Ok so I'm in the 4th year and I still haven't the vaguest idea about potential external examiners. I have two PhD help books but neither contains advice about choosing external examiners. My supervisor is distant and not particularly supportive (in fact I rarely see him...) so I think I best do some work on it myself. I was just wondering how you choose/chose yours? What's your criteria? And what's the etiquette? Do/did you contact them directly or did/do your supervisor do that for you?

Any advice appreciated!

Hi Montezuma

My examiners are being chosen on the basis that they're the experts in the field - I chose 3 leading academics in my area, whose work I've cited extensively. They haven't said yes, yet though. My supervisor and I also chose examiners who she knows, so she knows their style and what they're likely to be looking for. We're also choosing examiners who she knows aren't really, really anal/eccentric/known to be a$$eholes, and are likely to be favourably disposed from the outset to my research area. Also people who are likely to read and mark the thesis quickly.

I haven't yet started the process of contacting them, but I understand that my supervisor has to fill out some paperwork nominating the examiners, then the uni contacts them. I think she'll informally sound them out first tho, to make sure they can take this on and get it done reasonably quickly. 

Your supervisor should be helping you with this, and may even be required to do so formally. Have a look at your uni's procedures for how PhDs are examined and see what your sup is required to do.

I chose my external in discussion with my supervisor. My research is very niche, and there isn't an obvious external. Could have had an academic from a different time period (I'm a history student), but in the end we went for a general expert in the time period and broader context I'm looking at, and someone who's familiar with the wide range of evidence I used.

My supervisor contacted the external informally by email, before filling out the formal form to nominate them to the university. Now we're waiting to hear from the department who the internal will be. My viva will be in about 2 months (submission in 1).

Hi Montezuma,

My supervisor and I chose my external together and quite early on in my research. The examiner is the one of the very few people who has done research like mine, within my area. I've quoted her extensively and have a HUGE respect for her and her research.

I also chose my internal with my Supervisor, who is someone who knows a lot about one area of my research, who I feel comfortable around, and doesn't scare me too much.

My supervisor contacted both with the examiner forms, etc. As far as I know, you're not meant to have personal contact with your examiners, so I'd leave it for your supervisor to do that. You might want to set upa meeting with him to discuss it, because I know in my uni, proceedings for the viva need to start at least 3 month before you plan on being examined.

Good luck!

Hi there. :)

Both my examiners will be externals (I'm in the Humanities, and in Australia - so basically there are few people who are specialists in my area who could mark the thesis). In my case, my supervisor has asked me to nominate people in the field that I think would be good/fair to me and also to indicate those who I definitely don't want to mark it (ie - people who I've torn apart in the thesis!). As far as I'm aware, it's the responsibility of my supervisor/uni to contact examiners. I think this is something you might need to pin your sup. down on and ask directly. Or else, someone else in the Department, to give advice.