committee deliberates on whether the thesis as presented is satisfactory and whether the oral defence of the thesis was satisfactory. The student is then called back to the room and the decisions are shared.

The chair of the examination is asked to send a report of the examination to the Dean.

Suggestions for Preparation for the Defense

• Prepare and practice your presentation. It should NOT exceed 20 minutes. The presentation should focus on: what you have done; why you have done it; how you did it; what you found; and what the implications are.

• If you are planning to use an LCD projector, ensure that you are familiar with the equipment and you know what to do if there is a technical problem. This is not the time to use Power Point and an LCD projector if you never have before.

• It is acceptable to acknowledge that you don’t know the answer or hadn’t thought about the question. It is usually better to do that than to guess or make up a response. You can ask to have a question repeated. Also, you can indicate that you hadn’t thought about the topic, but could speculate that …..

• Review your thesis before the defence and think about possible questions that might arise. While it’s useful to be familiar with your citations and sources, it is not necessary to re-read every article that you cited in the literature review.

• You may wish to do a “mock defence” with your supervisor or with some friends

• Avoid overgeneralization of your findings.

• Highlight areas in your thesis, where you may be asked questions (e.g.,

limitations) using post-it notes so you can find them quickly.

• Sit in on some other defences to get a sense of what they are like.

Typical Questions

• Based on your findings, what will your next research project be?

• How would you summarize your findings to a practitioner in a few sentences?

• How can your research be used in practice?

• Why did you select the method?

• What would you change if you were to do the study again?

Tips and Hints

• In consultation with your supervisor, select the external examiner carefully. They play a key role and often set the tone

• Check out the room in advance. Feel free to rearrange the furniture or “make the room your own”.

• If your approach to the defence is out of the ordinary (e.g., different opening/closing) or you have specific request regarding the process, contact the chair of the examination in advance

• Don’t prepare refreshments for the committee

• Know the work and perspectives of your internal and external examiners; it will give you some clues as to the types of questions they might be interested in

• Be prepared to make revisions afterward – that is normal

• Don’t worry if the committee takes longer than you think they should. They may be discussing other things.

• Don’t expect your supervisor to respond to questions for you or advocate for you during the examination.

• Ensure that your thesis is in great shape before you distribute it to committee members. It is not their role to edit your paper.

• It is acceptable to hire a professional editor to help you check grammar and references.

• A useful strategy, if you get a question that you can’t answer, is to ask the examiner to rephrase the question. It may give you more time to think.

• Plan to meet with your supervisor after the examination to review requested

changes while it is fresh in his/her mind.

• The defence is open to the university community and the public. You can invite

colleagues, friends, and family members if you would find that helpful/supportive. If more people will make you more nervous, don’t invite them.

• Remember to bring the signature pages (2 pages, 2 copies minimum) – ensure that names and departments are accurate.

Practical Tipsfor Preparing forthe ThesisDefense  

The thesis defense is a long‐awaited and hard‐earned personal event, as well as a major professional presentation. Obviously, you want to be mentally prepared for a discussion and explanation of your work, and putting forth a good impression through appearance and conduct is an important part of a successful defense. You probably have loads of questions about the minutia of a thesis defense; the following will help answer a few of them.    

Where should I turn for tips on resources for my defense? Your first stop should be to see your advisor. Your advisor will guide you through all the necessary stages. He or she will also know the habits and personalities of perspective committee members, and may be able to share insights concerning your selection of committee members. In addition to guiding you through your committee member selections, your advisor will also communicate with these members, allowing you advance notice of what to expect in the way of their conduct during the actual defense. Develop a good working relationship with your advisor. Also, do not hesitate to talk to other graduate students; they can be a good source of practical ideas and tips for preparing for this important occasion.  

Is there some way to know what a defense is like, in advance? Yes. Professors highly recommend attending at least one (if not more) defense in your discipline, as a way of getting to know what the general process entails.    

What are the most important last minute things to do when preparing for my defense? Professors invariably give the same response: be prepared! Do all the necessary “last minute” prep work for your defense at least two days before the actual defense. Be sure that you have all the necessary materials ready to go. Review your thesis thoroughly before the defense; all aspects of your research should be fresh in your mind. You may be sick of the material by this time, but you’ve got to stay intimately involved with it until after the defense is successfully completed. Most importantly, be prepared to think quickly while on your feet!  

What should I wear to my defense?  Women should wear conservative attire—the type of two‐piece garment appropriate in an office environment—of a reasonable, non‐garish color. Avoid wearing shoes that have an extremely high heel, and do not wear gym shoes. Choose footwear that is comfortable and business‐like.  

Men should wear standard formal attire: a jacket, dress shirt, and tie, conservative slacks, and dress shoes. Under no circumstances should men wear gym shoes to their defense.  

I’m very nervous. What should I do to combat this feeling? Feeling nervous about the defense is quite normal. 

Most professors offer similar responses: get plenty of rest the night before your defense, and if you practice some type of relaxation technique or mediation, by all means, do it. You will want to look and feel as refreshed as possible, and have the energy and concentration to respond intelligently to the questions posed to you.  

How should I conduct myself during my defense? During the defense, you should conduct yourself confidently and professionally, and be well prepared to give a knowledgeable presentation of your work. Be conscious of not talking too fast and mindful of speaking clearly and loudly enough to be heard. If you gesture, do so in a natural manner, and don’t fidget while giving your presentation. Remember to be respectful of your colleagues and the academic environment—avoid coming across as arrogant, defensive, or dismissive. However, don’t forget that this is your opportunity to shine; you are the expert concerning your research.  

How do I avoid “freezing up”? Try to anticipate problems that could arise with your defense, in advance. What are 

the most challenging questions that you might be asked? Plan and practice your responses. In other words, again, 

be thoroughly prepared; this is the largest component to avoid “freezing up.” The confidence that comes from 

knowing your material is more than half the ammunition needed for the defense. In the face of difficulty, stay 

centered, take a moment to gather your thoughts, take a deep breath, and…begin speaking.  

