1. Why did you choose this topic?

This might be the first question you will be asked, and you need to have a good
response. You should talk about the motivations for the study. Talk about the research
problem you wanted to address which made you embark on the study.

2. Briefly, explain what your research project is all about?

To respond to this question, you need to fully understand your research project.
Basically, be able to repeat your abstract.

3. What is the scope of the study

Here you briefly state the specific aspects of your project topic that was covered.

4. What is the significance of the study?

To answer this question, you will need to state how your research work will help other
researchers, educators, organizations(like the case study used), practitioners and
policymakers.

5. Did you bridge any gap from your study?

Here you should talk about how your study addressed the existing problems/concerns
that made you carry out the research.

6. What are your research variables?

This question is asked in order to find out if you really know what your research project is
all about. Explain your independent and dependent variable(s) to show them you really
grasp the concept of your research topic. Identify the variables in your project topic,
define and explain them.

7. What research methodology did you use?

This is usually the chapter three of your project report. To respond to this question, you
should briefly state the research design procedure you adopted for the research. Talk
about the data collection methods and sampling techniques employed in the research.

8. Why did you use that research methodology?

This is where you state the reason(s) for the choice of research methodology used. For
example, if you used the survey research method, you can state reasons such as: no
interviewer bias, cost-effective, it enabled you (the researcher) to collect information
from the sample without influencing the population of the study e.t.c

9. Why do you think your research is reliable?

To answer this question, simply tell your audience/panel of assessors that the threats
to research reliability (which are participants error, participant bias, research
error, and researcher bias) did not occur during the research. Or you can simply
say that you made sure the threats were reduced to the barest minimum.

10. Why do you think your research is valid?

To answer this question, simply tell your audience/panel of assessors that the findings
from your study can be generalized to other relevant settings, group or case
study.

11. In what way(s) does your research project contributes to knowledge?

This question is similar to your significance of the study. You should talk about how your
research is aimed at addressing a problem that was not addressed by previous
researchers in your field of study. You should also briefly state how your project will
advance understanding in your research field.

12. What are the limitations encountered

No research project is perfect. It is common for at least one limitation to be identified. To

answer this question, talk about the weaknesses that were out of your control. You
can talk about how weaknesses such as the short time frame for the research, lack of
research studies/materials on the topic, lack of available data, the combination of
lectures, exam and project research, limited sample size and selection, e.t.c
impacted the analysis of your research data.

15. What source of data was employed for the research?

Here, you simply state the data collection methods that were used in the study. You
should state if primary sources such as questionnaires, interview, observation OR
secondary sources such as textbooks, journals, articles, e.t.c were used. If you
combined primary and secondary sources, briefly talk about it.

16. What are your findings?

Show the descriptive results from the study in a convincing and clear style. Make sure
your findings refer to your research objectives/questions.
17. Based on your findings what are your recommendations/suggestions?

This is where you talk about the importance and implications of your findings from three
levels namely:

1. Research (various ways other researchers can improve or refine the study)

2. Theory (the new contributions that you are adding to the body of knowledge) and

3. Practice (how the information gotten from your study can make practice better,
improve the operational procedures, solve problems, improve policy making e.t.c).

Note: Avoid the temptation to make recommendations that are not supported by your
findings. Do not recommend based on your beliefs.

18. What is the strongest point in your project?

The duration of the defense might just be 10 - 15 minutes, as such the questioners will
not have the time to ask you about every detail. They will want to focus on the major
ideas and ask you the most important aspects of your research. Be ready to answer.

19. If you could change something regarding your study, what would it be?

The answer to this question can be gotten from the limitations of your study. You can
give answers such as:
1. Given the constraints (like the short time frame for the research or lack of sufficient
funds) I was working with, this was what I was able to do but if I could do more, this is
what I would have done.

2. In doing this I learned a problem with this kind of data collection. Next time, I will do it
this way.

20. What questions do you have for us

You can ask them if there any revisions they want you to make in your report. Ask them
to summarize the major revisions, so you can take some notes.

21. Do you have any closing comments

Thank the panel of assessors and let them know that the revisions/corrections that were
given (such as rewriting the conclusion, tables/graphs that are not in the right format,
something you said during the defense and they want you to include it in the report or
 some other issues they noticed you did not capture) would be implemented and shown
to your supervisor.

1. What motivated you to conduct or choose the study?

2. How is your theory or concept relevant to your study?

3. How did you formulate your S.O.P?

4. Is there an existing research gap?

5. How do you plan to gather your data?

6. Who will be most interested in your work?

7. What are the expected relationships between the independent variables and the
dependent variables? Why do you expect these relationships?

8. How do you justify your framework?

9. What was the most challenging aspect of your research?

10. What are the contributions (to knowledge) of your thesis?