31 PhD viva questions

I’ve been collecting PhD Viva questions:

1. What motivated you to do this study?
2. What is the difference between concept yours and concept known?
3. x is often y but not always – how you can you measure it?
4. Your table 2.x – can you talk us through it – I find it confusing – what should we be learning from it?
5. I would judge your mention of concept x like you – but others would define more broadly  – do you acknowledge this?
6. You use the phrase “xyz” – what does that mean?
7. If you define xyz in that way – then why to do you go on to do this form of analysis?
8. I like you literature review – but can you tell me more about your decision to use this framework for your analysis?
9. You seem to be use a particular definition of the framework – do you see any limitations of defining it in the way you do?
10. The things you measure on page 47 – who chose them – where do they come from?
11. The justification for your measure seems overly elaborate – is it not just a case of a basic ranking – how do you justify this approach?
12. I have a question about page 68 – the abc ratio – why do you measure it that way – when it could be measured like this?
13. I would have expected you to say more about xy model – but you make little or no reference to it anywhere – why so?
14. Okay – I accept that it is not important in relation to your case study – but do you see why it can be important?
15. Can you explain the table in page 83
16. When you use the word “Word” what do you mean?
17. I see you have 3 research questions -and a nice summary of them in the methods, a diagram and a summary at the end -but no where do I see anything that brings them together – can you say more
18. In page 156 you set out a set of variables – what is the theoretical foundation for these variables?
19. Your model explains most of what is happening – but what about what it doesn’t explain? What about measurement error?
20. Although so much of this is political – your account does not acknowledge the politics – why so and could you say more now?
21. Referring to your 4 types on page 300  – how do you allocate a person to a type?
22. What do you mean by EFP? and why is it important?
23. Just because it is x how can you say it is y?
24. If I was the President of the USA and you had an opportunity to tell me 3 important things about this thesis, an opportunity to influence policy – what would they be?
25. Have we missed anything – that you expected to be questioned on?
26. Knowing what you do now – what would you have done differently?
27. Where did these models come from?
28. Is this model yours?
29. What other cases are you aware of?
30. What do you want to do next with this material?
31. How has this changed you as a person?

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