My Examiner Criteria
A long time ago, my supervisor asked me to think about who could be a good external examiner for my PhD. He suggested initially that I go to conferences and look for people who did the same sort of work...
examiner choice
Selecting Examiners
I like things to be just right. I’m not fussy, I’m particular. Which means I’m never satisfied by Christmas selection boxes: a collection of chocolate bars in one festive package. My grandmother would say, “You mustn’t eat them all at once or...
The Pros & Cons of Examiners
Or, to be more specific, the pros and cons of different kinds of academics who could be your examiner. Almost every good quality that you could value in an examiner, might be a negative for someone else. An expert in...
No Strangers
There are lots of possible examiner qualities candidates might prefer – an expert, someone you’ve cited, someone relatively new – but all of these are just preferences. There’s no right or wrong preference: it’s just how you feel. Reflect on...
Overthinking On Examiners
It’s tough to generalise about examiners but it’s easy to tie yourself in knots about them. Get an examiner who is an expert and you won’t have to explain the back story to your thesis… Unless they decide to test...