Tag Archives: examiner

three things examiners look for in methods chapters

Posted on June 26, 2017 by

Once upon a time, when I worked in schools, early childhood teachers routinely issued young children with a ‘pen license’. A pen license was much sought after as it meant that a child could ‘advance’ to using a pen instead of … Continue reading →

Posted in data, data analysis, examiner, methods, methods chapter, research methods, thesis, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

how an examiner reads a thesis

Posted on April 3, 2017 by

About this time every year I post something about the reading habits of thesis examiners. At the risk of repeating myself – again – it is worth knowing what they/we examiners do when they/we receive that big fat tome the … Continue reading →

Posted in examiner, thesis, thesis abstract, thesis warrant, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

thesis know-how – don’t write an essay

Posted on January 26, 2015 by

Examiners do not want to read a thesis that contains a lot of mini-essays. To understand the problem with the thesis-as-essay, imagine the examiner reading a methods chapter. It starts off badly. While not in these words, the writer basically says … Continue reading →

Posted in essay, examiner, expert, literature review, methods chapter, thesis | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

don’t send your PhD examiner to sleep

Posted on July 3, 2014 by

It’s 7. 30 pm and Pat is in the lounge room reading. She is examining a thesis but finding it hard to stay awake. Big Brother wonders what the problem might be and summons her to the diary room. “Well … Continue reading →

Posted in academic writing, signposts, thesis | Tagged , , , | 21 Comments

writing the thesis abstract

Posted on December 11, 2013 by

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 , , , | 9 Comments

six differences between thesis and book chapters

Posted on November 25, 2013 by

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 , , , , , , | 12 Comments