In the dark? Preparing for the PhD viva

In a climate of tightening quality controls and audits within higher education, the transparency of doctoral examination practices is increasingly the subject of scrutiny. Examines quality and standards issues that arise in relation to setting up, and preparing for, the examination of the research PhD. Specifically, the ways in which the examination is organised and the ways in which candidates prepare for the viva are addressed. The discussion draws on three sets of data collected between 1999 and 2001: institutional policy data; questionnaire data from PhD candidates, examiners and supervisors; and interview data with candidates before and after their PhD vivas.