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  • 25 Possible Questions For Research Defense

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    MILDRED PICHAY
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    This document provides 25 potential questions that may be asked during a research project defense. It also provides advice on how to effectively answer these questions. The questions cover a range of topics including summarizing the study, motivations for conducting the research, contributions to knowledge, findings, methodology, limitations, recommendations, and closing remarks. The document emphasizes being prepared to discuss all aspects of the research project and justify the approaches taken. It also recommends practicing answering questions to build confidence and avoid mistakes during the actual defense.

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    25 Possible Questions for Research Defense

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    This document provides 25 potential questions that may be asked during a research project defense. It also provides advice on how to effectively answer these questions. The questions cover a range of topics including summarizing the study, motivations for conducting the research, contributions to knowledge, findings, methodology, limitations, recommendations, and closing remarks. The document emphasizes being prepared to discuss all aspects of the research project and justify the approaches taken. It also recommends practicing answering questions to build confidence and avoid mistakes during the actual defense.

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    55K views4 pages

    25 Possible Questions For Research Defense

    Uploaded by

    MILDRED PICHAY
    This document provides 25 potential questions that may be asked during a research project defense. It also provides advice on how to effectively answer these questions. The questions cover a range of topics including summarizing the study, motivations for conducting the research, contributions to knowledge, findings, methodology, limitations, recommendations, and closing remarks. The document emphasizes being prepared to discuss all aspects of the research project and justify the approaches taken. It also recommends practicing answering questions to build confidence and avoid mistakes during the actual defense.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 4

    Question 1: In few sentences, can you tell us what your study all is about?

    The question is simple right? Many professors will tell you that most students get
    choked on a question like this. Anyways the question is simple, but a bit technical. To
    answer this question, you need to know every single detail of your research project
    from chapters one to the end. The question needs an answer in form of a summary
    of entire study, therefore, to ace this particular question you need to know every
    single detail in your abstract. If you wrote a good abstract, this question will be cross
    over for you.

    Question 2: What is your motivation in doing this study?


    Now you must be careful. This question can be tricky and it goes a long way in
    convincing your panel members that your study is worth their time. Another way this
    question could be twisted is WHAT IS YOUR RESEARCH PROBLEM?

    To answer this question, you may decide to elaborate on the problem investigated in
    the research study. Your zeal to solve this problem becomes your motivation. Do not
    state financial reasons or the need to graduate as a motivation as you may easily go
    off point.

    Question 3: How will this study contribute to the body of knowledge?


    At some point the need for justification will arise and that is when you will be asked to
    mention how your study will add to the body of knowledge if approved.
    Here you will need to use your methods, case study or any unique method or
    conceptual framework used in the study to defend it.

    Question 4: What is the significance of the study?


    Just like stating how your study will contribute to the body of knowledge, you will
    need to state the importance of your study. To answer this question, you will need to
    highlight how your study will aid the government in policy development and
    implementation, how it will help other students who may wish to conduct research
    studies on the subject matter and how organizations and the society will benefit from
    your study.

    Question 5: Did you bridge any gap from your study?


    Every study must have a problem. Your ability to solve this problem and explore into
    areas not yet researched on gives you the full marks allocated for answering this
    question. You must be able to convince the committee members that your approach
    is unique and it has covered areas where much have not been done by other
    researchers.

    Question 6: What limitations did you encounter?


    This is another simple but tricky question. Most times the question is not asked to
    sympathize with you, rather to get loopholes to criticize your work. To answer this
    question, you must be careful with your words as you may implicate yourself. Be
    careful enough not to sell yourself. Do not discourse limitations in your method or
    data analysis techniques as this may imply that your study may be biased or not well
    researched. Use simple limitations like difficulties in combining lectures and project
    instead of limiting your study.

    Question 7: What are your findings?


    At this point it is expected of you to present your results or findings from the study in
    a clear and concise manner. Always link your findings to your research
    objectives/questions. This will make your panel members easily carried along.
    Question 8: What methods or sampling techniques did you employ/ used in
    your research study?
    To answer this question, you must be familiar with your research methodology. Your
    ability to justify your sample size and technique will be highly rewarded here.

    Question 9: Why did you choose this sample?


    As discoursed above, you should not state a particular method for the study. You
    must also be ready and able to justify why you choose the method in convincing
    manner. At this point you are free to quote sources or similar studies where such
    methods were adopted.

    Question 10: Based on your findings, what are your recommendations?


    Recommendations are very vital in every research study and should not be joked in.
    In essence you should know your recommendations off hand.