 I’ve heard that some committee members ask tangential questions during a defense. How do I handle that? If a

committee member asked a question that falls outside the scope of your work, try not to get confused and flustered. Usually this sort of question stresses something the committee member thinks is significant. Give an honest answer, if you can—you may have to make a quick mental reference to the critical views of your topic. You 

should be familiar with the current research to avoid being caught with your pants down during your defense; 

otherwise, rely on your knowledge of your own topic to give a cogent response.  

Can my friends and family help me get through this? Yes. Use them as a test audience for your defense. These individuals may not be able to offer academic comments, but they can offer tips on your defenses strengths and weaknesses, in terms of your delivery. In addition, arrange to have at least one family member or friend meet you after your (successful) defense, to help you celebrate your accomplishment.  

The Dissertation Defense: Being well-defended in a good way

The thought of the dissertation defense often elicits anxiety in addition to raising a slew of anxiety-provoking questions: What will they ask? What if I cannot answer? What if they want revisions? What if I fail? Reframing the dissertation defense as a dissertation presentation is a more user-friendly perspective as well as a more accurate one. The fact is, if you already have the defense date, rather, the presentation date set, the brunt of the work is complete. The defense is your ability to present the research in a knowledgeable and confident way.

There are both logistical and psychological considerations to be taken into account when preparing for the dissertation defense. Generally there is about a month between the submission of the final draft and the defense date. This time delay reflects the time needed to coordinate professors' busy schedules as well as giving them time to read it. In this month, you have time to focus on two goals 1) planning your presentation and 2) calming your nerves. Knowing yourself, your committee, and your work are key components in achieving these goals.

Mental Preparation

Know thyself. Everyone experiences and copes with anxiety-provoking situations differently. Here is where knowing yourself is critical. Knowing your personal style in how you deal with anxiety provoking situations lets you plan accordingly.

If you tend to over-plan, limit how much time you will spend on preparing the actual defense, and focus on trying to relax and reduce your level of anxiety. If you know you tend to avoid or procrastinate, work on the defense presentation promptly to avoid last minute planning. If you know that you tend to become highly anxious in these types of situations, you may need to spend less time on the defense and more time on learning to relax. Practice self-care, such as regular exercise, socializing, or planning for your post-defense celebrations.

Know your committee. Consider a last meeting with the committee members prior to the defense to get an idea of what their questions or perspectives are on the research. If this is not possible, review the feedback that committee members have already given you and how you responded to it in your draft. They are very likely to bring up these questions within the defense. Though experiences vary, it may be helpful to ask colleagues who had the same professors on their committees what their experiences were like with these professors.

Optimally, your chair and colleagues have advised you of any issues to be aware of regarding committee composition. With the case of "thorny" committee members, consult with your chair on how to minimize tensions or address the matter. This should not be anything terribly new to your graduate student's repertoire of skills.

Forget the urban myth (fantasy?) that they "don't even read it." The professors have a vested interest in the program's reputation, would they really sign off on anything? It is true that they will not know your dissertation like the backs of their hands-that's your job. Trust that they will be familiar with it and that they will have expertise and questions intended to help improve the dissertation. Though in the student role it may be hard to grasp, you are the expert on this project.

Logistics of the presentation

The structure and process of the dissertation defense can vary widely across programs, therefore talk with your chair and other students to find out what may be unique to your program. Some defenses are open to the general public/department, while others may be less public. Generally speaking, you can expect the dissertation defense to last about 1½ - 2 hours, after which, you will be asked to leave the room for about 10-15 minutes while they discuss the merit of your work. You will then be asked to rejoin them in the room, where they generally greet you with, "Congratulations, Doctor."

Presentation requirements may range from presenting your findings to not preparing anything and letting the committee "just start talking." For those that will be asked to present their findings, include your chair in the defense preparation. Ask him/her if there are any particular preferences he/she has. It is to your advantage to show your chair the presentation outline in advance so he/she has an idea of how you are presenting the research. Remembering that your committee members are often your chair's longtime colleagues, he/she will have important insights into what to expect in terms of your committee members' style in dissertation defenses.

In the interest of professionalism, using Power Point instead of overheads is highly encouraged. Though programs vary, plan a 10-15 minute presentation for the two-hour presentation. This time frame may appear brief, but when you consider the interruptions and questions, your presentation will easily expand to a two-hour discussion. Another urban myth is that during the defense, the professors spend a lot of time arguing points with each other: this is actually true. This is a good thing: the more time they spend debating each other, the less time you are in the hot seat. Pay attention to their points of argument because they are often relevant to include in the revisions.

As you create the outline for the slide presentation, remember that the objective is to focus on the results and discussion sections of the dissertation. Do not feel obligated to include the literature review to set up the presentation. Though it seems counterintuitive not to address the literature review given all the hours you spent on it, the committee is more interested in hearing about your work. In the case that some of the committee members may be unfamiliar with the uniqueness of the statistics, issues of diversity, etc., you may consider including brief background information for their benefit.

1. Start by reviewing the research questions and the instruments and analyses used. Remind them why the research questions are relevant and/or lack of current research on the topic.

2. Then, get straight to the point and present the findings. Make it short and sweet: "Regular sleep was positively related to a good mood" and present the data to support your conclusions.

3. Stick to what you know. Do not feel the need to have an overhead for every point you want to make-you do not have to present all your findings. Just as your discussion highlights some results more than others, the defense will likely focus on the more interesting findings as well.

4. Focus their attention. Remember that whatever you present, either in overheads or orally, you are opening yourself up to questioning. If you are not that comfortable with statistics, consider minimizing the number of tables you present on overheads (instead refer to the table/page orally). Again, just as your discussion may emphasize and explore some findings more than others, it is acceptable for you to focus your defense in a similar manner. Practically speaking, it is simply not possible to discuss all the nuances of a 200-page research project within 2 hours.

5. Practice with an audience beforehand. Because you have probably been looking at this dissertation for a minimum of 243 light years, fresh eyes will ensure that you are making smooth transitions and a clear presentation. Practicing in the actual room in which you will be defending is highly advisable, especially if you will be able to test-run using Power Point, a laptop, or other audio-visual aids.

6. Project professionalism. Dressing in formal attire will contribute to your credibility and perception as a future colleague. Though completely optional, you may also consider providing beverages, even just bottled water, to further create a professional atmosphere.

Being in the Room

Once you are at the defense stage of the doctoral process, you probably have a greater appreciation that the dissertation is more a test of perseverance than of intellect. It is more a mind game with yourself than with the committee. Reminding yourself of the following during the defense should help you focus on the reality of the situation, not on your nerves.

Reality 1: You are the "expert". This might feel uncomfortable or arrogant, but consider how many articles you have read and all the time you have invested. You did all the work to synthesize the information into a draft to inform the committee members about your work. In the midst of all the anxiety, it is easy to forget that you are the one who is most familiar with this information. If anything, the defense should be another step in the transition to your professional identity as a colleague and psychologist.

Reality 2: Your committee is there to listen and understand, not to test or trick you. Though it may not always feel like it, your committee wants you to do well. It is true! They agreed to be on your committee, haven't they (and no, they didn't have to)? They have invested a lot of time and energy in your education as well. Professors are very busy people and chairs are not going to waste everyone's time by setting a date if you are not ready. If they let you set at date, they think you are ready to present your work.

It is normal to be nervous about what they will ask: Will I be able to answer?? It is ok to say you do not know the answer or that you do not feel you have enough information to answer the question. In fact, it is wiser to acknowledge when you do not know the answer rather than demonstrating: 1) ignorance of your ignorance or, worse, 2) your ego's inability to acknowledge your limits. When the question is hard, thank them for the observation and ask for time to think about it. Thanking the professor serves the dual purpose of acknowledging the professor's expertise while psychologically keeping you in a more collegial role.

Reality 3: There will be revisions. Every defense should result in some revisions, accept them as a matter of course so do not to take the critiques personally. Though revisions require more work, they are intended to improve your paper. This document will be sitting on a library shelf with your name on it. It wouldn't be bad if it were the best draft it could be. Whether or not the revisions seem petty or like busy work, the fact is you need their signatures. Another skill in the graduate student's repertoire is learning to accommodate the wishes of the committee members: whatever makes them happy.

The extent of revisions tends to vary by chair and program. Some chairs may only permit you to defend if it is more or less a finished product. Others may accept the revisions as part of the defense process. They will allow you to defend, fully expecting input from the committee members that will lead to a fair amount of revisions. If the latter is the case, it may be helpful to have a friend recording their input during the defense so you can maintain focus on the discussion.

In summary, the defense should be considered a presentation of your research and the opportunity to benefit from your committee's input in order to improve your thesis. Give yourself credit as a colleague-in-the-making: after the two-hour presentation, a little piece of paper with the committee's signatures will be the most beautiful piece of paper you have ever seen.

Thesis Defense Tips

Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Stay hydrated and well fed. I don't know about you, but whenever I have a big presentation (the defense being probably the biggest one - only comparable to job interviews/seminars) my nerves get the best of me and I feel like my stomach is weak, believing that I will throw up (sorry) at the littlest change. My defense was no exception, I was a nervous mess. My mom and PI were thoughtful enough to bring water so I could stay hydrated and my voice would be clear. If you can, eat something, but if not, try to keep a sugary bar or a cookie to keep up the energy once the initial nerves have subsided. You'll thank me later.

2. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. That was always my PI's advice, in fact, our lab meetings were mostly people rehearsing their presentations before big meetings, committee meetings, and a thesis defense. For me, if I knew how to open up with something witty and had an idea as to what to do for the first 5 minutes of a talk, I knew that after that it would be smooth sailing. But it's not only important to practice the first 5 minutes. Practice the whole thing, along with questions. Check your timing, make sure it's right. If you can, have someone jot down any questions you get during your practice time, regardless of how basic they seem. You'll be surprised by the types of questions a committee harps on.

3. Have the latest version of your presentation available on more than one device. You'll be surprised how many technical glitches decide to appear on your defense date, so having a USB disk, your own laptop, a copy on the cloud, etc. can help in case you cannot play it from the location you have it saved. You can always delete the many copies you have after. It's better to be safe than sorry.

4. Make sure your presentation plays, and plays well. My department had a PC we could all upload presentations to, but sometimes, if we didn't save things properly, movie clips and animations would not play. Other times, it would change the format of some slides. I had my presentation done on a PC and saved it to two *.ppt formats, the most recent one and the previous version, in case the computer couldn't read the new format.

5. If you can, stop by the seminar room where your public lecture will be and check the technical details - Will there be problems with the projector? Will you need to bring one? Do you need your own computer or is the one available good enough? Does your presentation play? Are all the figures, clips and animations playing well? If not, do you need to save them or import them to the computer? Did the formatting get messed up? Are the fonts and contrast (colour scheme) good enough to see from the very back of the room? Will you need a mic and pointer? This will definitely calm your nerves a bit on D-day, and it will also help keep your committee and audience happy.

6. Bring copies of your first page with you, so that once the committee approves, you can gather their signatures and not hunt for them for the next two weeks. I think this is standard practice now, but just in case, the graduate school, the library and your department may (or will) want copies of your thesis. You may have corrections to do, but the most important thing you can do is have enough copies of your first page for the committee to sign then and there.

