Molyko, Southwest Region - Buea, Cameroon
(+237) 654770619
Research Key
50 Top Thesis Defense Questions With Answers(2023)
This blog article contains all the possible thesis defense questions that can be applied to all departments.
Do you have an upcoming thesis defense and you have been wandering the kind of questions your professors will ask you
Click to Read: Navigating Your Thesis Defense: Common Thesis Defense Questions and How to Prepare
Top 25 Likely Questions and Answers for Thesis Defense
Do you have the ability to briefly describe the purpose of your study to us?
Right, the query is straightforward.
Most students choke on a topic like this, as many professors will attest to.
In any case, the question is simple but a little complicated.
You need to comprehend every aspect of your scientific study, starting with chapter one, to respond to this question.
To ace this particular topic, you would want to comprehend every aspect of your abstract because the question requires a reply that functions as a sort of summary of the entire subject.
If your abstract was truthful, this question will be a cross-over for you.
What inspired you to conduct this research?
You now need to exercise caution.
These questions are frequently highly challenging, and it helps greatly in persuading your panel that your study is worth their time.
What’s THE RESEARCH PROBLEM is another way to phrase this query.
You’ll want to go into more detail on the subject of the study as you respond to this.
You become motivated by your enthusiasm to find a solution to this issue.
Don’t use the need to graduate or financial constraints as motivations since you’ll quickly lose your audience.
3. How will this research add to the body of knowledge?
When the need for explanation arises, you will be required to explain how your study, if allowed, will add to the body of available evidence.
Here, you’ll get to defend it using your research methodologies, a case study, or any special models or conceptual frameworks that were used in the study.
4 What is the study’s significance?
You will get to discuss the significance of your study in the same way that you will discuss how it will add to the body of knowledge.
In your response, you should emphasise how your study will benefit organisations and society as a whole, how it will assist the government in developing and implementing policies, and how it will benefit other students who might want to research the subject.
5. Did you fill in any gaps in your research?
Every research project needs to have a challenge.
You receive all of the points allotted for answering this question because of your abilities to solve this puzzle and research topics that have not yet been studied.
You must be prepared to persuade the committee members that your method is unique and that it addressed areas where other researchers haven’t done a lot of work.
6. What restrictions did you face?
Another easy but challenging question is this one. Most of the time, the question is asked to criticise your work rather than to feel sorry for you.
You should use caution when responding to this question to avoid implicating yourself. Be careful not to sell yourself short.
Discussing your approach or data analysis constraints could imply that your paper is prejudiced or poorly researched, therefore avoid doing so.
Instead of limiting your studies, use minor constraints like the challenges associated with juggling projects and lectures.
7. What conclusions have you reached?
You now need to clearly and succinctly present your study’s outcomes or findings.
Always relate your conclusions to the goals and/or questions of your research.
Your panel members will become passive as a result.
What techniques or methods did you use for sampling?
You need to be familiar with your research approach to responding to this question.
You must have access to your chapter three (in Most Projects).
Your ability to defend your sample size and methodology will be greatly rewarded in this situation.
Get the most recent career advice, an online degree, and scholarships for US and UK universities, it is advised.
8. Why did you select this approach?
As was already mentioned, you should not just describe the study’s methodology.
Additionally, you must be prepared and able to convincingly defend your decision to use the tactic.
You are currently free to cite sources or studies that used similar methodologies.
9. What recommendations do you make in support of your findings?
Every research study needs recommendations, and they won’t be taken lightly.
In essence, you should be able to recall your recommendations.
You need the best PowerPoint for your thesis: Hire a writer to Draft a PowerPoint that will shock your professors
10. Regarding your findings, what areas of study will you recommend for the future?
Just to be sure you’re thinking clearly and are an authority in your field of study, questions like these exist.
You should be prepared to offer additional research areas related to your subject based on your conclusions from a manageable scope of the study.
One legitimate subject for additional research, for instance, would be other types of taxation, such as VAT, Company tax, etc., if I looked into the difficulties of collecting private taxes in Cameroon.
11. What practical applications may your research work lead to?
The majority of management and social science projects are more abstract, making them a little more challenging for management and social science students than science and engineering students.
But you should make an effort to be reasonable in this situation.
Relate your research to contemporary trends in your home, workplace, industry, polity, institutions of higher learning, etc.
You’ll get points for using pertinent examples and illustrations in this situation.
13. How would you briefly characterise your study for a practitioner in ?
14 What would you change if you were to rerun the research?
Hmmm. Be cautious! Avoid being overly merry. There is a gap in this! Similar to your restrictions, this question is frequently posed to identify your weaknesses.
What measurement instrument do you use?
What approach to data collecting did you take for the project, to put it simply?
Here, you specify whether surveys were given out or secondary sources were used to obtain the data.
for additional details about measuring devices.
16: What variables are you using in your research?
Here, you get to persuade the members of your panel that you merely are knowledgeable in the subject at hand.
To convince them that you are correct, you should explain your independent and dependent variable(s). Your project topic contains your variables.
To excel at your defence, you should be able to recognise these variables and know what they mean.
What are your research questions, number 17?
Simple to answer.
If you are completely prepared, you should be able to respond to this question in 0.015 seconds.
Continue reading to see a sample complaint letter for the omission of exam marks.
Following graduation, what do you choose to do with your scientific research?
You are free to express your thoughts in this area.
If you intend to publish it, this is frequently the easiest time to speak with the committee members and engage in conversation; perhaps a professor present might be of assistance.
What type of knowledge source was used for the study?
You must now identify the source or sources from which you obtained the data. Generally speaking, you must specify if the data came from primary, secondary, or both sources.
By going over the study’s theoretical and empirical literature review, you can persuade the committee members even more.
What theories or theoretical framework is the foundation of your study?
Although extremely technical, this question is intriguing.
You should have a working knowledge of at least two relevant theories related to your research before entering the defence room.
For instance, Maslow’s Theory and other theories of motivation will support the “impact of motivation on employee productivity.”
Consult your supervisor for assistance if you are having trouble finding suitable theories to replicate your research
How would you connect your findings to the study’s prevailing theories?
One will need to read a lot to ace this test.
You should be familiar with both empirical studies and the current ideas surrounding the subject.
It would significantly help to validate your study if you can relate your conclusions to earlier research investigations, regardless of whether they concur or not. I’ll bet you’ll win this debate.
What suggestions do you have for upcoming research? Question 22
Your capacity for problem-solving is tested here.
You should be able to spot topics that require more investigation.
What is the study’s scope, question 23?
This one might be a throwaway or bonus query.
Here, you succinctly explain the study’s boundaries.
What queries does one have for the committee? Question 24
Although this is not a question that can be asked in our African context, I have nonetheless defended a seminar project where it was, and I was astounded to the core.
This is frequently an opportunity to talk with the members of your committee and to ask some insightful questions. Avoid asking pointless or overly challenging questions because the committee members should feel a sense of loyalty to the “boss” rather than you.
It will also go a long way toward demonstrating that you are a superb person.
Question 25: Is there anything further you would like to add?
It’s time to give thanks! Take this opportunity to express your gratitude to the committee for their time and inquiries.
Tell them how much you learned from them and how you intend to fix any mistakes (if any) found in your work. Your internal and external supervisors will be greatly impressed by this.
We hope the best for you!
Regarding the following additional services, we give direction and instruction.
topic selection advisory
Writing proposals: Consultancy
Analysis of Data
interpretation of data
training in data analysis (SPSS)
PowerPoint Construction
editing solutions
correction services
Plagiarism Eradication
Thesis Defense Questions, Thesis Defense Questions, Thesis Defense Questions, Thesis Defense Questions, Thesis Defense Questions, Thesis Defense Questions, Thesis Defense Questions, Thesis Defense Questions
Thesis Defense Questions, Thesis Defense Questions, Thesis Defense Questions, Thesis Defense Questions, Thesis Defense Questions, Thesis Defense Questions, Thesis Defense Questions, Thesis Defense Questions, Thesis Defense Questions, Thesis Defense Questions
9. Why is your study important?
The response to this research question should describe how your findings have affected your field of study.
You could discuss the novel understandings your study has provided and how it has affected society.
My research on “The effect of chamomile in lowering stress and encouraging better sleep” can help people with insomnia and anxiety find non-pharmaceutical remedies for their conditions.