    Question 11: Based on your findings, what areas will you suggest for future
    researchers?
    Questions like this are just there to test your reasoning and authority in your research
    area. Based on your findings in a manageable scope, you should be able to suggest
    future research areas in line with your study. For example, if I researched on the
    challenges of personal income tax in Nigeria, a good area for further study will be on
    other forms of taxation such as VAT, Company Tax, etc.

    Question 12: How can your research study be put into practice?
    Easy for the computer scientists and engineering students, but a bit tough for
    management and social sciences since most management/social sciences projects
    are more in abstract in nature. However, you should try your best to be realistic here.
    Relate your study to current trends in your environment, office, economy,
    government, schools, church, etc. Use of relevant examples and illustrations will
    score you god point here.

    Question 13: How would you summarize your study to a practitioner in a few
    sentence?
    Your ability to convey technical information from the study will score you good points
    here.

    Question 14: What would you change if you were to conduct the study again?
    Hmmm. Be careful! Do not be too jovial! There is a loophole here! Just like your
    limitations, this question can be asked to identify your weak points.

    Question 15: What is your measurement instrument?


    In simple terms, what data collection method did you employ for the study? Here you
    state if questionnaires were distributed or data was gotten from secondary sources.

    Question 16: What are your research variables?


    Here you will need to convince your panel members that you know what are you
    talking about. You need to explain your independent variables to convince them that
    you are on point. You need to identify these variables and know their definitions as
    well to ace your defense.

    Question 17: What are your research questions?


    Very simple question. It should take you 0.015 seconds to answer this question if you
    are fully prepared.
    Question 18: What do you plan to do with your research project after
    Graduation?
    Here you are at liberty to say your mind. If you intend to publish it, this is the best
    opportunity to discourse and interact with the committee members- maybe a
    professor there can help.

    Question 19: What source of data was employed for this study?
    At this point you have to state the sources you got data form. In general, you have to
    state whether data was gotten from primary or secondary source or both. You can go
    further to convince the committee members by discoursing the literature reviewed for
    the study- both theoretical and empirical.

    Question 20: What theories or theoretical framework is your study based on?
    This is very technical question but interesting. Before you step into the defense
    room, you should know at least two relevant theories that relate to your study. For
    example, the “impact of motivation on employee productivity” will be based on
    Maslow’s Theory and other theories of motivation. If you cannot find relevant theories
    to back up your study, consult your research adviser.

    Question 21: How would you relate your findings to existing theories on the
    study?
    To ace this question, one will have to read extensively. You should know existing
    theories on the subject matter as well as empirical studies too. Your ability to link
    your findings to previous studies (whether they agree or not) will go a long way in
    validating your study. You will score good points here, TRUST ME!

    Question 22: What recommendations do you have for future research?


    Your problem solving skills is put to test here. You should be able to identify areas
    that will need more research.

    Question 23: What is the scope of the study?


    This one is a cheap or should I say bonus question? Here you quickly state the
    scope and delimitation of the study in brief.

    Question 24: What question(s) do you have for the committee?


    Not a likely question in our Nigerian context, but I have defended a seminar project
    where this question was asked and I was shocked to my marrows. This is an
    opportunity to interact with your committee members and ask some constructive
    questions. Do not ask silly or too difficult questions as the goal should be to make the
    committee members fell as the “BOSS”. It will also go a long way in showing that you
    are a brilliant individual.

    Question 25: Do you have any closing comments?


    This is praising time! Use this opportunity to thank your committee members for their
    time and questions. Tell them how much you have learnt from them and how you
    intend to correct errors (if any) identified in your work. This can go a long way in
    impressing your internal and external supervisors. All the best!

     Thank you panel members for your time and questions. Thank you so much
    because we learned so much from you ad thank you for correcting errors in our
    research work. Thank you also to our adviser, Ms. Alona Taloza and her sister
    Ms. Allison Taloza for their guide and support for us throughout this research
    study

    BONUS TIPS:
     When confronted with a difficult question, adopt a strategy to make rephase or
    repeat the question. This will give you more time to think.
     If your research project is empirical in nature, or you used any statistical tool to
    test hypothesis, try to know how you arrived at such conclusion. Also know how
    your data was analyzed and the various tools used for the analysis.
     Before your defense day. Practice with your friends or group mates. Make them
    to drill you with likely questions/
     Talk calmly with confidence. Do not talk too fast as this may pave way for
    tension and stage fright.
     Read your project thoroughly. Know basic definitions and terms in the study.

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