7. Agree on a place to meet with your family, friends and significant other. Don't do what Dr. 27 did. I gave all my belongings to my family, including my cell phone, which was in silent mode. After all was said and done, I couldn't find them. Luckily, they had the presence of mind to stay on the same floor as my thesis defense presentation, and they did their rounds looking for me. My boyfriend found me down the hall. Phewww. For his defense, his mom and I didn't remember where we would meet. Luckily we had the sound on his cell turned up and he was able to call us and tell us where to meet.

8. Bring comfy shoes. I know this sounds a little unimportant, but should you wear new shoes, or heels, you could end up quite uncomfortable at some point. Wouldn't you rather have a trusty pair of flats to change into, instead of having a horrible grimace on your face while shaking hands and welcoming people during your celebration?

9. Get plenty of rest. This seems like a lot to ask, especially when you'll be running on adrenaline for the days (or hours) leading up to your defense. At some point the day before, stop practicing, don't worry about whether or not you know all the inner workings of your system... you will. And if not, it's not the end of the world. The committee won't hate you, they know you're nervous, and that you'll do your best. Take some time to sit back and relax, or at least calm down. Enjoy the breeze, a warm cup of tea, a relaxing conversation with your family. It will do you a lot of good and will energize you, reminding you that there's life away from science and the university.

Have fun. I know, it sounds counter-intuitive, but think of it this way, it may well be your last seminar for a long time, this may be the last time you'll see some people in your department, this will be the first time your family will see you talking about your science and your effort put forth investigating over the last 4-7 years. Stand tall, proud and confident, smile, be gracious and deliver your talk as best as you can. Give yourself a moment to take in everything that's happening. It's your moment, enjoy. It will go so fast, and you'll want to hold onto these memories. You deserve it, you've worked so hard to get this far.

 How to Improve your PhD Dissertation  Delivery in 10 (not so easy)

Abstract— The dissertation delivery is one of the key points  in the PhD student career, often culminating several years of  hard research. The work conducted along four or more years is  at stake in just one hour. A bad presentation can obscure a  brilliant work and convey the idea of a poor researcher. Due to  its capital relevance, the dissertation delivery should be given  full attention and consideration. However, this topic is hardly  covered if at all in any of the several textbooks on how to write  a thesis. As a consequence, most presentations are created as a  mere dumping of contents (paragraphs, equations, plots, tables,  etc.) from the written document on to the slideware, one of the  worst possible ways to communicate information and foster  understanding. Here we report 10 tips to help PhD students to  prepare their presentation, to structure its contents, to design the  slides, and to deliver it with confidence. Following these tips  does not guarantee the success in the defense day, but will  certainly improve the quality of the presentation.

 Keywords—PhD dissertation delivery, defense, oral  presentation, slides  

I. INTRODUCTION  

Once a thesis document has been written, it is the  time to prepare its defense. This defense is usually  carried out as a formal presentation examined by a  committee in a seminar format open to the public. The  student will probably produce a presentation slideshow  using some slideware such as PowerPoint, Keynote,  Impress, or Beamer. It is important to bear in mind that  the slideshow and the presentation event are something  different from: i) reading slides, and ii) showing  summaries of the written text, figures, graphics, plots,  data, statistics found in the thesis to support a series of  hypotheses and results. While it includes all that, it is  much more than that. It should be, as any good  presentation, about telling a story, the story of the  student‟s research experience, which includes all those  results and conclusions, but also motivations,  expectations, successes, failures, readings, quests,  conversations and discussions, writings, past  presentations, and even feelings. Of course, it is not  possible or desirable to tell all these things during the  defense, but they should be taken into account when  planning the presentation. They can help to establish the  tone and the sequence of the slideshow.  In a thesis defense it is important to show the results  and to highlight the conclusions, but it is also important to  show and demonstrate that the student has learnt what  research is, that he has followed a proper research  process, and that he can become a researcher. In fact, the  results and conclusions are already written in the  dissertation and they have been (probably) published in  regular scientific peer-reviewed journals. The defense is  an oral and visual exercise that must reinforce all that  written material with a convincing communication  performance of the student‟s aptitude as a researcher.  Although the dissertation presentation has a capital  importance in the process oriented to obtaining the PhD  degree, it receives little or no attention during the  education and training of future researchers. There are  many books on the topic of how to write a thesis or  dissertation, such as [1]-[8]. But they cover very  shallowly the presentation issue, if at all. However, PhD  students are usually intimidated by the defense before a  thesis committee. Being the most difficult part, it is the  least covered. In this paper ten tips or advices are offered  on how to make a good presentation of the dissertation  work on the day of the defense.  The rest of the paper is organized as follows. In Sec. II,  four tips are given on how to prepare for the presentation.  In Sec. III, one tip is given on how to structure and  organize the contents of the dissertation for an oral  presentation. In Sec. IV, two tips are given on how to  design the slides and include multimedia elements. In Sec.  V, three tips are given for the delivery and Question and  Answer (Q&A) session. Section VI concludes the paper.

II. PREPARATION  

Tip 1. A presentation is not a document  

One of the biggest mistakes you can make on the day  of the defense is trying to tell everything you have done.  As a consequence, you might be tempted to dump the  contents of your thesis from the LaTeX or Word  document onto a series of slides, with no other strategy  than copying and pasting into bullet points until the  original document has been exhausted. Sure enough, the  end result is not a presentation, but a document in  slideware format.  Unfortunately, regardless of the interest of your  research or the relevance of your results, it is impossible  to tell all about the work conducted during so many years.  You have to bear in mind two main restrictions:  

1) The time allotted for the presentation: It is  recommended to never exceed an 80% of the total time  scheduled. This usually amounts to a total time of 45  minutes, leaving a wide margin for questions and answers  at the end. Nobody will complain that your presentation  was too short.  

