Why Didn't You Cite This Paper Viva Question: Four Scripts
Work out which of four situations you are in when an examiner asks why you did not cite a paper, then use a word-for-word script for each, plus how to prepare.
To answer the "why didn't you cite this paper" viva question, first work out which of four situations you are in. You knew it and left it out, it came out after you submitted, you missed it, or it does not bear on your question. Each needs a different answer, and each answer is short.
The examiner is not only checking your reference list. Vitae says to "Be ready to discuss your work in the context of other research completed in your field" (Vitae, the viva). The question gives you a chance to show you can do that under pressure.
Which of the four situations are you in
Decide in the first few seconds, using what you know about the paper. If you are not sure you know which paper is meant, ask for the author and year before you answer.
| Situation | How you can tell | What your answer must do |
|---|---|---|
| You knew it and chose not to cite it | You remember reading it and deciding against it | Give the reason, tied to your scope or method |
| It was published after you submitted | Its date is after your search closed or your submission | Say so calmly, then relate it to your argument |
| You missed it | You do not recognise it, or recognise it and realise it fits | Admit it, ask what it found, show how it relates |
| It is not relevant | It shares words with your topic but asks a different question | Explain the difference, without dismissing the examiner |
The UK Council for Graduate Education's viva guide says: "Don't hesitate to ask for the question to be repeated if you need to." Use that if the paper's name did not land the first time. It costs you nothing and avoids answering about the wrong study.
Scripts for the why didn't you cite this paper viva question
Each script below has the same core: answer in the first sentence, then link the paper to a specific part of your thesis. Adapt the words so they sound like you, and keep the page references real.
1. You knew it and chose not to cite it
Give the reason you left it out, and make it a reason about your research, not about the paper's quality. Then show you know what it says.
Script: "Yes, I know that paper. I left it out because [reason tied to your scope or method]. Its main finding is [one sentence]. Looking at it now, a sentence acknowledging it in section [Y] would make my boundary clearer, and I'd be happy to add one."
The reason might be that it studies a different population, uses a method outside your design, or is replaced by a later study you do cite. Your inclusion criteria or time period can also be good reasons. Weak reasons include "I ran out of space" or "I didn't agree with it". If you disagreed with it, that is a reason to cite it and argue.
2. It was published after you submitted
State the timing as a plain fact, then do what you would have done if it had come out earlier. Our guide on whether to read new papers before your viva covers how to find these papers in advance.
Script if you have read it: "That came out in [month and year], after I submitted in [month and year]. I've read it since. It [supports / complicates / challenges] my finding in section [X], because [one sentence]. It doesn't change my conclusion, but I'd note it in [section]."
Script if you have not read it: "I think that appeared after I submitted, and I haven't read it yet. Could you tell me its main finding? Then I can say how it sits with my results in section [X]."
Avoid making the timing your whole answer. "It wasn't out yet" is true, but it ends the conversation the examiner was trying to start. Show what the paper means for your argument now.
3. You missed it
Admit it plainly, ask what it found, and connect it to your argument. Vitae's viva page says "You can admit if you don't know the answer to a question".
Script: "I didn't come across that paper, and I should have. Could you tell me what it found? [Listen.] That fits with [or: pulls against] my argument in section [X], because [reason]. I'd add it to the literature review in section [Y] and discuss how it affects [specific point]."
Then stop and let the examiner respond. Do not fill the silence with apologies or a long account of how you searched. One sentence of acknowledgement is enough, and the rest of the answer should be about the research.
If the paper is central and contradicts you, say what would have to be true for both results to hold. A difference in sample, setting, measure or period can be where the explanation sits, and naming it shows judgement.
4. It is not relevant to your question
Explain the difference between its question and yours, and leave room for the examiner's view. They may see a link you have not seen yet.
Script: "I did look at that work. It asks [their question], and my thesis asks [your question], so I judged it outside my scope. The closest work to mine is [authors], which I discuss on page [X]. Is there a link to my argument you'd like me to consider? I'm happy to think about it."
Never call a paper "irrelevant" outright. Say what it studies and what you study, and let the comparison make the point.
If the paper is one of your examiners' own
Use the same four scripts, with one extra step: show you know what the paper argues before you explain its absence. UKCGE suggests you "Skim through a couple of papers by your examiners, if appropriate" in the week before the viva.
Script: "Your paper on [topic] argues [one sentence]. I left it out because [reason from situation 1], but I can see it speaks to my point about [X]. I'd add it to section [Y]."
