how to defend your thesis proposal like a professional

Rachel C. Reyes, PhD and Maria Lourdes Quisumbing-Baybay, PhD

. .

Support your Support your teammates, DO NOTteammates, DO NOT

put them down, try to put them down, try to show you are better show you are better than they are or than they are or compete with themcompete with them

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BEFORE THE DEFENSE…BEFORE THE DEFENSE…

Plan out your presentation as a Plan out your presentation as a team. Thoroughly discuss the team. Thoroughly discuss the

sequence of the presentation so sequence of the presentation so that it will run smoothly. that it will run smoothly.

Prepare your Prepare your presentationpresentation

Use bullet pointsUse bullet points Make sure that you Make sure that you

emphasize the emphasize the important partsimportant parts

Check that there are Check that there are no grammatical no grammatical mistakesmistakes

Make sure that the Make sure that the pictures and images pictures and images enhance your enhance your presentation.presentation.

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Try to come up with possible questions from the audience.

Then answer those questions.

ON THE DAY OF THE ON THE DAY OF THE DEFENSE…DEFENSE…

Make sure you brought everything with you.

It is stressful to find out that you left something behind when you are already about to present.

Make sure all the parts of the thesis proposal are in place (i.e., Appendices, References)

ON YOUR PERSONON YOUR PERSON

-It can make you feel more confident

-It gives your audience a good impression of you

ANNIE

Be sure you are ready to start on time.

Do not let your panel wait for you.

Prepare well but don’t forget that there are many things that are beyond your control.

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Be animated! Try Be animated! Try to move and not to move and not stay rooted to one stay rooted to one spot. spot. Project your voice Project your voice well or else use a well or else use a microphone.microphone.

Don’t make the audience feel they are

“stuck”

Don’t lull them to dream away

Avoid Avoid verbal verbal tics.tics.

Ah, umm, Ah, umm, I mean…I mean… So…So… Actually…Actually… Basically…Basically… Okay!Okay! RightRight MedyoMedyo SiguroSiguro ParangParang

Defense does not mean to be defensive.Defense does not mean to be defensive.

You don’t have to defend your thesis You don’t have to defend your thesis proposal “to the death.”proposal “to the death.”

To “defend” your proposal means to justify To “defend” your proposal means to justify the decisions you have made in choosing the decisions you have made in choosing the variables and methods of your study.the variables and methods of your study.

No one can make a perfect study; there is No one can make a perfect study; there is always room for improvement.always room for improvement.

Don’t go beyond 30 Don’t go beyond 30 minutes in your minutes in your presentation. presentation. Remember, your panel Remember, your panel has already read your has already read your thesis proposal. thesis proposal. The most essential parts The most essential parts of your presentation are of your presentation are your conceptual your conceptual framework and method framework and method of your study. of your study.

Record the comments and suggestions Record the comments and suggestions of the panelists.of the panelists.

Ask a classmate to video tape the Ask a classmate to video tape the presentation for you.presentation for you.

Ask another one to take down notes Ask another one to take down notes for you.for you.

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Show your appreciation for the help of Show your appreciation for the help of your panelists by thanking them after your panelists by thanking them after the defense and giving them a simple the defense and giving them a simple

snack.snack.

AFTER THE DEFENSE…AFTER THE DEFENSE…

Transcribe the comments and Transcribe the comments and suggestions and give a printed suggestions and give a printed summary to your thesis summary to your thesis coordinator.coordinator.

Revise your Revise your proposal proposal accordingly.accordingly.

Submit final copy of the Submit final copy of the revised and approved thesis revised and approved thesis proposal to your thesis proposal to your thesis coordinator on the set coordinator on the set deadline. deadline.

Once the final Once the final revised proposal revised proposal has been has been approved by your approved by your adviser and thesis adviser and thesis coordinator, you coordinator, you can start gathering can start gathering data!data!