2) The cognitive limitations of the audience: Although  the members of the committee are supposed to be experts  in your topic, they might not share your depth of  knowledge on the special problem dealt with in your  thesis or on certain methods used. The language and  jargon, the specific concepts and referenced information,  and even certain types of graphics and visual aids, should  be carefully chosen and explained to ensure that the  committee is able to follow you throughout the  presentation.  Therefore, never try to tell everything. During this  phase of your preparation, you have to select the most  relevant information you are to present out of the  mountains of information you worked with during your  thesis, bearing in mind the capacity limitations of your  audience and the time constraints.  

Tip 2. Keep your thesis and computer away initially  

One of the best things you can do during the  preparation phase is to keep away from your thesis and  computer alike. Instead, use a notepad or  black/whiteboard to visualize the story of your thesis: the  decision procedure to select the topic, the beginnings, the  middle years, the ending, the different steps, people,  milestones, places, tools, expectations, hypotheses, good  moments, failures, accepted and rejected papers, and so  on, that you have been through during those years.  

Write down words and short statements that best  describe your visualization exercise and ask yourself how  you would tell the story of this living experience in a  naked scenario. This exercise will help you to be aware  of your thesis as a living experience and to put into  context the slideshow you are about to produce. This will  most probably add vividness and charm to your final  presentation.  

Visualize the background, the knowledge field, the  previous results, the key references, and the scientific  motivation behind your work. Visualize the main  objectives, hypotheses, procedures, problems, results, and  conclusions.  Write down keywords and short statements, draw  simple cartoons and plot graphics that best describe and  transmit all that you have visualized. It is not easy to do  this, but it is the only way to finally produce a vivid  slideshow.  Concept maps can be of great help during this creative  process [9]. Concept maps are an effective means of  representing and communicating knowledge. When  concepts and linking words are carefully chosen, these  maps can be useful tools for observing nuances of  meaning, helping users to organize their thinking, and  summarizing subjects of study. With the aid of concept  maps, it is easy to better visualize fundamental concepts  and how they fit in every part of the structure of an oral  presentation. They help to include only the relevant  information in the place where it is needed, thus  contributing to the overall improvement of the  presentation. Figure 1 is a concept map about concept  maps.        

Tip 3. Order your materials  

You may think that by now you are ready to produce  slides, you are eager to sit down in front of your computer  and open your slideware program. Refrain to do so. Now  you must order the previous materials and complete them  with more statements, words, plots, and data. Remember,  do not look at your thesis yet, and do not look into the  literature yet. This is very important, because during the  presentation and when answering questions asked by the  members of the committee you will be alone and will not  be able to consult anything. Make the effort to visualize  and arrange mentally the information. This will help you  to identify your weaknesses and loose ends, and to be  aware of the many things you have to review and read  again. This will also help you to make a visual slideshow.  If you are using concept maps [9], you can reposition and    refine structures.    

Tip 4. Go analog  

You think that now you can go to your computer, but  you still must keep on working on paper. Produce a  simple „storyboard‟ in which you define the sequence of  your presentation and slideshow. This can be as easy as  using „post-it‟s on a table or whiteboard, as a sort of  analog slideware. In each „post-it‟ you write down one of  the previous words, or a short statement, or the draft of a  plot, or the descriptor of an image, and then begin to  move the „post-it‟s to and fro in order to establish the  sequence of your presentation. The fact that „post-it‟s can  stay for days and even weeks on the whiteboard allows  you to better create the global image of how your  presentation will look like. It also helps to decide which  elements can be eliminated from the final presentation  and which are totally essential to transmit your main  message. Spend time in analog before jumping to digital.      

III. STRUCTURE  

Tip 5. Structure your presentation  

According to [10], “in a presentation, structure  comprises the organization of the major points, the  transitions between those points, the depth that the  presenter achieves, and the emphasis of details”.  As already stated, a presentation is not a document.  Although many aspects of the structure of a presentation  are shared by documents, they differ at least in three  aspects:  

1) Start at a depth that orients the audience. It is very  positive to start showing the big picture or global  perspective about your topic to allow the audience to  understand where your work is located in relation to the  state of the art. Then you can zoom in during the central  part of your presentation, providing the details of your  work, but never more details than needed to grasp your  point. Finally, in the conclusions, you can zoom out and  come back to the big picture, putting all your work in an  overall perspective, and discussing its impact on the big  picture, which by now will be fully understood.  

2) Provide a roadmap allowing the audience to know  where they are at every moment during your presentation.  In your thesis document, the reader can skim through the  table of contents and different parts to have a global idea  about the general organization, where he is, and where he  is heading. During the presentation, they rely on you.  

3) Signal the transitions between the different parts of  your presentation. In the document, titles, subtitles, and  paragraph groups provide a visual cue about topic  transitions and about the different parts. In a presentation,  the audience relies on you to clearly signal when a part  ends and a new one begins.  Pay special attention to the beginning and ending of  your presentation. According to the Serial Position  Effects in [11], people remember best the beginning and  ending of a sequence. On the other hand, the attention of  the audience decreases as time progresses, and rises again  at the end. This means that they will be more receptive at  the start and end of your presentation. These are the two  most important moments, where you must struggle to  make your point clear.  When you explain your conclusions do not summarize  your research findings. Instead, explain their implications,  put them in perspective, help the committee understand  their impact and what they really mean.  IV. DESIGN

 Now yes, you can go to your computer and open the  slideware program. With the „storyboard‟ in front of you,  begin to do some of the slides so that you can define the  style of your slideshow in terms of font face (use  traditional sans serif), font sizes, font color, background  color, and uniform composition to arrange text, photos,  plots and cartoons. Once you have done this, you can  begin the process of producing the slides following  several design rules as stated in what follows for text,  multimedia, and graphics.  One guiding principle when designing your slides  should be simplicity. Each slide should illustrate a single  point and have a unique attention focus. Your slides  should be simple, conveying only relevant information,  with no irrelevant data, such as headers, footers, logos,  page numbers, names, dates, clipart, decorative elements,  intrusive backgrounds, etc