The chamomile plant’s medicinal properties will encourage the use of natural products and motivate the community to grow additional herbs and trees.
10. What conclusions did your research yield?
In this response, you are permitted to briefly summarise your study. For example,
In our study on the “Impact of Artificial Fluoride in Water on the Human Body,”
we discovered that since Fluoride has neurotoxic properties, excessive exposure to high levels of it might cause tooth discolouration and bone problems in people.
11. What research results caught you off guard?
When you undertake research, you often discover results that you did not initially anticipate.
When answering this question, you can mention the same to the evaluation committee if you had such an event. For instance,
In my comparative research of the use of conventional and modern marketing techniques,
I anticipated that business promotion through social media would not be a good concept for rural firms in developing countries.
But I was quite aback to learn that 68% of Nigeria’s rural textile manufacturers advertise their goods on Instagram.
12. How reliable are your findings?
The circumstances under which the results of your investigation might be valid must be discussed.
In my research, I have assumed that both nervous system activation and negative thoughts contribute to exam anxiety.
Thus, to ensure that my results are accurate, I included both apprehensive feelings and negative thoughts in my measure of test anxiety.
13. Why did you decide on this research design?
For instance,
In our investigation, we employed the immunostaining technique to examine the differential protein expression, its localisation, and dispersion at various levels.
14. What resources did you draw on to gather the data?
To find information for your topic, you would have looked at a variety of sources. From those sources, you can get into further detail.
You might have consulted databases, and online articles, or even conducted primary research by speaking with potential customers.
So you can discuss these sources. Consider the following response:
We spoke with 150 people over five months to better understand how the existing tax system affects skilled professionals.
In addition, we made use of academic databases and books written by authors who had previously undertaken similar analyses for earlier tax legislation and rates.
15. What applications are there for your research?
The practical ramifications of your findings are covered in this query.
You should explain how your study benefits society and how it may be used to solve existing problems.
In our study, “Effectiveness of Meditation in Reducing the Anxiety Levels of College Students in the US,” we found that due to meditation’s beneficial effects, students who practiced it at least three times a week were twice as likely to perform well on exams.
Therefore, this research’s findings may contribute to fewer student mental health difficulties. Holding meditation classes a few times a week might be a good line of action.
16. What new information will your findings provide to the field?
Our study on the medicinal analysis of herbs contributes to the field of medicinal botany and provides information on the many therapeutic benefits of chamomile in treating depression.
17. Did your study encounter any obstacles?
According to our study, smoking raises a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The study is titled
“Impact of smoking on -cell function and risk for type 2 diabetes in US citizens.”
Smokers, however, may have specific hereditary factors that can shield them from developing diabetes.
18. What sampling methods did you employ?
It is nearly impossible to study every element when performing research.
So you would be choosing a sample population using a method.
We employed area sampling to divide the city into various zones for our study, “Impact of soda intake on the health of teenagers in Corpus Christi,” and then we chose a few clusters as our sample population.
19. What are the research’s dependent and independent variables?
Several varying factors have an impact on your research project.
These variables can be described. Independent variables in your study have values that are unaffected by other variables.
The dependent variables, on the other hand, have values that alter as the independent variable does. For instance,
Our study, “Impact of Online Tutoring on Test Results,” uses the participants’ test scores as the dependent variable and the online aspect of the classes as the independent variable.
20. What areas do you recommend for additional study?
When your research is added to the field, you should be ready to explain what new areas will be available for study. Future researchers can use this as a place of departure. For instance,
My research on the “Effectiveness of Acetaminophen in treating sports-generated injuries” led me to the conclusion that treating joint symptoms like knee pain with Acetaminophen is not particularly effective.
This also raises the possibility of taking action to limit the use of acetaminophen in the creation of bodily pain medications and to look for substitutes.
Practice Issues
Try answering these questions on your own after looking at the sample responses:
What steps did you take to address the moral ramifications of your work?
What is the research’s strongest point?
Why do you believe your research to be trustworthy?
Do your findings align with the body of previous research?
Do you believe that your research may have certain biases?
What suggestions do you have based on your research?
What statistical tools do you employ?
Describe the research’s sample population.
What are the practical applications of your findings?
