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Hello, I'm Dr. Angel Asmat, and in this video, we're going to look at the most frequently asked questions your thesis committee might ask so you can analyze them with your advisor and practice answering them correctly.
Prepare for your thesis defense with 14 common questions your jury might ask, explained by Dr. Angel Asmat for effective responses.
Ask about this video. Answers come from its transcript only — with the timestamp, so you can check them.
Generated from the transcript and can be wrong — check the timestamp.
Key Takeaways
- Thorough preparation for both content and methodology questions is essential for thesis defense success.
- Use scientific evidence and avoid opinions when answering jury questions.
- Understand and explain the ethical standards and validity of your research instruments.
- Be honest about limitations and challenges faced during your research.
- Know if and how your results can be generalized to other populations.
What the video covers
- The video explains the four stages of a thesis defense: oral presentation, Q&A, jury deliberation, and result communication.
- Dr. Angel Asmat highlights the importance of preparing for both specialized and methodological questions during the defense.
- The acronym FINGERS is introduced to help justify the feasibility and relevance of the research topic.
- Common jury questions include topic selection criteria, research contributions, differences from previous studies, and instrument validity.
- Ethical considerations and approval by ethics committees are emphasized as crucial aspects of research defense.
- The video advises on how to explain research objectives, hypothesis formulation, and conclusion derivation.
- It stresses the importance of acknowledging research limitations and difficulties encountered during the study.
- The concept of extrapolability or external validity of research results is discussed with examples.
- Clear, direct, and evidence-supported answers are recommended to avoid unnecessary follow-up questions.
- The video encourages practicing answers with an advisor to improve confidence and scientific rigor.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction and Importance of Thesis Defense Preparation
- 00:46Overview of Thesis Defense Stages and Question Types
- 01:45Using FINGERS to Justify Research Topic Selection
- 03:05Contributions of Research and Differences from Previous Studies
- 04:23Selection and Validity of Research Instruments
- 05:06Research Design and Ethical Considerations
- 05:45Research Objectives, Hypotheses, and Conclusions
- 06:25Explaining Relationships, Limitations, and Difficulties
- 07:39Extrapolability of Research Results and Final Advice
- 09:06Closing Remarks and Thanks
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
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[Music] Defending your thesis involves presenting it to a committee that will decide whether or not you are eligible to receive an academic degree or professional title.
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This defense consists of four parts. The first part is the oral defense of your thesis, which should last between 30 and 40 minutes. The second part is the question-and-answer session. Here, you can be asked questions about both the
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specialized aspects of your topic and the methodological aspects. Therefore, it's important that you are prepared for both. Questions are inevitable; that is, they will ask you questions no matter what. That's why it's crucial that you prepare thoroughly. If you didn't understand
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a question, don't hesitate to ask them to repeat it. This won't lower your grade. Answer directly and clearly. Don't elaborate to avoid generating further questions. All your answers should be supported by scientific and graphic evidence. Avoid answering based on beliefs or opinions whenever possible. Remember
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that your thesis is a scientific work, and in the defense, you are demonstrating your scientific capacity to practice the profession. The third stage is the jury's deliberation. At this stage, the jury will decide privately whether to approve or disapprove your work. The
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fourth stage corresponds to the communication of the results, that is, the jury's verdict. Now, let's look at the most frequently asked questions from thesis juries.
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Question 1: What criteria did you consider when selecting the research topic? Or they may also ask what motivated you to study this topic. You will find the answers to these questions in the "Problem Statement" section of your
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thesis, or you could even use the acronym FINGERS to answer. Remember that this is a very useful tool for initially defining the research problem.
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When we talk about FINGERS, we are referring to whether the work was feasible. Here, comment on the ease of access to the studied population, whether you had the human and economic resources, and also enough time to carry out the
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work. Comment on how interesting your topic is to the scientific community. Is it original or novel? Describe whether your work has generated new scientific findings or presents a different approach.
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Indicate if... Does this topic align with your specialty, or does it improve your work activity? In other words, is it good or important for you? Does your work comply with international or national ethical standards? Is it low-risk for
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participants and relevant? Describe how your work contributes to improving clinical practice or the future of your line of research.
