Generic viva questions

How did you come to research this topic in this manner?
What are the main achievements of your research?
What has your thesis has contributed to our knowledge in this field?
What are the major theoretical strands in this area: what are the crucial ideas, and who are the main contributors?
What are the main issues (matters of debate or dispute) in this area?
Where is your thesis 'placed' in terms of the existing theory and debate? How would the major researchers react to your ideas?
Whom do you think will be most interested in this work?
Why did you choose the particular research methodology that you used?
What were the crucial research decisions that you made?
If you were doing this research again, would you consider using any other research methodology?
What do you see as the next steps in this research?
What was the most interesting finding in your results?
Isn't this all obvious?
Were you surprised by any of your results (if so: why, and what was surprising)?
What advice would you give a new student entering this area?
What is your plan for publication?
What haven't I asked you that I should have, and what would your answer have been?

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