What would you change if you were to conduct your research again?
What significance does your research have for other scientists?
What are the most pressing problems in your fields?
Do you believe your research to be accurate?
What method did you use for your study?
What does your study alter about your field of study?
How general are your research contributions?
What applications does your research have for decision-makers?
What is your research process for qualitative analysis?
How did you go about taking standard measurements?
Do you have any final remarks?
Top 25 Likely Questions and Answers for Thesis Defense (2023)
The top 25 academic research defence questions that you can come across during a tutorial research defence are listed below.
Please utilise this checklist to determine whether you are truly prepared for your research defence.
Keep in mind these inquiries and the suggested methods for responding to them.
We reviewed the list of prior academic research project defence inquiries.
To make sure you are not limiting yourself to only these inquiries, Research Key Consulting Services also suggests that you go further and ask former students about some of the academic scientific research defense questions they ran across during their defence.
Anticipate the obvious inquiries and be ready for them.
Based on your research, you may readily predict the majority of the thesis defense questions.
When you are reading your work, you can make a list of potential questions.
Knowing the committee will help you prepare more effectively.
You can anticipate what questions they may ask by looking at their areas of expertise.
Once you have a list of inquiries, you may begin considering potential responses.
Get your slides ready in advance.
It is a good idea to prepare any visual aids, such as slides, in advance.
You can check the slides again to ensure that everything will go according to plan on the day of your thesis defense.
Make sure the order of your slides is proper.
If a candidate’s thesis defense is an open event, go to it.
You are welcome to attend another candidate’s thesis defense if your institution permits it.
You will have a very good notion of what to anticipate from your meeting after reading this.
If you can’t make it to the event, you might ask your peers about their meeting to see what was discussed and what questions were posed.
Get dressed for your meeting.
You should wear formal attire since the thesis defence meeting is a formal occasion.
You should treat it like a job interview even though there are no rigorous clothing codes.
Don’t just show up in front of the committee wearing your T-shirt.
The ideal choice for the situation is your formal suit.
Prepare your speech for the meeting.
Practice making your presentation to advance your preparation.
You will feel more confident going into the meeting and presentation after this activity.
You might ask your fellow students for assistance with the practice task.
You can enhance your performance for the real session based on their input during the mock session.
Make careful to adequately prepare for the fake session, just like you would for the real session.
In the simulated session, you can also work on your body language and speaking.
Don’t be hesitant to get in touch with these experts again if you hired thesis writing services as they would be the best ones to put you to the test in a simulated thesis defence!
Examples of Questions and Answers for Thesis Defense
1. What is the focus of your research study?
You should provide a brief synopsis of your research in your response.
Although the issue is straightforward, a better understanding of the concepts requires technical knowledge.
If your thesis, for instance, attempted to explain the components of dark matter in the universe and particle accelerators, you may phrase your response as follows:
The various facets of dark matter and its detection models have been looked into in this study.
The development of decaying dark matter models has been addressed and used to explain the cosmic ray positron excess detected by the PAMELA detector.
Assuming a general Dirac structure for the four fermion contact interactions of interest, the cosmic-ray electron and positron spectra were investigated.
To account for the conceivable excess of gamma rays in the galactic core, a supersymmetric leptophilic Higgs model was developed.
Finally, an enhancement to the dark matter collider searches is taken into consideration using Razor analysis.
2. Why did you select this research?
You must respond to this question by stating what inspired you to start the study in the first place.
Your responses can reflect your interests in the study’s subject.
For instance, if your study was titled “Media Combat: The Great War and the Transformation of American Culture,” you may formulate your response as follows:
I’ve always been interested in learning more about the First World War (1914–1918), and my main focus is on examining the social climate of the era.
I wanted to examine how theatre and music changed how the government interacted with American civilians during the American involvement in the war and the emergence of a nationalised, wartime cultural infrastructure.
3. Why did you decide on this specific title for your study?
It is crucial to select a title that accurately conveys the main idea of your thesis because it serves as a summary of your research.
Your selection of a final title for your work will be questioned by your committee. For instance,
For my research thesis, I chose the subject “Dark matter in the heavens and at colliders: Models and limitations,” as my work aims to shed light on the nature of dark matter as it manifests itself in the cosmos.
