Doctoral Examination Process : A Handbook for Students, Examiners and Supervisors

What is the viva and how can students prepare for it? What should supervisors consider when selecting PhD examiners? How should examiners assess a doctoral thesis and conduct the viva?The doctoral examination process has been shrouded in mystery and has been a source of anxiety and concern for students, supervisors and examiners alike. But now help is at hand. This book sheds new light on the process, providing constructive ways of understanding the doctoral examination, preparing for it and undertaking it.This book stands alone in the field due to the extensive research undertaken by the authors. Over a four year period, surveys and interviews were undertaken with candidates and academics from a wide range of disciplines throughout Britain. Outcomes and ideas from the research have been united to provide the most comprehensive information available.Real life accounts and case studies are combined with useful advice, tasks and checklists to create an illuminating handbook. This user-friendly book is a vital resource for anyone involved in the doctoral process. No doctoral candidate, examiner or supervisor should be without it.

Carolyn Jackson is a Lecturer in the Department of Educational Research at Lancaster University.