Tip 6. Text elements that everyone can read  

The best recipe for the failure of any oral presentation  aided by slideware is to ensure that the audience cannot  read the text on the slides. The main two reasons why text  cannot be read are: i) the font size is too small, and ii) the  background makes the text difficult to read. Therefore,  always use a font size sufficiently large to be read from  the back of the room and ensure that text can easily be  discriminated from the background. More useful advice  on the correct use of text can be found in [12].  Bullet points are overused in presentations. Most  presentations are made up of slides full of bullet point  lists. However, nobody can make a good presentation  following this design. The more text on the screen, the  more prominence and attention it gets, and the easier for  the presenter to eventually end up reading the text on the  screen. Bullet points should be used rarely and only when  other forms of conveying information have been  discarded. One of the most effective ways to eliminate  them is by segmenting the content of one overcrowded  slide into two or more different slides. Remember that  one slide should contain only one idea.  Slide titles should appear on top and consist of short  sentences declaring the purpose of the slide, in one or two  lines, but no more. Do not use keywords as titles. Use  instead complete, short sentences. A good title will orient  both the audience and the presenter to the content of the  slide.  Tables include lists of numbers or words organized in  rows and columns. Whereas an excellent means of  conveying information in a paper or document, tables are  to be avoided whenever possible in a presentation, unless  they are very simple and easy to read. Usually, a graphic  will better convey the information than a table.  Equations are also very frequent in a thesis. However,  it is almost impossible for an audience to follow complex  mathematical operations and proofs on the screen when  there is no enough time for processing. Before including  an equation in the presentation, ask yourself whether it is  really necessary. If so, include one equation per slide and  try to explain its meaning. It is better to make the  audience understand the importance of a theorem  although you don‟t give the proof during the presentation,  than trying to show every step and drown the audience in  detail preventing their understanding. Remember that the  complex details are given in the dissertation document.  Do not try to give them during the presentation.  

Tip 7. Visual elements that engage and enlighten  

Include animations, videos, and sound, only if relevant  and possible. These multimedia elements will amplify the  effect of your talk and will let you illustrate and describe  what probably has taken you several written paragraphs in  the dissertation. This can also help to explain some  obscure points in your thesis.  Never abuse animation effects and restrain from using  flashy slide transitions and text animations. Use then  sparingly and only to highlight or make a certain point,  never without a good reason.  If you include videos, do not make them longer than 30  seconds, unless they constitute a fundamental part of your  research. Again, only include videos relevant to the  content you are explaining. The same recommendations  apply to audio fragments.  Finally, photos constitute another powerful multimedia  element to be included in your presentation. When  appropriate and in context, high quality pictures can be  added to a slideshow. If so, use one picture per slide and  make it bleed, using all the available space.  You will be tempted to transfer graphics, plots, charts,  or diagrams from the thesis document to your slides. Do  not. Instead, produce new plots and graphics, making  them afresh and new following the presentation design  rules. Remember that a slideshow is to be watched and  not to be read. What is good for a printed document is not  necessarily good for an oral presentation.  Many useful advices about the design of slides can be  found in [13] and [14].  

IV. DELIVERY  

Tip 8. Rehearse, rehearse, and rehearse  

Once you have the slideshow ready, it is time to  rehearse. Rehearsals are very important, because they will  help you to set up the timing, redefine the sequence,  eliminate unnecessary information, include new  information, and be aware of your oral weaknesses. A  video camera will prove to be a powerful ally, since it  will help you to spot incorrect use of verbal and body  language.  Do a first rehearsal alone, and then do a rehearsal with  your supervisor. After that, do as many solitary rehearsals  as you need and a final rehearsal with your supervisor  again. The number of rehearsals with your supervisor  depends on his/her availability and willingness. Invite  your closest colleagues to these rehearsals and encourage  them to ask questions. This is an essential training to be  ready to answer the committee questions.  Do at least one rehearsal in the room in which the  defense will take place. Be aware of the position of the  committee table, the size of the screen, the desired  illumination (remember that different slide backgrounds  require different illumination conditions: obscure  backgrounds require low illumination level in the room),  the acoustic condition, and the sound system (if you are  using sound in the presentation, test it before in the  defense room). You must enter the room unworried about  technical room conditions. You must be familiar with the  room.  

Tip 9. Express yourself with your whole body and  voice, not only with your words

In addition to what you say, i.e., the verbal message, it  is very important to communicate with your voice and  body language, i.e., the non-verbal message.  Here are a few advices related to the use of the voice:   Speak loudly, so that everybody can hear you. If the  room is big enough, then use a microphone.     Articulate every word of your talk. Speak clearly.   Speak slowly. There is no need to rush up. And  introduce pauses frequently in your talk. They  allow you to take breath and allow the audience to  digest the meaning of your words. Make a pause  after every slide, so that the audience can  assimilate the new one.  And next a few considerations about the body language  are offered:   The most important attitude during a presentation is  to look at the faces of the audience individually by  turn. In this case, you should look at the faces of  the committee, not focusing on just one  sympathizing member, but spending a few seconds  on each. Some lecturers, due to shyness or  nervousness, do not look at the audience‟s faces.  Instead, they never take their eyes away from the  screen where they read text; or they look at the  floor or at the ceiling. Establish eye contact with  the audience. Do not talk to the committee  constantly, but look at the public from time to  time, talk to the audience, although you may  preferably speak to the committee.   Speak standing in front of the committee. Avoid the  use of a lectern. Try to stand still, moving only  occasionally when you want to emphasize  something.   Move your hands naturally. Do not put your hands in  your pockets, do not cross your arms, do not play  with objects in your hands, or with your hair,  clothes, etc.   When possible, avoid the use of a laser pointer. If  you need one, then it usually means that the slide is  too complex.  Capitalize only the first word in a paper title, except for  proper nouns and element symbols. For papers published  in translation journals, please give the English citation  first, followed by the original foreign-language citation  [8].  