The universe is often referred to as “the skies.” Particle accelerators like the CERN collider can also produce dark matter.
Through the use of models and a description of the current constraints brought about by specific scientific limitations, I have made an effort to explain both circumstances.
4. What is the purview of your research?
You must specify the scope of your project and the precise subject matter you are researching in your response. There may be several factors at play, but you must first establish the study criteria. For instance,
My research focuses on how effective equities stocks are on the US market.
I’ve selected 50 NASDAQ-listed companies for my analysis. The names of these businesses are listed on page 5 of my thesis.
5. What phenomenon were you attempting to comprehend with this study?
In your response, explain your thesis’ central idea. For instance,
We sought to investigate the Theory of Planned Behavior in our study on “Motivation to Volunteer” by examining the behavioural and normative ideas that shape attitudes and subjective norms.
6. Who will be most curious about your study?
You can discuss the people who your research may affect as well as those who may gain something from it. Look at this illustration:
Sociology professors, social media firms, education professionals, and parents of children, in general, may be interested in my sociology thesis on “Impact of social media on youngsters.”
7. Did your research questions change as you conducted them? How, if so?
Qualitative research questions frequently evolve in response to the feedback you could receive from your focus group.
Alternatively, as you conduct laboratory research or general text study, your question may simply alter.
You can inform the evaluation panel of the modification. For instance,
With the installation of trash cans designated for vinyl items, we set out to understand the effects of the new public policy change on the recycling of vinyl waste.
However, after speaking with a few of the target community’s responders, we discovered that the law has no bearing on their actions or beliefs because the locality’s vinyl waste proportion was so low that no special bins needed to be installed.
Our study, which originally focused on the expenses associated with public policy changes, changed as a result of their discontent with the current state of economic insecurity.
8. What holes did your research attempt to fill?
Your research thesis must close any conceptual gaps connected to your subject issue that exist now.
We examined the mineral makeup of hard water to ascertain its effect on the size of the kidney stone since the relationship between hard water and its effect on kidney stone size is not yet evident.
How to Prepare for Questions During Thesis Defense
You need to get started on your thesis defense questions well in advance.
The main goal of your thesis defense is to defend your study, even though the length may vary depending on your institution’s requirements.
As a result, you should follow the procedures below to prepare for your thesis defense questions.
For clarity, read your thesis again.
Your research paper will serve as the basis for your thesis defense questions. Rereading your article is therefore an excellent idea.
You should have a firm grasp of the topics and be aware of your research.
A revision should be the first step in your preparation as it may have been some time after you sent in your work.
Have a plan for your responses and a structure
Create a plan for your response to the panel’s questions.
Keep your responses succinct, but whenever required, provide more specifics about the research.
It’s okay if you don’t know the answer to a question.
The trick is to be able to come up with a response even if you don’t have the knowledge to do so right now.
Having a plan for responding to even the most unexpected questions can be a lifesaver in these circumstances!
For example, if a question is about the content of your research, you can say something like
“I am not sure my research touches on the question you are asking, but my research has led me to Dr X. Based on this evidence, I would have to conclude that…”
The best approach to prepare for this difficult stage in your academic career is to practice answering thesis defense questions in what we called a thesis Pre-defense.
Many Universities in the world always have Pre-defenses before the Final Defense.
For you to have a thesis defense that will beat the imagination of all your professors, you need to read this blog article till the end and you will notice all the secrets of answering thesis defense questions
First of all, You need to have effective tactics for dealing with various question types and explaining why you choose your research topic in addition to having a thorough understanding of your research project.
It’s time to put your years of in-depth study to the test now that you may have previously responded to inquiries about your research interests in your research interest statement and graduate school interview questions.
Below are some of the trickiest thesis defense queries, along with our knowledgeable answers.
Note: Schedule a free strategy call if you’d like our assistance with your applications, interviews, or standardized testing.
Visit our collaborations page if you represent a university, company, or student organization and would want to collaborate with us.
How Should a Thesis Defense Go?
You get the opportunity to showcase your in-depth understanding and subject competence at a thesis defense.
The members of your thesis committee will be able to direct the narrative and hear about your study, but the instructors will push you to demonstrate your command of the material.
