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1. How to Prepare PhD Defense
Let's talk today about the very end of the PhD journey: your
defense (or viva, if you are in the UK). Depending on the
university or country you are in, your PhD defense can be the very
last step in a long process, on the day when you receive your
diploma (as in the Netherlands), or it can be a step prior to the
final submission of your dissertation (as in the USA). If you are
interested in the procedures and experiences of former PhD
candidates in different countries and different disciplines, be sure
to check out the "defenses around the world" series on PhD Talk.
To prepare for the actual PhD defense, some argue that you
don't need to do anything at all. In the end, you did your research
over the past few years, and nobody knows your work as well as
you does. However, going into your defense without any
preparation at all is not something I recommend. If you were
organized during your PhD, and starting writing your first
chapters early on in your journey, you may need to revise some
elements again, and reread some key publications. Moreover,
your defense will depend on your committee, so preparing for
your defense by keeping your committee in mind is essential.
Finally, preparing for your defense will help you prepare mentally
for the challenges of the day itself, and will give you some piece of
mind.
As I blogged my way through my PhD, I wrote extensively
about my journey to my defense, from the point where I was
pottering around in the laboratory to the actual day of defense
and graduation. You can read all about the steps between my draft
thesis and the joyful day in "On the road to the defense" part I,
part II, and my experience about the defense itself. Besides the

2. experiences of myself and fellow PhD students, I've learned a
great deal about defenses by hosting the "Defenses around the
world" series on PhD Talk - a massive thank you to all guest
authors who so openly have shared their experiences.
Shortly after defending my thesis, I wrote about my 10 best
tips for the PhD defense, as well as how to prepare for your
defense. I spent a lot of time preparing for my defense - and in
hindsight perhaps not all of these activities were equally
necessary. At that time, they were important for me, because
spending a lot of time on preparing, and thinking about
everything that could happen, helped me feel a bit more secure for
the defense. If you feel like you need to prepare deeply to calm
your nerves, by all accounts, do so. But if you feel confident about
going into the defense, there are just a limited number of things
you need to do to prepare for your defense. You can find my top
picks for preparing for the defense in the following list:
1. GO TO CONFERENCES
Presenting your work at academic conferences is a crucial
part of your PhD journey. If you've presented your work a few
times for an international audience, and answered questions, you
are better prepared than when you've never had the chance to
travel and present your work. Every time you present your work,
you will a bit more confident about your work. Every time your
present your work, you will have practiced and sharpened your
presentation and presentation skills a bit more. For these reasons,
use your PhD time to present at as many conferences, workshops,

3. and industry events as possible. All this practice in the years prior
to your defense will make you better prepared for the big day.
2. KNOW YOUR COMMITTEE AND THEIR
WORK
The questions you can expect during your defense will
depend on your committee. As you prepare for your defense, don't
make the mistake of navel-gazing at your own dissertation.
Instead, try to take a step back and evaluate your work through
the eyes of your committee member. Check out the most recent
publications of your committee members to be fully up-to-date
with their work (you don't want to make the mistake of being
completely oblivious when a committee member hints at the fact
that he/she worked on something interesting for your research
very recently). Don't assume that you read everything while
preparing your dissertation - check out the latest and in press
publications. If you've had a chance to meet with your committee
members during your PhD and while preparing for the defense,
revise your meeting notes, and identify their main points of
criticism on your work. While some committee members will tell
you their exam questions in advance, other members won't give
you an idea, and will leave you guessing. Try to come up with at
least five possible questions per committee member, and prepare
additional material to answer these questions as needed.

4. 3. REVISE THE CRUCIAL PAPERS
Brush up on your knowledge of the literature. Besides
checking the most recent work of your committee members, make
sure that you do a brief search on recent publications in your field,
so that your literature review and your knowledge of the literature
are fully up-to-date. Don't stop following the literature on the day
when you finish your literature review chapter! Besides working
on your general knowledge of the literature, identify the papers
that were most important for your work. Prior to your defense,
make sure you read these papers again to refresh your memory,
and to address possible questions about the foundations of your
work.
4. PREPARE FOR BROADER QUESTIONS
When preparing for your defense, don't expect any open doors.
Instead, you should prepare for questions that are either at the
periphery of your work, and much closer to the work of your
committee members, or for questions that test the assumptions
and basics of your work. Make sure you have a solid foundation to
answer such questions. Besides these questions that sit right
outside of what was the main focus of your work, there are also
the questions that focus on the broader scope of your work, other
fields of application, and future work. Such more general
questions can be asked at any PhD defense, and you can find a list
of possible questions here, here, and, here. Make sure you practice
preparing answers to these questions, and bring additional
material for the defense where needed.

5. 5. KNOW THE ROOM AND THE TOOLS YOU
CAN USE
Get your logistics for the day of your defense all sorted out
long in advance. You don't want to be running around campus,
borrowing a laptop last-minute, or arranging coffee for your
committee members. Ask for advice from a post-doc who recently
defended to see if you thought everything through. Make sure you
understand all the procedures, and when in doubt, ask and
double-check with the office responsible for the defense. Know
where you will present, and which tools are available in the room.
Will you be using a microphone? Will you be able to project visual
material and use audio in the room? Are there other tools
available? In Delft, the rooms standard have a digital overhead
projector, which you can use to show parts of your dissertation,
sketches, and other material. Depending on the tools you have
available, make sure you bring the right material to your defense.
6. BE YOUR BEST SELF
Don't get too stressed about the defense itself. If you get
stressed, you'll have a harder time thinking clearly and replying
the questions in a way that is satisfactory for the committee. I
started my defense really nervous, and I can barely remember
how replying the first questions went. Once I got calmer,
everything went much better. Besides your stress levels on the day
itself, make sure that you are rested prior to the defense. Get

6. enough sleep in the weeks before the defense, and eat healthy
food. Consider yourself as an athlete preparing for a big effort:
make sure you are in your best condition to give it your all on the
day of the defense.
7. PLAN YOUR PARTY
Your defense is a day when your friends and family gather to
celebrate your success. Don't forget how important and valuable
this day is for all of you in your stress for preparing for the actual
defense. Unless for weddings and perhaps special birthdays, there
are not that many occasions where you can have that many of
your loved ones together, to celebrate you and your success. Your
family may even be traveling internationally to attend this special
event. A special event it is, so make sure you make it a special day
for everyone attending. Arrange a reception and a nice dinner, for
example, or any other form of celebration as you see it fit.
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