Tip 10. Never argue with the committee, but discuss  

During the Q&A session, look at the committee and  talk to the member that asked the question. You must not  use sarcasm, or show a condescending attitude. And, of  course, do not interrupt the person asking a question. You  may know the answer before he/she ends the question, but  refrain yourself and wait until the question/comment is  completely posed. Apart from showing respect and  listening ability, you will have more time to think and  produce a better answer.  It is usually said that you are the person that knows  most about your thesis, but this does not give you the  deepest insight of the topic or of the knowledge field. It is  important to show confidence and mastering. You must  support your points with logic and solid arguments, but  never with arrogance. If you do not know the answer you  can always say a humble „I do not know‟. However, do  not end your turn with a negative answer, but with a  positive message of the kind „I do not know the answer to  your question, but I will search for an answer and I will  be pleased to discuss it with you in the future‟. The more  you rehearse with colleagues prior to the defense day, the  better you will perform before the committee.  

V. CONCLUSION  

The day of the thesis dissertation delivery is a key point  in every researcher‟s early career. Most students are truly  worried and feel intimidated before the prospect of having  to deliver a presentation before the committee. This topic  has been barely covered in the literature devoted to  writing a dissertation thesis. As a consequence, students  have little guidance on the topic and are doomed to  commit many organization and design errors that can be  easily avoided.  In a thesis dissertation, as in any presentation, a hard  work must be undertaken to ensure an image of mastery  and inspiration. This paper offered ten tips and many  advices and guidance on how to plan, structure, design,  and deliver the dissertation presentation. The aim is to  connect with the committee and with the audience since  the very beginning, to capture and retain their attention as  well as to promote understanding during the presentation,  and to transmit confidence and security. Visualization  through the use of concept maps, working analog before  using slideware, simplicity in design, message  amplification through proper visual elements, and tuning  the non-verbal language during delivery are key  principles behind the tips reported here.  We advocate for new presenting ways off the beaten  tracks and encourage PhD students to take the risk to do it  differently by following these tips. We are confident that  they will show that they are creative, inspired persons and  both the committee and the audience will be positively  impressed.

Preparing for the Oral Defense of the Dissertation

For many doctoral students, the dissertation defense—the apex of doctoral study—

resides in the distant future. But without warning, students find themselves bracing for the final hurdle. They wonder how or if they will manage to pull off this “last hurrah” as graduate students and enter into the scholarly realm as bona fide academics.

Students are never quite as prepared for this event as they would like to be. This rite of

passage looms before them as a mysterious and unknown event, a gothic terror in its own right.

It certainly should not be this way, and some forethought and preparation will go far in fostering confidence.

The following suggestions will help students take control of this nerve-wracking

experience and transform it into the exciting, memorable and joyful event that it should be.

1. Attend dissertation defenses. The best way for graduate students to prepare for the

dissertation defense is to regularly attend the defenses of their colleagues—those internal and external to their respective fields of expertise. They should be doing so throughout their

programs, not just several weeks prior to their own defense.

2. Know the rituals. What happens at a dissertation defense? Students should discuss

the intricacies of the defense with their advisors, as there are many variations. Generally, the dissertation chair reserves a conference room or meeting room for the defense. At some universities, dissertation defenses are held in the graduate college or graduate school.

Attendees may or may not be invited to sit at the same table as committee members. After the presentation, the student and the attendees are usually dismissed from the room while the committee members deliberate. Then, the candidate and the attendees are brought back into the room and the candidate is congratulated and referred to by his or her new title for the first time. At this point the committee meets privately with the advisee to discuss revisions or other relevant matters.

3. Know the time allocated. Students should ascertain how much time their particular

departments allocate to the complete oral defense, presentation and questioning, and should confer with their advisors. Most defenses last approximately two hours, including deliberation time for committee members.

4. Use PowerPoint. PowerPoint presentations is a professional approach that can do

justice to the vast research that comprises the dissertation. PowerPoint slides should

encapsulate the study and focus on its most salient findings. In preparing, students should ask these questions: “What do I want people to know about my dissertation? What is the most important information that I can present and talk about?” Presenters should consider the rules of chartsmanship and create a goal-oriented presentation that navigates attendees through a logical, point-by-point sequence of information that builds to the conclusion in a clear and focused direction.

5. Be the authority figure. When presenting, students should think of themselves as

authorities who best understand the information being presented and who stand in an ideal position to instruct attendees. The presentation should be instructional or expository, so they should consider themselves as teachers—experts in their own right—informing the audience about the research findings. This perspective reverses the power differential and re-centers the student in a position of authority—one who has wisdom and knowledge and who teaches the committee the knowledge acquired.

6. Prepare slides. Prepare PowerPoint slides by using information in the dissertation’s

first chapter (which actually is the overview of the dissertation) as a framework or outline that reflects the logical sequencing of information. However, substantive information in the entire dissertation should correspond with the slides and also with the notes.

8). In essence, presenters are reducing their dissertation to a PowerPoint format. The amount of information presented should correspond to the time allocated for the defense presentation.

Ensure the internal and external quality of the slides, and make certain there is integrity of information, as well as integrity in appearance of the slides. Slides should be readable and professional-looking. PowerPoint provides a framework for the presentation but it should not become the epicenter of the dissertation defense.

Slides should reflect the following:

• Title of the dissertation, including the presenter’s name, department and date.

• Department or program of study.

• Committee acknowledgment: Include the names of the dissertation advisor and

committee members. Presenters should speak briefly about the contributions of each to

the success of the work. It is appropriate to acknowledge the spouse, significant other,

family members, friends and others who have lent support. Presenters may describe to

the attendees why they chose their research and what informed that decision: attendees

are naturally curious about how researchers arrived at their topics.