Since most of the questions are open-ended, you can demonstrate your knowledge and expertise as well as any potential future plans you may have for your research topic.
Depending on the subject of your research, a thesis defense typically lasts between one and two hours. You start by presenting your area of interest, your research, and your conclusions.
The committee members will quiz you once you’ve completed based on both your oral presentation and your written thesis, which they will have already read.
Finally, the committee may endorse your thesis or make suggestions for improving your paper.
Related Posts
Top Tourism and Hospitality Management Research topics(2023)
This blog article you are about to read will provide you with Tourism and Hospitality Management Research topics. Do you intend to write a research paper about hospitality? Are you looking for the top…
sexual abuse lawyer/10 Top sexual Abuse Lawyers to Hire
Have you been wondering about a sexual abuse lawyer when you face sexual abuse in a relationship? This article constitutes all that you need to know about sexual abuse, sexual abuse in a relationship…
What is research definition/1 Best definition
What is research definition Kerlinger in 1973 defined research as a systematic control, empirical and critical investigation of hypothetical prepositions about the presumed relation among natural phenomena. Tuchman 1978 described the research as a…
Components of a complete research paper/5 Top components
Components of a complete research paper Preliminary pages Preliminary pages are those sections of a project or research paper that appear before the first chapter. The first page of a research paper is the…
Research-key (RKCS) is a center for Academic Research service in Cameroon aimed at providing academic support to students at all levels. Learn more...
- 12 Sep 2022 Research/project Tips 50 Top Thesis Defense Questions With Answers(2023)
Quick Links
- All Departments
- Terms & Conditions
- Privacy Policy
- Work with us
- Hire A writer
- +237 654770619
- Molyko, Sourthwest Region - Buea, Cameroon
Research-key (RKCS) is a center for academic research service aimed at providing academic support to students at all levels. Learn more...
- Ebonji Project Site
- Empowering Sustainable Aquaculture: The Impact of the Fish Rearers Association in the South West Region of Cameroon
- The benefits and drawbacks of dating online
- ASSESSMENT OF MOTHERS KNOWLEDGE ON THE PREVENTION OF HOME ACCIDENT IN CHILDREN 1-5 YEARS IN THE MUTENGENE HEALTH AREA
- MOTHERS KNOWLEDGE ON THE COMPLICATIONS OF POOR WEANING PROCESS OF CHILDREN AT THE MUEA COMMUNITY
- THE MANAGEMENT OF A PATIENT WITH DIABETES MELLITUS TYPE 2
*** Enter the $2,000 College Transitions No Essay Scholarship Contest ***
25 Thesis/Dissertation Defense Questions
December 17, 2023
When you’re considering going to graduate school , or you’re about to defend your master’s thesis or PhD dissertation, chances are you’ve come across something called the thesis defense. The thesis defense is arguably one of the most fundamental steps to take in order to attain your graduate degree. Each university will have its own tailored expectations of the thesis defense. Yet, as a whole, the thesis defense is an opportunity for you to demonstrate in front of the committee the extensive research you’ve completed and the critical skills you’ve developed. Due to the critical nature of the various thesis defense questions/dissertation defense questions you’ll be asked, it’s best to be prepared and practice with other students. Try to even attend a thesis defense if you can. Overall, consider the thesis defense as a chance to showcase how you’ll best contribute to that academic field of research.
The thesis defense can range from anywhere between one to two hours, depending on your program. As a whole, you’ll present how you decided to choose this topic of research, what you discovered, and what those findings led you to realize. The committee – those overseeing and critiquing your thesis defense – will then ask you a series of thesis defense questions, as well as your written thesis because they’ll have already read it by then. In most cases, by the end of the questioning, the committee will either decide to approve your thesis or give you possible suggestions on how to reapproach your research.
How to best prepare for thesis defense questions
Much like preparing for the GRE or deciding what graduate program you wanted to apply to at the beginning of your graduate academic journey, familiarizing yourself with what to expect on the day of your thesis defense will only lighten the burden. Whether you’re a new master’s student or considering how to pursue a PhD , it’s important to know ahead of time how to best prepare for the thesis defense questions. If you’re getting ready to defend the master’s thesis or prepare for dissertation defense questions, see how you can answer the following thesis defense questions that might come your way on the day of the presentation.
