Hello!

I've just had a meeting with my supervisor who has said we need to decide on an external examiner around May time. Problem is I have no idea!! My topic is one that hasn't really been looked at so there are lots who could be considered a peripheral expert, but no one is jumping out at me or my supervisor. I would like it to be someone I have met personally ideally.

Basically there are lots of 'maybe' people but no 'yes please' suggestions!!

How did you decide?

I didn't have an obvious person either, because my area is a bit new. We could have gone for someone who works in the same field, but looked at a different time period. Advantage was I'd met this person and had a pretty good idea of how they ticked. But in the end my supervisor and I recently agreed on someone who's an expert in the time period I've researched (I'm a history student), the overarcing umbrella so to speak, and is also familiar with a lot of the evidence I've worked with. So not in my niche area as such, but very familiar with the context I'm working in, and - I hope - therefore well able to examine me as a result.

Well that's the theory. My viva will probably be in May or soon after, so not long to find out - eek!