The website for the public defence is in English if your thesis is written in English, and in Norwegian if your thesis is written in Norwegian.
The website is aimed at a general audience. Explain the significance of your research to people outside your field and why it is newsworthy. How is it useful to society? How can your findings be applied? Give concrete examples.
- Heading: Come up with a good, short heading that will capture people’s interest and explains what your doctoral project concerns
- Main things first: Start with the conclusion – what did you find out?
- Main point: Concentrate on one main point; do not try to present the entire thesis
- Avoid details: Paint with broad strokes; try to avoid too many if’s and but’s
- Active sentences: Use direct language; avoid impersonal and passive forms
- Be brief: Approx. one third of a single-spaced A4 page (max. 1500 characters including spaces)
- Be straightforward: Use plain, everyday language; avoid technical terms and jargon
It can be useful to read the text aloud to a friend who is not an academic. If the text lends itself to being read aloud, it probably flows well as a piece of writing too.
Look at the Faculty of Humanities’ list of public defences to see how previous PhD/Dr.Philos. candidates have formulated themselves.
Information about public defences at the Faculty is shared in HF's news letter.
Submitting your press release
Submit your thesis-presentation to the Faculty’s executive officer, along with a digital photo (a .jpg file) of you. The Faculty will let you know about the deadline for submitting information material in the letter informing you about the dates for your public defence and trial lecture(s).