1) What does your research focus on?
Be ready to state right away the synopsis of your research. Although it may seem like a simple, straightforward question, the committee will be looking to see the terminology you use when describing the focus of your research.
2) What influenced you to research this topic?
The committee will be interested in knowing what influenced you to choose this specific topic of research. What motivated you? Shape your answer in a way that reflects the field of study your topic of interest is in and the issues that stood out to you.
3) What does your study encompass and cover?
Consider the parameters and scope of your research for your thesis defense. By defining and delineating the grounds that you covered with your research, you will inform the committee with a better understanding of how you decided to focus on your topic of interest.
Thesis Defense Questions (Continued)
4) what was the goal of your research.
This question will surface often whether you are defending your master’s thesis or preparing for the dissertation defense questions. It’s important to state what your thesis meant to achieve. Think of what the core focus of your thesis is, and state how that was the driving factor in your research.
5) What were your expectations going into this research?
Describe how your hypothesis was formed. Were there any things you had expected or any preconceived notions you had on this topic before you pursued this research? Where did these expectations come from? Did any previous research affect the way you approached your thesis defense as a whole?
Defending a Thesis (Continued)
6) what did you study that made you want to conduct this research project.
This is a great opportunity for you to show what literature you reviewed that led you to pursue the research. Be ready to discuss the literary review of what has already been contributed to this field of study. Reflect on the realizations made when confronting certain data and if it was feasible for you to conduct your research given the existing contributions. Examining this type of literary review will serve you well during the following thesis defense questions.
7) Who is the targeted audience for this research?
It will be important to state who the targeted audience is, or what types of people will be affected by your research. Will these particular parties benefit from your research? How will they be affected? Consider not just the targeted audience, but also those in parallel groups who may be impacted by your findings.
8) Why did you choose this title for your research? – thesis defense questions
The way you have named and titled your research will convey what you consider most important to the committee. What does your research try to explain in the given title? Is there a reason you chose the specific words in your title to convey a main point? The committee will want to see the intentionality of every word here and how it relates back to your research.
9) How did you conduct your research questions and did your approach change?
While you were preparing and conducting your research, you might have found that your research questions were changing, depending on the sample you were studying. Oftentimes, if you are utilizing qualitative research methodology, the types of qualitative questions may change based on the answer. How did that change affect your research process? Did you have to shift your approach to the subject matter or reconsider focus groups?
10) What impact does your research have on the existing literature?
Reflect on how your research made a contribution to the overall understanding of the field at hand. Think of why this was necessary and state that concisely. This will trickle into other thesis defense questions.
11) Did you address any gaps in the field of your research?
Answering this thesis defense question will show how significant the findings of your research are. The goal of anyone’s research is to fill in the gaps of a field. Why did the pre-existing literature not suffice to address the focus of your research?
12) What did you come across during your research?
It helps to have options of how you’ll convey this. Try to be prepared to summarize in detail, within a minute, what your findings were. Then see what you can paraphrase in 5 minutes. How about in 10 minutes? Doing so will assist you in identifying the most relevant piece of information based on how the committee asks you this thesis defense question.
13) Did you find anything unexpected or surprising during your research process? – thesis defense questions
This would be a good opportunity for you to state how any surprises you came across helped you make certain decisions about your research. While you defend the master’s thesis and think of how you’ll prepare for the PhD dissertation defense questions, this is a “curveball” moment that demonstrates how you took charge of the challenge presented and continued your research despite what you had confronted.
14) Under what parameters is your research valid?
Parameters were mentioned in question 3 above, but consider the specific conditions that would need to be in place for your findings to be valid. What are the elements that would have to be in place? Be ready to identify these during this thesis defense question.
15) What were the challenges when conducting your research?
Were there any roadblocks you faced when gathering your data? Did you have to reconsider your research methodology at all? Identifying this will help the committee understand the direction and trajectory of your research.
16) What were the challenges when working with your subject matter?
If you were interviewing people, did the focus groups not adhere to what you had asked them to do? Why? Walk the committee through your approach here.
17) Why did you choose the research methodology that you chose?
