Celebrating Successful Defense...and Getting Yourself There

I haven't posted here for almost a month because I have been extremely busy trying to meet deadlines. Two of my doctoral students needed to complete their dissertations and defend by March 30th, to be able to graduate in May 2012. They both did. Congratulations to Keith Keppley, PhD, and Terrina Henderson-Brooks, PhD! Keith's journey was just under 4 years; Terrina's was just under 5.

So tonight I celebrate Keith and Terrina, who have kept me very busy throughout the month of March. And David Wolf, PhD who preceded them by defending in January. Three doctoral students are now doctors. The journey does come to an end. It may take 4 years, or 5, or 6...but eventually, it does come to an end. Then maybe, you enter into the domain of life-long learner. And 'holder of the discipline'.

So how do you get to this place of celebrating a successful defense?

I have learned a few lessons from directing these three students, and many others who are in the pipeline.

1. Create a plan, then work that plan. 
2.  Avoid taking a new job before you complete your dissertation. Many have been derailed by taking new jobs...Off course if you do have to take a job, then go back to 1 - create a plan, then work that plan. Some institutions (for those who look to enter academia) will hire you as ABD. However, it is contingent on you defending your dissertation within a given timeline, failure to do so would result in either being fired or demoted. For those who are already working (thus doing doctoral studies part-time) taking on a new job or added responsibility has the same potential to derail your progress. So if you do take that new job, or those added responsibilities, be sure to count the cost.
3. If you can, it is advisable that you keep more or less the same pace as you did during coursework. Maintaining the same pace has the potential to help you get to completion sooner. Deciding that coursework is over so now you can relax...that can derail you. 
4. Talk to those who had a timely completion. Learn from their example. They can tell you which strategies to employ and which pitfalls to avoid.
5. Ensure you have social support and accountability, people who will encourage you and keep tabs on your progress. Per my "it takes a village" post, you need others in your life to help you achieve timely completion. Folks who are willing to copy edit your documents, folks who are willing to help with child or elder care...etc. 
6. Finally, create a plan, then work that plan. Yes, I am repeating myself. Its THAT important. 

All the best! And as always, be sure to engage by commenting or asking questions.

The Successful Dissertation Defense

What makes for a successful dissertation defense? Am sure you have found other sites where students or professors tell you what makes a defense successful. I hope this will add to what you already know.

The defense is the oral examination of your doctoral dissertation (or thesis). It is the 1:30-2:00 hours you spend in conversation with your dissertation committees, in the presence of other 'witnesses' who may include friends, family and the campus community, demonstrating your expertise in your study topic.

Depending on institutional guidelines, your defense 'audience' may or may not be allowed to participate by making comments or asking questions. In most cases, whether the audience participates or simply watches the interchange, the only people who determine whether you have passed are the members of you committee.

Generally, your committee should not let you get to the defense unless they are sure that you are well prepared and can pass. However, institutional cultures are different, and committees are different too. Personally, I will not let my candidates sit in a defense unless am confident in their preparation and have essentially, ensured that they will pass. But that's me. I would not want the humiliation of seeing my candidate fail at that all important juncture.

So how should you as the candidate prepare for this 'examination'?

You should be in agreement with your chair and the rest of your committee that your dissertation is 'defensible', it is ready for this process. That does not necessarily mean every t has been crossed and every i dotted...though, it should not be a draft either. Rather, it means that your introduction, literature review, and methods (which in most institutions would have been approved at the proposal stage) are in tip top shape, the tenses have been changed to past, and everything there is good to go. Similarly, your chapter 4 (results) and 5 (discussion, interpretation, implications) are in excellent shape, they have been reviewed by your chair and essentially, approved as ready for defense by the entire committee. You should not schedule a defense if any one of your committee members is saying otherwise.

Prepare to present your research in about 30 minutes (check with your chair and dissertation handbook on any instructions for the presentation).

Prepare a presentation that is logically organized, beginning with purpose statement and ending with implications for future research. In most cases, you do not need to spend a lot of time talking through the last three chapters since your committee already approved those in the proposal defense. However, you do want to highlight any changes to your protocol even as you reiterate the purpose statement and theoretical framework.

Focus the bulk of your presentation on chapters 4-5 (I am speaking here of a traditional 5-chapter dissertation; if yours is not in this format, use the 5 chapters mentioned here as a guide on what you would be preparing). Ensure you discuss how your work extends theory, and informs practice, even as you point ahead to recommendations for future research.

Expect your committee to ask questions and make comments, interacting with you in a dialogue for at least an hour, sometimes longer. If you are well prepared, and they have been involved in your process closely having approved your dissertation for the defense, its possible that their questions and comments will focus not on what you did but on:

a. What you would do differently given ideal conditions
b. How you will use the dissertation, how it fits into your career goals
c. Your plans for publications

You would hope that the defense is not the place for the committee to get into an ego-war (I've heard that happens). Well, the best advise I would give on that will come in a different post, on how to select your dissertation committee members.

In the next few weeks, I will post on how to turn your dissertation into publications, and how to use it to enhance your career. If you are interested in reading my dissertation, you only need but Google me, it is freely available on ohiolink etd (Electronic Thesis and Dissertations). A link is also included here.

http://etd.ohiolink.edu/view.cgi/Ngunjiri%20Faith%20Wambura.pdf?acc_num=bgsu1143220309

All the best at your defense. If you need further advise, do not hesitate to contact me.