The Thesis: What do PhD examiners look for? Ivan Gee

For PhD students But also for examiners PhD Examination This is a scary beast For PhD students But also for examiners So what does an examiner look for in a thesis? 1 examination as a student – went OK 3 examinations as an external examiner 0 as an internal – in at the deep end, not recommened

So what do you think examiners look for? http://www.polleverywhere.com/free_text_polls/5Y52lpW6wNdDAOR

The Thesis Size is a factor Not too big Not too small Just right

Examining’s a big commitment Studies asked examiners how long they spend on the thesis. How long do you think it takes? https://www.polleverywhere.com/multiple_choice_polls/rjZZaaahmmbjVSp

Examining’s a big commitment In spite of heavy workloads, most indicated that they spent the equivalent of three or four days fulltime examining a thesis, often over a period of two to three weeks. (Mullins, 2002)

How do examiners approach it? It’s a lot of time It’s not financially rewarded It is respected and expected of academics But mainly they are interested! So examiners expect to be interested in the study and stimulated by the thesis They start the examination process with some enthusiasm So how do you maintain that?

What do they want to see? Examiners expect to see a thesis where sections are clearly aligned Aim and objectives These are explored using appropriate methods Objectives supported with a critical literature review Results deliver objectives Discussion brings your findings and literature together Conclusions based on your findings

Studies on Examiners Surprising amount of studies have been conducted on what examiners want and what they do e.g: “Trials of being a PhD examiner” Grabbe “The concept of originality in the PhD” Clarke “Examining Examiners” Johnston “It’s a PhD not a Nobel Prize” Mullins

12 Indicators Study of 353 PhD examiners (Bourke, 2011) Found 12 common indicators of quality: Indicators in Order of Importance 1. Analysis/Findings: effective interpretation 2. Approach/methodology: appropriate 3. Analysis/Findings: appropriateness 4. Literature review: accuracy 5. Approach/Methodology: effective application 6. Contribution: originality 7. Presentation: communicative competence 8. Contribution: substantive 9. Contribution: advance knowledge 10. Literature review: use/application 11. Literature review: coverage 12. Presentation: correct expression

Contribution to Knowledge Important but, perhaps surprisingly, not the most important to examiners But, generally viewed as: “a requirement to pass” Originality is linked to publishability (Clarke, 2013) ‘should be capable of generating and critically evaluating new knowledge’ (Walker, 2008) ‘Originality is a red herring. The key is publishable’

Presentation Clarity These are easy wins: Not the most important BUT Examiners need to be able to understand the evidence/concepts easily By another pubication was this most frequnt irritation to examinners so: 1. get the grammar right 1. get rid of speelling, referencing and numbering errors. 3. Make sure the thesis is logically organised These are easy wins: get the examiner on your side

Presentation of Thesis (Johnstone, 1997) (Johnstone, 1997) Poor presentation distracts and dampens enthusiasm for the work

Characteristics of a poor thesis lack of coherence; lack of understanding of the theory; mixed or confused theoretical and methodological perspectives; lack of confidence; researching the wrong problem; work that is not original; not being able to explain at the end of the thesis what had actually been argued in the thesis. How Experienced Examiners Assess Research Theses (Mullins, 2002)

A bit more study! It is worth reading about this As a PhD candidate OR As a potential examiner I have a small collection of papers on this that I am happy to share online: here