ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a comparative analysis of the different ‘formats’ of PhD defence and the accompanying ‘scripts’ which are discussed in the 11 cases in this book. It explores the structural elements of a defence and discusses the main procedures in the period before, during, and after the event. It also looks at the procedures of the defence and depicts its key components, such as its organizational features and the atmosphere of communication. The comparative analysis highlights a number of similarities and variations in the way defences proceed and suggests that this affects the experiences of the participants in the process. It also suggests that the significant variety of formats and scripts in the observed cases does not allow for a strict conclusion on the issue of ‘typical’ PhD defences in various cultural settings, and, instead, shows how varied defences can be even though they lead to the same result: award of the PhD.