While you’re defending the master’s thesis or answering dissertation defense questions, you’ll be asked specific questions about your research methodology. Was it qualitative? Quantitative? Why? What made you believe that this would be the most effective way to conduct your research?
18) How did you form your hypothesis?
Tie back in your expectations for your research and consider what you thought the expected results would be for this thesis defense question. Were there any factors, both past or recent, that had helped shape your hypothesis?
19) How did you gather the data to conduct your research and what sources did you use?
Recount what steps you took to decide how to access the data. Did certain libraries offer more resources? Was there any censorship that you came across that posed as a roadblock to collecting data?
20) What are the practical implications of your research?
For both master’s and PhD students, this is always an important thesis defense question to keep in mind. In life outside of the academic institution, how will your research be of practical use to society? It’s a question that most graduate students ask about themselves before graduating, so it’s best to know how to answer this one about your research!
21) How did you decide what samples to study in the research you found? What was your approach in using sample groups?
For example, if you used sample or focus groups, how did you go about selecting these groups? How did you get access to the data here? Don’t be hesitant to state the challenges you might have faced while doing so. As long as you frame it in a way that helps provide a more intricate portrait of the trajectory of your research, you’re on the right path.
22) What are the independent and dependent variables in your research?
Use this thesis defense question to show how balanced your research methodology was by naming the different factors. How did the independent variables affect how the dependent variables changed?
Dissertation Defense Questions (Continued)
23) considering your contribution to this field of research, where else would require further research what more needs to be done in this field.
As a master’s student defending your master’s thesis or as a PhD candidate preparing for your dissertation defense questions, you are already a researcher. And as a researcher, you must present what else must be done in your field of research on top of what you’ve accomplished. What does your research further suggest?
24) What did you ultimately gather from your research? What did you learn during and after the process? – thesis defense questions
Aside from stating your findings as a whole, this would be a good moment to express if you found anything significant outside of your thesis that you hadn’t expected. Was there something you learned while gathering your data or writing up your text that you never thought you’d come across?
25) After you complete your degree, what do you want to pursue professionally?
It’s not uncommon for master’s or PhD students to not know exactly what they want to do once they graduate. But for this last thesis defense question, it’s good to have a solid answer that will tie back into the research you’ve done. Do you have further research plans in this field? Do you want to pursue a profession that would enable this and strengthen the practical reality of it?
Thesis Defense Questions – Additional Resources
We hope you found this list of common thesis defense questions useful as you prepare for defending your thesis. Other articles that you may find relevant include:
- Top Feeders to PhD Programs
- Do You Need a Master’s to get a PhD?
- How to Write a Grad School Statement of Purpose
- Graduate School Admissions
Joanna Hong
With a BA from Pitzer College and an MA from University College London, Joanna has worked in London, Berlin, and Los Angeles covering many cultural and political issues with organizations such as Byline Media, NK News, and Free Turkey Media. A freelancer for The New York Times, her work has also appeared in Newsweek, Dazed and Confused Magazine, and The Guardian, among others. In addition, Joanna was the recipient of the 2021 PEN America Emerging Voices Fellowship in Fiction and is currently completing her first novel.
- 2-Year Colleges
- ADHD/LD/Autism/Executive Functioning
- Application Strategies
- Best Colleges by Major
- Best Colleges by State
- Big Picture
- Career & Personality Assessment
- College Essay
- College Search/Knowledge
- College Success
- Costs & Financial Aid
- Data Visualizations
- Dental School Admissions
- Extracurricular Activities
- General Knowledge
- High School Success
- High Schools
- Homeschool Resources
- Law School Admissions
- Medical School Admissions
- Navigating the Admissions Process
- Online Learning
- Outdoor Adventure
- Private High School Spotlight
- Research Programs
- Summer Program Spotlight
- Summer Programs
- Teacher Tools
- Test Prep Provider Spotlight
“Innovative and invaluable…use this book as your college lifeline.”
— Lynn O'Shaughnessy
Nationally Recognized College Expert
$2,000 No Essay Scholarship
Presented by College Transitions
- Win $2,000 for college • 1 minute or less to enter • No essay required • Open to students and parents in the U.S.
Create your account today and easily enter all future sweepstakes!
Enter to Win $2,000 Today!