PhD vivas drive me nuts. They are so unevenly done in this country. It comes down to the personality of the examiners as much as the quality of the research. You might get someone looking to put you in your place. And you might get someone who lets problems through unchalleged. - ThreadSky

adamcrymble.bsky.social • 75 days ago

PhD vivas drive me nuts. They are so unevenly done in this country. It comes down to the personality of the examiners as much as the quality of the research.

You might get someone looking to put you in your place. And you might get someone who lets problems through unchalleged.

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writersamhayes.bsky.social•75 days ago

Are you telling me that getting a PhD is basically like getting a driver's license with a lot more research and writing involved??

adamcrymble.bsky.social•75 days ago

I think the fact that every PhD viva I've discussed setting up includes conversations around 'what is that person going to be like?' shows that it's not a great system.

adrynan.bsky.social•75 days ago

Thanks Adam. That gives me a lot of confidence for next year!!

adamcrymble.bsky.social•75 days ago

Sorry I didn't mean to freak anyone out. I'd talk about it with your supervisor though. Sometimes good theses get sent back for more research for reasons that have more to do with the examiner than the student

eve.gd•75 days ago

Totally agree. There is no uniform standard of rigour at all.

rhetorician.bsky.social•75 days ago

I agree and have heard about some shockers - but also excellent and ongoing support from kind and rigorous examiners. It’s a lot of work and it’s usually very poorly paid (last one I did paid £200 - it was four days work at a minimum)

katrinanavickas.bsky.social•75 days ago

What's your alternative? Panel defences like in Europe? Written feedback only like in Australia? Genuinely interested.

adamcrymble.bsky.social•75 days ago

I don't know, honestly. I also don't like the North American ones, which lack any real rigour and involve cutting cake before anyone's started talking about the work.

adamcrymble.bsky.social•75 days ago

I think I dislike the lack of right to real response if they don't like something. It's a huge problem in interdisciplinary research, or when the examiners are disciplinary champions for their own epistemology. You just have to take the hit, even if they didn't get something that's absolutely fine

katrinanavickas.bsky.social•75 days ago

Maybe peer review from several examiners is the answer then

rhyskamjones.bsky.social•75 days ago

At least with those issues it mirrors the vagueries of peer review!

katrinanavickas.bsky.social•75 days ago

The written feedback only is akin to peer review of a book manuscript, which I guess is closer to the experience of an academic researcher

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