Research Supervision
Information and Tools
Print PDF

The results

Overview and research

Once a candidate submits their thesis they can anticipate a considerable wait, anything from three to six months.

In Australia the dissertation is sent to two (or three) external examiners. Approximately 50% of all Australian theses are sent outside Australia and approximately 50% of universities use three examiners (the ANU generally uses two).

Most universities in Australia ask examiners to:

1. Prepare a written report, and

2. Make a recommendation as to whether the dissertation should be:

  • Accepted as is
  • Accepted after minor editorial changes
  • Accepted after more substantial change
  • Revised and resubmitted for examination
  • Failed.

Some universities allow the examiner the option of suggesting that the student be awarded a Masters degree in lieu of the PhD.

Most unversities consider the process highly confidential, hence, each examiner, without contacting with the other examiner, prepares the written report (generally about 3-4 pages) providing formative feedback to the candidate, supervisor and/or university. The examiner also provides a summative recommendation to the university's higher degrees committee according to the categories above. Most universities allow examiners to request an oral examination of the candidate (and in some cases the candidate can request this), however, this is not common practice.

It is not uncommon for an examiner to write in glowing terms of the dissertation yet ask for substantial revision. Often it seems that this is due to a misunderstanding of the terms 'minor' or 'substantial' used in the university's recommendations (one person's minor changes might be someone else's major changes).

In addition to differences within the report there can often be differences between the reports. It is not uncommon for the same report to receive an 'accept as it' recommendation and a 'substantial revision' recommendation. However, research by Holbrook et al (2007) suggests that even where the summative reports were discrepant the formative comments were not.

The above text was based on the following research:

Bourke, S., Hattie, J., & Anderson, L. (2004). Predicting examiner recommendations on PhD theses. International Journal of Educational Research, 41(2),178-194.

Holbrook, A., Bourke, S., Fairbairn, H., & Lovat, T. (2007). Examiner comment on the literature review in Ph.D. theses. Studies in Higher Education, 32(3), 337 - 356.

Kiley, M. and Mullins, G. (2004) Examining the examiners: How inexperienced examiners approach the assessment of research theses, International Journal of Educational Research, 42, 2 121-135

Mullins, G. and Kiley, M. (2002) It's a PhD, not a Nobel prize: How experienced examiners assess theses, Studies in Higher Education, 27, 4

Trafford, V. (2003) Questions in doctoral vivas: Views from the inside, Quality Assurance in Education 11, 2 114-122

Ideas and tools

Candidates often need considerable emotional support during the waiting time and particularly when the reports are returned and the decision made as to how much more work the candidate has to do. Preparing candidates for critical comment can be started during candidature by encouraging candidates to publish in peer-review journals and to present their work at conferences where they are likely to have to cope with criticism.Supervisors can often model ways of dealing with criticisms from peers. Where research is undertaken in groups encouraging supportive critique and dismissing ways of dealing with it can all prepare a candidate for receiving and dealing with examiner’s comments.

ANU information

Using the data from the ANU 2002-2003 cohort The average time (years) for a thesis to be examined was 0.61 The total time from commencement of candidature to approval of candidate to graduate based on the examiners reports was 4.90 years

For College-specific information of the process once examiners reports have been returned to the University contact the relevant Graduate Studies Convener.

 

For College-specific information contact:

Currently ANU colleges are compiling information about results of examination. In the meantime, contact the College Associate Dean (HDR) for more general college information.