Hey,

So i'm due to submit in the summer and have had no obvious choice for my external. Now it is nearing the time I think I have narrowed it down to 2 options and wanted to see what you think....

Choice 1
My supervisor's top choice I think. Prof. X is a good friend of his and is in the same discipline. However, his not work is not directly related to mine - i.e. I haven't cited him in my thesis. I know he would be an 'easy' choice. He is interested in my work and is very unlikely to fail me.

Choice 2
My top choice I think. My thesis is basically based on Prof. Y's work. I have met him at a conference and he seemed like a really nice guy and was very interested in my research. My supervisor hasn't met him though. He also does not work in my discipline, but fits nonetheless as he is the 'expert'

So...... I am personally favouring Prof. Y as I think it would be a valuable (and challenging in a good way) viva. However, I feel like this is a big decision for me to make without my supervior having met him before - I could be completely wrong about him being a nice guy after all!!

BUT - and it's a BIG BUT - with Prof. X I am basically guaranteed a PhD, but feel like I might be cheating myself.... does that make sense?

My supervosor is not the type to enforce his opinion so I think it is pretty much up to me. We have had so many conversations about this over the alst 3 years, but are still no closer to reaching a decision.

Any advice would be very welcome! Has anyone faced a similar choice?

I know what you mean about feeling like you 'cheated' - in my case, I picked the examiner who sounds like your Prof Y - my thesis was largely based on his theory. In advance of the viva, I had a huge panic thinking it was a terrible idea because he of all people would be the most likely to say that I had misunderstood/misapplied his work. Then after the viva (he passed me) I started to worry that maybe he had been the 'easy' option because he would have been flattered that I used his theory. The moral of this story? It's easy to find ways to feel insecure about your own acheivement :-)

Seriously though, there are some other factors to consider. The reference from my external was a big factor in me getting a job - he is a big name in the field. We are also considering co-authoring a paper, and if I ever get my thesis published as a book then having a recommendation from him would be a big bonus. Think about Prof X - is he going to be able to offer any of these things? Also consider how both of these people will interact with your internal examiner. If they are coming out of slightly different areas/disciplines then the viva could go in two very different directions, depending on the area that your internal is coming from.

I think you should go with your gut feeling. Good luck!

I have had something similar if not quite the same. I was asked who I wanted and now I will have someone who my sup knows (and I have met him once as well), someone who is appropriate, but maybe not at the cutting edge of things. I was told though that he would be quite challenging, I guess I have to wait and see. I was confused as to what I wanted (tough but rewarding or softer approach but maybe less interesting) and in the end went with what my sup suggested.
I think this is a really tough decision because in the end you want your PhD, not a post-viva headache of corrections/resubmission(god forbid) etc... I think your choice could also depend on whether you want to stay in academia. Also, do you want to continue working on similar topics (as your PhD topic)? If so, go with Prof Y. Not only will he get to know you and your work better, but he might also recommend you to his colleagues and that will open doors. Yes, it will be tough, but at the end you will know that you properly earned your PhD and worked at getting a good reputation as researcher. However, if you feel unsure about the quality of your thesis and just want to leave it all behind, maybe going for the "safe" choice (Prof X) will be better..
I dont know, this is a real toughie and I did think about what kind of external examiner I would like, and I realised how hard it is to go "against" the supervisor (and their connections..)..

Let us know what you decide in the end...