Stay level and specific. Flattery and over-apology both pull attention away from your argument.
What a missing citation can mean for corrections
A missing paper on its own may lead to a small addition, not a new thesis. Rules differ between universities, so read your own regulations.
At the University of Exeter, minor amendments can cover "limited revisions not central to the thesis, omissions, and improvements to the argument". The improvements to the argument must be ones that "do not materially alter the conclusions" (8.3.1(b), Exeter PGR Handbook, chapter 12). A missing paper you can add in a paragraph fits that description more easily than one that overturns your findings.
So when you offer to add a paper, offer something specific and limited: one paragraph in a named section. For the full picture of correction types, see our guide to minor, major and referral corrections.
How to prepare before the viva
Make a list of the papers an examiner might expect to see, and write one line for each one you did not cite. UKCGE advises: "Make a list of questions that frighten you most and try to compose answers."
- List the key people. UKCGE suggests revising "the four or five key people in your field". Check you cite their main work, or know why you do not.
- List your examiners' papers. Note any that touch your topic and are not in your bibliography.
- Find the near misses. Look at newer work that cites your three to five central sources. Note anything close to your question.
- Write one line per paper. Use the format below, then say each line out loud once.
- Mark the pages. Put a tab on the section where each paper would fit, so you can point to it.
| Paper (author, year) | Situation (1 to 4) | One-line answer | Where it would fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| (Author, Year) | (e.g. 1: chose not to) | (reason tied to scope) | (section and page) |
| (Author, Year) | (e.g. 2: after submission) | (supports or complicates which finding) | (section and page) |
Keep the lines short enough to say in one breath. For how to shape the rest of each answer, see our guide on how to structure a viva answer.
If you face a US dissertation defense
The four situations and scripts work the same way in a dissertation defense. The setting differs: you face a committee, and part of the event may be public.
At Stanford, for example, "A portion of the oral examination may take the form of a public seminar". It also requires "a period of private questioning by the official examining committee". Its committee has at least five faculty members, and "General questions pertaining to the field as a whole, but beyond the scope of the dissertation itself, may be included" (Stanford GAP 4.7.1).
If the citation question comes during a public part, keep the answer as short as the scripts above and offer to discuss it further with the committee. Outcomes and revisions follow your own school's rules. In Canada the word is spelled "defence", as on McGill's doctoral oral defence page.
What Thesisroom does with this
Thesisroom's Blind Spots room points to the most-cited papers on each claim's topic that your thesis does not cite. That gives you a starting list for the preparation table above, checked against the published record.
Thesisroom's Defense Practice writes questions an examiner could ask, each tied to a specific passage of your thesis, and you can answer in writing or out loud. It offers three styles: Practice, Rapid round and Mock panel. It does not write your answers.
Frequently asked questions
Is it bad if an examiner asks why I didn't cite a paper?
Not in itself. It can be a way to see how you discuss your work in the context of your field. A short, specific answer that links the paper to your argument shows that skill, whatever the reason the paper was missing.
Should I pretend I have read the paper?
No. Vitae says you can admit if you don't know the answer to a question. Say you have not read it, ask for its main finding, and relate that to a specific section of your thesis.
Do I have to add the paper in my corrections?
Only if the examiners require it. Rules on corrections differ, so read your own regulations and the examiners' written list. If you offered to add it, expect it may appear on the list, and keep the addition to the section you named.
What if the paper contradicts my findings?
Say so, then look for the difference in sample, setting, measure or period that could explain it. Offer to discuss it in the section where your finding appears. Showing why two results differ is part of defending a thesis.
How many papers should I prepare answers for?
No rule sets a number. Start with the key people in your field, your examiners' relevant papers and close work that cites your central sources. Write one line for each one missing from your bibliography.
Can I say a paper was published after I submitted?
Yes, if it is true and you know the date. Follow it with what the paper means for your argument, so the timing is not your whole answer.
Sources
- Vitae: The viva
- UK Council for Graduate Education: Preparing for the Viva, a guide for doctoral candidates (Lunt and Houston)
- University of Exeter: PGR Handbook, chapter 12, examination of postgraduate research programmes
- Stanford University: GAP 4.7.1, University Oral Examination
- McGill University: Doctoral oral defence
How this guide was made: Thesisroom drafted this guide with the help of AI writing tools, then checked every fact, figure and source by hand against the references linked above.