Category Archives: examiner

a tiny tantrum about rules … the case of ‘currency’ for the thesis examiner

Every now and then I get vexed by rules, particularly those that are associated with risk management and quality assurance. This is one of those existential moments. When I am asked by a UK university to be a thesis examiner, … Continue reading

Posted in evidence, examiner, quality, risk management, rules | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

how long will my viva be?

This is a guest post from Dr Paul Spencer. Paul is a Researcher Development Manager at the University of the West of England, Bristol (UWE). His own successful PhD viva in oral microbiology took a shade over 4 hours! So … Continue reading

Posted in doctoral award, doctorateness, examination criteria, examiner, viva | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

writing the thesis abstract

The thesis abstract is the first thing that your examiner reads. It sets the tone of what is to come. On the basis of the abstract alone, before they start the text proper, the examiner will form some expectations about … Continue reading

Posted in abstracts, examiner, reader, thesis abstract | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

six differences between thesis and book chapters

This post is in response to a question about chapters in books and dissertations. I do try to answer questions, although it sometimes takes a while! There ARE some key differences between a thesis and a book chapter – here … Continue reading

Posted in argument, chapter, examiner, reader, signposts | Tagged , , , , , , | 20 Comments

keeping your thesis reader/examiner on track

I’m currently reading my fifth doctoral thesis for the year. I realized a while ago that I’ve now examined at least fifty doctorates. I guess that’s a lot. I recently decided to go back to my examination reports to see … Continue reading

Posted in dissertation, doctoral research, examiner, reader, signposts, thesis | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments