PhD Viva – How to choose a good external examiner

Choosing a good external examiner for your PhD Viva is a crucial process within your doctoral journey. Whilst your thesis advisors and supervisors will do a lot of the heavy lifting, it's still vitally important that you're involved in the process. You should never be in a situation where you simply "find out" who your external examiner is. This is your PhD, and you deserve to be part of these conversations. Things you need to take into consideration when choosing a PhD examiner are: Subject specialism Experience of conducting PhD viva examinations Impartiality Logistical considerations Are they a decent person, a nice human being? It's also important that you develop a shortlist of two or three, so that you have options if your external pulls out. Discuss the criteria with your supervisory team or your thesis advisor and make sure that the external examiner is a topic that's regularly on the agenda in your meetings with them. It is never too early to start thinking about externals! Chapters 0:00 - 1:29 Introduction and overview 1:30 - 3:44 Your role in choosing an external 3:45 - 18:58 Key criteria to consider 18:59 - 20:08 The importance of having a plan B 20:09 - 20:46 Conclusion 📺 Other videos you will find helpful How to survive your PhD viva    • PhD Viva - How to survive your thesis defe...   How to write thesis acknowledgements section    • Thesis acknowledgements - how to write them   Writing your ABSTRACT    • How to write an abstract for your PhD thes...   Stop waffling, keep it simple when writing up    • PhD writing full of waffle and big words? ...   ▶️ See my videos early - before everyone else For early access to my videos, become a Degree Doctor channel member 👉    / @degreedoctor   🥱🛌 Discussion chapter keeping you up at night? If the discussion chapter feels daunting or isn’t coming together, the Discussion & Writing Up PhD Survival Guide gives you a clear pathway from “what I found” to “what this means” and “why this matters” so you can write with authority and finish well. 👉 Explore the Discussion & Writing Up Guide: https://www.thedegreedoctor.com/phd-s... 📨 Me – in your inbox The real work of a PhD starts with clear thinking – that’s what my weekly emails are for. 👉 Join my email community: https://www.thedegreedoctor.com/emails