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Below are notes from seminars given at the limnology department that could be of wider interest for:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ i) PREPARING FOR THE UNEXPECTED DURING A PHD DEFENCE Some points are specific to the Swedish PhD defence whereby the discussion between student and an opponent is meant to be an intellectual discussion , and a separate panel of three or five people sitting on a defence committee observes and does the formal evaluation. Thus, the expectation for the discussion between opponent and PhD student is meant to display the PhD students ability to have a two-way intellectual discussion, rather than being a one-sided interrogation. In most cases, the opponent will ask somewhat predictable, thought provoking and understandable questions but here we focus on how to prepare for ‘unexpected’, ‘especially difficult’ or ‘awkward’ scenarios? ------------------------------------------- Scenario 1: Dismissive Criticism Your opponent expresses a critique, then brushes it off and changes topic before you get a chance to respond to the criticism. You feel a bit deflated as you never had an opportunity to address, or even understand that critic. Solution: Write down any points you want to come back to on a note pad. You can come back to this point when you want, or even before answering the question. Eg. “If you don't mind, I want to come back to the comment you made about X and have an opportunity to explore/discuss this point/concern you raised earlier….” Even if you don’t have an answer – you can ask questions back to the opponent about this point to ask for clarification. This shows that you want to learn more about the thought process that provoked that critique. This approach ensures you have the opportunity to respond and you’re taking control of the discussion. Note: it can be a good idea to bring a notepad and pen and jot down keywords to help jog your memory of key points you want to come back to during the discussion(s). ---------------------------------------------------------------- Scenario 2: Contradicting Points in Thesis Pointed Out Your opponent finds parts of your thesis where you contradict yourself - something doesn’t add up. It could be a mistake you didn’t realise previously. You’re caught off guard and unclear how to respond and need some time to think it out, but feel pressured to come up with an answer within seconds. Solution: Repeat the question first – just to keep talking – that interaction gives you time. You can say: ”Let me think about that…” Ask more questions (follow up questions) to help lead you through the answer, start with some basic concepts first … Note: This scenario is not uncommon. If there is a ‘mistake’, it could be major or minor, and in some sense ’should’ come up, no thesis is perfect. But the concern should not turn over your conclusions, or it should have been raised earlier. If the concern is regarding a manuscript, you can mention the comments are helpful to incorporate before submitting for publication. ----------------------------------------------- Scenario 3: The Opponent seems Confused Your opponent seems confused or unfamiliar about a part of your thesis and is asking a line of questioning that is off topic, seems irrelevant to your work or shows confusion on their part. You’re shocked and confused by the question. You wonder if you correct them or simply answer the question (weakly) as it’s not your topic. Solution: Be honest and try to answer in a polite way. Explain what you can tell with your thesis work, and what is outside the scope of your this – “This is a bit peripheral to my research questions but an interesting question. If I had to guess about X based on my knowledge about Y …but this is strictly speculation’ Notes: In preparing for the defence, think about the background of the opponent and the ecological systems they are most familiar with, and read some of their work so you can compare and contrast your systems to their own. Remember that the committee is evaluating your ability to have a discussion and exchange scientific concepts, and speculate even on a topic peripheral to you own. ------------------ Scenario 4: 'Aggressive' Line of Questioning Your opponent keeps a blank expression with little feedback other than a ‘sniff’ after your answers. There is no eye contact or signs of acknowledgement that you are answering well or not. The opponent seems to be aggressive and not giving you a chance to respond and keep cutting you off. At one instance, you glance at the audience and see someone with a super confused and concerned look on their face. You suddenly get nervous, start to clam up and give very short answers because you’re afraid of saying anything stupid. How do you get back on track? Solution. Take a deep breath, sip of water. Look at your colleagues sitting near the front who know you, and your work, and are nodding reassuringly. Try to put things into perspective – keep in mind that this might be a failure of the opponent - not yours. Remember it’s an equal discussion – both opponent and PhD student have equal roles. You ask questions back and forth and speak freely in a respectful manner. Keep in mind that you are an expert in your field. *Remember (in the Swedish system) the committee is evaluating you and how your respond to questions outside your comfort zone. If the opponent is unnecessarily aggressive - it's important to stay calm and keep trying your best. The opponent will eventually move to the next topic. Try to highlight the strengths of your work whenever you can. Often, a 'aggressive' line of questioning is due to curiosity of the opponent, and is not indented to intimidate you. Take a deep breath when this line of questioning is over and take a fresh start with the next discussion. ----------------------------------- Scenario 5: A tough technical question Your opponent asks a very difficult technically challenging question. You know the answer but can’t seem to find the right words or phrases and can’t remember the name of relevant references to support your thoughts. It's maybe an equation you used several years ago and forgot the specifics. You are struggling but don’t want to give up and really want to get to the answer. What kind of strategies could help you get to the answer? Solution Possibly refer to additional slides or go back to a slide in the presentation that you might give you a visual to talk around and/or could give you some hints. “If you don’t mind, I’ll just pop up a figure from XXX et al., that will help me answer this…” Start by answering some basic ‘textbook’ concepts that you are most familiar with – work your way up to the ‘difficult’ concept. This gives the opponent an opportunity to lead the PhD student step-by-step to an answer. It's better to try discussing around the topic and ask questions rather than a flat 'I don't know'. ---------------------------------------------- Scenario 6: An 'Embarrassing' Moment Your opponent asks a basic question (e.g., What is a p-value, and how is it calculated?). Your instant thought is that it’s an unfair question as it’s something you ’should’ know but you don’t and it’s an opportunity for embarrassment. Solution: Remember it happens all the time, with everyone - give it a stab and just be honest – ”I’m sorry I would have to look that up – I know I should know that but I can’t recall at the moment.” Don’t think about it as being embarrassing – ie when you give your contributions to a paper – you are not an expert on all parts – but it is important to know the basic principles – know the important key points. Try to consult with 'the experts’ (ie bioinformatics expert) to get refreshed with 'basic training' about fundamentals before the defence. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Scenario 7: Confusion between PhD student and Opponent The opponent asks something that sounds really easy and you covered this point over and over again in the thesis text, and you are not sure if there is something hidden behind that question since you think you already explain this thoroughly. What do you do then? Solution: Stay calm and repeat the answer, again, and try to understand which part of the answer remains unclear. For example, try to elaborate and explain if there are some underlying assumptions, or constraints. ___________________________________________________________________ Some General Tips in Preparing for a PhD Defence While preparing for you defence, think of a handful ‘key points’ you would like to make sure comes out over the course of the discussion. Write them out on a paper so you can refer to them especially if you feel lost at a particular moment – try to direct the conversation, when possible, to one of these core strong points. This can help you feel in control of the discussion. Some examples of key points: The novel aspects of the study, innovative study design, detailed statistical analyses, any strengths of the study, things you did to account for limitations, experimental advancements, feasibility issues. Anything that you feel particularly proud of as an important achievement. Have a few extra slides prepared to help you answer questions that could be especially complex with references noted. Maybe slides that are removed from your presentation due to time. Eg. mechanistic diagrams, flow charts, conceptual models, equations, detailed tables. Being too defensive or arrogant can go the wrong way. Giving a good answer depends on understanding the question fully. Ask for clarification when needed. Be aware of counter-arguments so you can say that despite x, we were still able to come to the conclusion of y. It’s okay to ask questions to the opponent – phrased in a respectful manner (“I'm curious what you think about x?”) About saying ’I don’t know’ It can be better to say ’I can’t answer this question right now as I’m blanking out’ rather than saying ‘I don’t know’, particularly for more factual questions. If it’s a deeper philosophical question it’s important to express that you don’t have a definitive answer, and ok to say ‘I don’t know’, because that shows a maturity – it’s important to understand that there are many questions that nobody knows the answer to. Do not take questions personally. Remember that it’s not easy for the opponent – they might not know what question to ask next, or if they are asking stupid questions. Grasp this opportunity to talk about your favourite topic Go in their with confidence Go in there knowing that you know this better than anyone else You will likely reflect upon how ‘I should have’ answered the questions better after the defence. This is normal. It can be useful to meet the opponent before the defence – at the least to say ‘hi’ and have an informal chat. This can help put nerves at ease and one can realise that they just a normal person. Often the opponent is asking questions they don’t know the answers to – they are curious and want to learn from you. They want a fun an interesting dialogue back and forth. The opponent may leave you with some excellent key points that push you to think outside the box or at a different level. It’s okay to just listen for these parts and admit you didn’t think of them before today. It shows scientific maturity to learn, even at this stage in your PhD. Some Final Thoughts • We are scientists (not politicians or lawyers) – it’s okay to be wrong or not know all the answers. • We are all individual so there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to answer a question – we can be respectful to differing opinions. Keep in mind the defence is simply a discussion ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ii) Giving a Presentation that will ‘Blow Their Socks Off’ Why bother putting in extra effort for your presentation?
Can everyone give an amazing talk? Absolutely, some people may 'seem' gifted but they often have put a lot of work into preparing their talk and have rehearse line by line what they will say and thought specifically about the adjectives, verbs and nouns they will use in each sentence. With effort, anyone can give a great talk. Take time after your talk to reflect on what you did well and what you did wrong. Give yourself credit for the good talks and try to keep improving on that base. Making Your Talk Stand Out From the Rest Customise your talk. For example, bring in some elements that this particular audience will relate to. It could be the location you are visiting, the theme of the conference or session. This can help you build a connection with the audience. Figures
Try to Incorporate Analogies With numbers. Sometimes numbers can be overwhelming, and this is an easy way to loose your audience. Take a bit of extra time to make the numbers more relatable ie “...this is the distance from here to Rome” or “...this is about the same area of this room” or ”...this is the temperature of a cup of coffee”. With concepts. Try to invoke an image. Sometimes the best way for your audience to relate to your thinking is to develop a mental image of a concept. The image is likely to stay with them longer after your talk. Compare and contrast. It can be equally powerful to compare to something that is the complete opposite of your concept. Consider both similarities and contrast to help the listeners appreciate your point and think deeper about the point you are making. Finding a hook. The hook can be something you use to bring the audience to life at the start of the talk. Think about terminology. Think about using the most simple words to explain complicated concepts, and try to define technical words that could be mis-interpreted. This will widen the group of people that will follow along. For example, you can say 'the stimulus was added in an uneven, or stochastic pattern’. Number your slides so people can refer to them by number when asking questions. Tips to Prepare for 'Technical' Aspects of Your Room It is to your advantage to be comfortable with the size, and technical set-up, of the room you will give your talk in. This can help you build confidence and stay focused on delivering your amazing message. We are often presenting at a conference centre with widely differing room sizes. It can be for 30 people or 300 people. It is helpful to visit the room you will be talking in before your talk. If possible, visit the room when it is empty and when others are presenting When the room is empty, at the start of the day or lunchtime, stand at the front of the room and look out at the rows of empty chairs until you feel comfortable with this feeling. It might take a few minutes. Next, visualise people in the chairs and stand at the front of the room until you start to feel comfortable this scenario. This process of visiting the room when empty, and actively used, helps you:
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