• Statement of the problem: Include a brief statement that draws researchers’ attention to a particular critical situation revealed in the scholarship. Presenters are encouraged to

incorporate several slides that reflect statistics, data and information about the problem.

Elements of the literature review should be included to provide a viable framework that

stands as evidence that critical experts in a given field concur that there is merit in

conducting the research, which fills a particular need for increased scholarship. (See

“literature review,” below.)

• Significance of the research: Presenters should address the importance of the research

to a wide pantheon of shareholders, from those most invested as beneficiaries to those

least. This segment of the presentation focuses on the wider applications of the research

to the community at large.

• Research question(s): List all of the research questions exactly as they appear in the

text of the dissertation.

• Literature review: Presenters should provide an overview of salient critical studies. Such slides serve two functions: They delineate the current critical perspective and they justify that the research advances the scholarship through its research objective.

• Method: Such slides provide an overview of the application of particular methods

through which research questions are answered. Presenters should include references

to critical information that addresses the rationale for the selection of a particular method and addresses issues of validity and reliability.

• Results and analysis: Slides should reflect graphs, tables or charts that demonstrate

critical elements of the research findings or outcomes. Presenters sometimes include

their hypotheses and the corresponding results or analysis.

• Discussion: Presenters should list and discuss salient findings and their applicability to

their field of expertise.

• Limitations of the study: Generally, limitations emerge out of the research process or

after the research has concluded and draw attention to these questions: “If I had to do

this study again, in what way would it differ? Would another approach affect outcomes,

and if so, how?”

• Recommendations for future study: Where do students see the logical continuation of

their work? This opens the pathway for future scholars and extends the opportunity to

enter into the academic conversation.

The conclusion of the discussion, limitations and recommendations segments intersects

naturally with the questioning phase of the dissertation defense. Presenters should anticipate the round of questions from committee members at this point.

7. Provide PowerPoint handouts. Prepare hard copies of the presentation for each

committee member and attendees and distribute them before the defense—it may be useful to delegate this responsibility to a colleague (see No. 11). Send electronic copies to committee members who will attend the defense remotely.

8. Prepare PowerPoint notes. A notes section appears at the bottom of each slide and

should reflect discussion points, culled from the text of the dissertation. Notes enable presenters to remain focused and on track in an organized manner that sets up a series of bullet points that jog the memory and help the presenters discuss additional details or elements of interest. The opportunity to elaborate may calm nerves and help presenters rise above the formality of the defense by dovetailing into interesting conversational elements that heighten audience interaction.

9. Anticipate questions. Successful graduate students are generally adept at

anticipating test questions, as their years of experience bear out. Applying these skills to the dissertation defense will also keep them in good standing. Students should consider the academic expertise of their respective committee members. In what areas would they most likely be focused? Advisees should be familiar with advisors’ theoretical or methodological penchants, the manner in which they think and reason, and the emphasis placed on certain elements of the dissertation as they conferr throughout the dissertation process. Exposure to committee members as they serve at other defenses provides excellent insight into how they work together as a group and as individuals. Anticipation informed by knowledge is an important tool in students’ dissertation defense tool kit

10. Conduct a dress rehearsal. At some universities, it is common practice to schedule

a pre-defense of the dissertation, an opportunity to field possible questions from committee members and other faculty. Students are not provided with the committee’s actual defense questions, but gain experience in responding to questions that relate to their research. This preparatory experience initiates students into the defense experience and inspires confidence.

Several days prior to the actual defense, students should schedule a dress rehearsal in the same room reserved for the defense. Exposure to the surroundings ahead of time engenders comfort and reduces stress. Tech-smart rooms equipped with state-of-the-art technology make the setup for students somewhat easier. If tech-smart rooms are not a possibility, students should set up their own computer, projector and other equipment, such as phones, speakers or video conferencing for an offsite committee member.

11. Delegate. Students should delegate to a trusted individual some of the smaller but

important responsibilities of the defense well ahead of schedule. This chosen person could set up the equipment for the presentation, prepare the room on the day of defense, and prepare and distribute handouts.

12. Consider the X factor. While there are no guarantees of technological integrity or

flawless appearances, having Plan B as a backup is a good thing. Handouts can save the day if technology fails, and an additional fresh shirt for a spilled coffee can be a salvation for the X factor.

13. Dress for success. The defense is a formal event in which the entire university

community is invited. The event signals a critical rite of passage for most doctoral students and for the faculty who have supported them throughout a long and challenging process. While there are no general rules governing appropriate attire at most universities, the event should be regarded with dignity and respect. Presenters should dress as if they were delivering a paper at a conference or going to a job interview.

14. Prepare the night before. Keep everything as normal as possible, including

sleeping and eating patterns. Save the heavy celebratory meals and desserts for a post-defense treat.

15. Remember to laugh. Despite our best efforts and planning, we do not have

complete control. Laugh at what does not go according to plan and move on.

16. Think about post defense. After the defense, committee members may decide the

dissertation requires revision and will refrain from signing off until adjustments have been implemented. Such revisions may include minor changes to the text that can be dealt with immediately. Other adjustments may require elaborate restructuring, and there may be additional work to do. Students should immediately address the committee’s concerns and implement all changes. Students need to remain focused on graduation and complete the work that will take them there.

17. Consider professional editing and formatting services. The dissertation is not

done until the monograph is in final form according to departmental or graduate college/school specifications. At the end of this process, students, as well as their budgets, are enervated.

However, if budgets permit, it is advisable to secure the professional services of a formatter or editor who can put the document into final form.

The journey to the doctoral degree is long and often arduous, but knowing how to navigate the course will certainly sustain those who venture on the pathway to the Ph.D. The preparation of faculty and their advisees is key to the safe harbor of degree completion and graduation.