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Question 2: What contribution does your work make to the scientific community, or what are the results of your research used for?
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You will find the answers to these questions in the justification section of your thesis. You can comment on the theoretical contribution, that is, how your work improves the body of scientific knowledge; the practical contribution, that is, if it solves an
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immediate problem; or the methodological contribution, that is, if it improves a process or procedure for research in that area of knowledge. If your work contributes in two or three of these aspects, it would be excellent.
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Question 3: How does your research differ from other similar studies previously presented? To answer this question, you must analyze the background or previous studies cited in your thesis and clearly understand the differences with your study. Obviously, your work must represent improvements because
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otherwise, you would be repeating more of the same. Question 4: What criteria did you consider when selecting the The question about the instrument you used in your thesis relates to the scientific rigor of your work, and you must explain why
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you chose that particular measurement instrument and not another. In other words, explain the document you used for data collection. For example, why did you choose the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and not the Makin Pain Questionnaire? A closely related question is
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whether the instrument you used is valid and reliable. Regarding validity, remember that it indicates whether the instrument you used actually measures the variable or variables you intend to measure.
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Reliability refers to whether repeated application of the instrument yields consistent results. You should discuss these aspects with your advisor so that you can answer according to the instrument you have chosen. A simple question is: why did you choose that
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design for your thesis and not another? To answer this question, you should explain, for example, why you chose an observational design like a cross-sectional study and not an experimental one like a clinical trial.
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Question 6: What ethical criteria did you apply in your research? To answer this question, you must have reviewed the ethical standards applied in your study, such as the Declaration of Helsinki or your country's health law if you worked
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with animals. The laboratory should also cite what corresponds to this regulation. It would also be important to indicate if your work was approved by the ethics or bioethics committee of your institution.
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Question 7: What was the purpose of your research? This question refers to the general objective of your study. Briefly explain it.
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Question 8: How were hypotheses formulated? If you are asked this question, you must answer by indicating the statistical test(s) used, for example, the t-test, Student's t-test, and explain why they were chosen in your work.
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Question 9: How were the conclusions of your work obtained? The answer is through the interpretation of the results. On the other hand, don't forget to verify that the conclusions must always be aligned with the objectives you set.
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Question 10: If your research work is related to [something], explain or interpret that relationship. For example, if your work finds a relationship between obesity and periodontal disease, here you should explain that, according to your results, a higher body mass index
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was associated with greater severity of periodontal disease, if that is the case. Question 11: What limitations or weaknesses did your research work have?
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Self-criticism is important in all work; moreover, no research is perfect. In this sense, it is important that you identify the limitations of your work, for example, the possibilities of bias, that is, possible errors, and what you did to minimize
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or eliminate them. I suggest you write this aspect beforehand in the discussion section of your thesis.
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Question 12: What difficulties did you have in carrying out your research work and how did you overcome them? If they ask you this question, comment on the obstacles you encountered in the research process and how you overcame them. However, avoid at all times making it seem as if you are
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speaking ill of the institution or the people you interacted with while conducting your study.
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[Music] Question 13: Are the results of your studies extrapolatable? Let's see here the definition of extrapolate according to the Royal Spanish Academy.
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Extrapolate is to apply conclusions obtained in one context to another. In this question, they are asking about the external validity of your work, that is, whether your results can be generalized, represented, or applied to other populations similar to your target population. For example, if we
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do our study in Lima, Peru, they are asking if these results are applicable to other Peruvian cities, for example, Trujillo, Arequipa, or other cities abroad, such as Quito, Bogotá, Buenos Aires.
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Usually all experimental studies are extrapolatable and some observational ones. Meet with your advisor to determine this aspect according to your work.
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Finally, question 14, in which they recommend training and reco
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work would be important to carry out to complement their findings. I suggest that you describe this aspect beforehand in the recommendations section of your thesis. I hope this video has been useful to you.
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Thank you very much for your attention. See you soon. [Music]
Topics:thesis defenseresearch questionsacademic juryscientific researchmethodologyethics in researchresearch limitationsextrapolabilitythesis preparationDr. Angel Asmat
