The document contains questions that were obtained by the author while attending doctoral school in 2002/2003. The questions cover several topics related to conducting PhD research including: the background and motivation for undertaking a PhD; developing the research question and theoretical framework; choosing a research methodology; conducting fieldwork and data analysis; presenting research results; and evaluating the value and limitations of the research. The questions provide a guide for PhD students to help structure their research and prepare for their thesis defense.

1. I obtained these questions when attending doctoral school/class at UMIST in
year 2002/2003. The classes was conducted by Prof. Wood-Harper.
Background (Remenyi 2003 and Wood-Harper et al 1999)
1. Why did you undertake a PhD?
2. Who are the main stakeholders in this research? In which way will they be
able to benefit from the results of your research?
3. What do we know now that we did not know before you started your PhD?
4. What are the important lessons from your research in terms of personal
development and from a contribution to Information Systems?
5. What would you do differently if you were starting now?
Research Question(s)/Theory? (Remenyi 2003 and Wood-Harper 2003)
6. What was the original problem/research question?
7. In which theoretical frame of reference were you able to place this research
questions?
8. How was the research question modified as a result of the literature
question?
9. Why was it changed?
10
.
Specifically which authors most influenced you thinking about your
research question?
11
.
In what way does your research question seek to establish a new theory,
refute an old theory or develop an extension of the old theory?
12
.
Research Methodology? (Remenyi 2003)
13
.
How would you describe you research methodology?
14
.
What influenced you to choose this approach to your research?
15
.
What other research methods did you give serious consideration to and why
did you reject them?
16
.
What would you say were the methodology difficulties you experience
whilst doing your research and how did you overcome these challenges?
17
.
How would you advise your research students on the choice of the research
process and methodology?
18 What are the philosophical assumptions underpinning your methodology?

2. . -epistemology; positivism;
19
.
Fieldwork? (Remenyi 2003)
20
.
Did you undertake a pilot and if so how would you describe it’s outcome?
21
.
How did you locate a suitable interview people for interview?
22
.
How do you know the people that you used representative? If it is not how
do you defend it’s use?
23
.
What sort of research protocol did you use?
24
.
How did you decide when you had enough information to proceed with
your analysis?
25
.
How would you describe the achievements of your fieldwork?
26
.
What, on reflection, are the limitations, if any, of the approach you used in
your fieldwork?
27
.
Analysis of the field work (Remenyi 2003)
28
.
What analytical techniques/methods/tools did you use to help you
understand the data you collected on your case study?
29
.
Why did you choose these specific tools?
30
.
What other tools did you consider and why did you reject them?
31
.
Research Results (Remenyi 2003 and Wood-Harper 1999 & 2003)
32
.
How would you describe your thesis?
33
.
How did you arrive at your final thesis?
34
.
In what way does it contribute to the IS Theoritical, Methological and
Situational knowledge?
35
.
How do you regard your work from the point of view of the validity and
reliability of the findings?
36
.
Questions related to the value of your results (Remenyi 2003 and Wood-
Harper 1999 & 2003)
37
.
How might the results of this research be converted into a practical
application or out come?
38 What are the relative strengths and weaknesses of your research?

3. .
39
.
What questions have you discovered in your research that still need to be
explored by further work?
40
.
Where might this research go from here?
42
.
How do you counter argument – anti-thesis?
-your thesis does not have any contributions? How do you defend it? Your
method is wrong – how do you defend it?
The first question will almost certainly be a very general one, such as
• describe the rationale of your research project
• what are the key findings of your thesis?
• what is original in it?
• what is its position in relation to the current state of knowledge in your area?
Their training may have encouraged them to start with a simple warm-up question
such as this - do not assume that it is a trap: it isn't.
After some general questions, you should expect more detailed questions. Examiners
may go so far as to refer to a single statement ("on page x, line y."), asking you to
justify/explain or expand on it. You are not supposed to know your thesis by heart,
but you still need to remember its general structure and the key points of each
section. (You can bring a copy of your thesis with you).
The closing questions may concern the potential development of your (and in your)
field of research, that is
• what is the position of your contribution as to the most recent developments
in your area?
• can you take your research further?
• what do you expect the next steps in your area to be?
• what are your publication plans?

4. As soon as your viva ends, you will be asked to leave the room, so that examiners
can freely exchange their views about your exam. The results may be communicated
on the same day as the viva, but again this is not the rule and depends on your
institution's stipulations and who actually holds the authority to recommend the
degree.
Nota bene: Unfortunately it is very common to spend time on minor errors, such as
inconsistencies in scholarly presentation. This is a depressing waste of interesting
discussion time, since the viva constitutes a rare and precious opportunity to get
serious feedback from specialists in your field. Therefore try to get the presentation
right so that the viva is not taken up by typos and other minor imperfections.
What will they ask me?
Granted once again that each viva is unique in its own way, a certain number of
questions tends to recur. We can group them into these five sections (what you will
find below is a concise version; it is very likely that the examiners will expand these
"cores" into a fuller question):
General (opening) questions about contents
• What is your thesis about?
• Explain in your own words what you have done?
• What is the contribution of your thesis to scholarly knowledge?
• Summarise your key findings
• Why did you choose this topic?
• Why have you chosen to organize your research into these stages/chapters?
• Why is the problem you have investigated worth investigating?
• Is it possible to draw a general rule from your single observations?
• How have you evaluated your work?
• How do you know that your findings are correct?
• How do your findings relate to the critical literature in this field of studies?
• What have you done to be awarded a PhD?
• What is original in your thesis?
General questions about method
• Why did you choose this method to analyze your topic?

5. • Describe your methodological approach
• Would your approach be as effective for other periods and places?
• What have you learned by carrying out your PhD?
• What would you do differently today if you were to start again?
• What are the alternatives to your approach?
Questions concerning one specific aspect of your research
• What do you know about the history of this particular aspect of your
research?
• What are the recent major developments in this topic?
• Which are the most important papers concerning this aspect of your
research?
• Why have you tackled this problem in this way?
Questions about possible development of your research
• Do you have any plans for publication?
• Which aspects of your thesis are worth publishing?
• Where will you publish your work?
Questions about the future development in your area of study
• What is the relevance of your contribution to other researchers?
• How do you expect the research in your field to progress over the next few
years?
• Where do you think your research will move in the future? Back to top

6. • Describe your methodological approach
• Would your approach be as effective for other periods and places?
• What have you learned by carrying out your PhD?
• What would you do differently today if you were to start again?
• What are the alternatives to your approach?
Questions concerning one specific aspect of your research
• What do you know about the history of this particular aspect of your
research?
• What are the recent major developments in this topic?
• Which are the most important papers concerning this aspect of your
research?
• Why have you tackled this problem in this way?
Questions about possible development of your research
• Do you have any plans for publication?
• Which aspects of your thesis are worth publishing?
• Where will you publish your work?
Questions about the future development in your area of study
• What is the relevance of your contribution to other researchers?
• How do you expect the research in your field to progress over the next few
years?
• Where do you think your research will move in the future? Back to top