Dissertation writing is not going to be an easy ride, but everyone knows that. What people don’t know or understand is that a dissertation proposal is as equal to a threat as your dissertation project. Dissertation writing is not your immediate threat and you can get adequate dissertation assistance later. Before you worry about working on your dissertation, you need to pay attention to your proposal first. There are two parts to the dissertation proposal, one is writing and crafting it and another is defending it in front of your university’s committee. You will be expected to defend your dissertation proposal, and for that, you need to be prepared.
Maybe you are someone who has a stage freight and loses at the thought of defending in front of a committee. It is totally understandable. In this article, we are going to discuss how you can efficiently defend your dissertation proposal without a struggle. Delivering your proposal defence properly will pave the way for your dissertation writing project. Without further ado, let’s begin.
Look for Loopholes
The first part of your dissertation proposal preparation is to look for mistakes and loopholes. You need to put yourself in the shoes of your committee members. If you want to succeed in your dissertation proposal defence, you have to think like them. Go through your dissertation proposal and see whether you have let a minor mistake that committee members may point out. You have to create a flawless dissertation proposal and that will take some doing.
Another thing that you can do with regards to the proofreading of your proposal is to hire a professional proofreader who will do it for you. Only when you are satisfied with your dissertation proposal should you worry about other things. Until then, keep perfecting your proposal and leave no stone unturned.
Anticipate Committee’s Questions
Remember when we talk about putting yourself in your committee members’ shoes? It’s now time to think like them. Ask yourself what are some of the questions they may ask? Surprise yourself. You can also ask your friends to be the acting committee members and ask them to ask questions. Prepare yourself for every question.
When you prepare yourself properly for every question, you will impress the committee members which will be crucial for the approval of your dissertation. You have to make your committee members satisfied with your performance and preparation.
Practice in Front of Friends/Family
It is one thing to prepare your dissertation proposal, and it is whole another to defend it in front of an audience (audience being the committee members). You need to be on your A-game. You can’t stutter, mispronounce, or blank out when delivering your dissertation proposal speech. For that, you need to practice in front of a crowd.
Practice your speech and see where you are lacking. Keep practising until you have perfected your proposal speech. Take constructive criticism from your family and friends and work on it. With speech, you also would need to work on your body language. Body language plays a pivotal role in establishing confidence. Even if you deliver your speech at its absolute best, if you are slouching the entire time, you will come across as nervous. Confidence is key, and the best way to develop your confidence is to practice and practice.
Watch Your Time
Probably one of the most crucial yet unaddressed points is watching the time. You can’t go on and on with your speech. Your university’s committee members are responsible for evaluating a number of students’ dissertation proposal. They don’t have the time to listen to an hour-long speech. Even if your speech is great, you can’t expect it to go for a long time. It will only bode badly for you.
So, avoid using a lot of time and reduce your speech according to the time allotted to you. You have to create your speech in such a way that it addresses all of the main points within the time frame.
Don’t Read PowerPoint Slides
In our experience, most students read PowerPoint slides that they have created. Don’t be like other students. You are there to present your dissertation proposal and defend it. You are not there to read the PowerPoint slides that you have created. The best way to go about your presentation with regards to the PowerPoint is to include the main points in the slides, and then explain their meaning.
In this way, you are telling your committee members that you have prepared your speech and not just reading the PowerPoint slides. So, make sure you stand straight, deliver your speech, and avoid reading the slides.
Understand What You’ve Written
As an orator, it is your duty to get yourself versed in your content. You should know your dissertation proposal so well that you can’t be challenged on it. It is important for any dissertation proposal defence to understand what you have written. Another thing that your committee will be interested in is the evidence for your research question.
This is where you need to shine. Read statistical data related to your research question and present when asked to. Remember, you can’t stay behind when it comes to presenting evidence to support your claim, or rather your research question. Only when you are able to defend your research question would you be able to score approval from the committee.
Make it a Dialogue
Another important thing that you need to consider is to make the interaction a dialogue. When you are asked a question, make sure that you answer it and have a dialogue with the committee. In this way, you will be establishing the competence in yourself that your committee members are looking for. Don’t avoid any question, even if you are unable to answer a question. Just accept it, and move forward. Although, the best-case scenario is to prepare yourself in such a way that there are no hard questions for you.
Relax
Lastly, you need to relax. You have to understand that you are not the only person who is going through this. Just give time for preparation, and get dissertation assistance whenever you can. Get help if you are unsure about your online test help. Prepare fully, and enter the room with full confidence.
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