Nomination of Examiners
Choosing Examiners
Selecting the right examiners is critical, particularly where the work crosses discipline boundaries. Examiners should always be academic experts but their expertise must also be aligned with the paradigm of the candidate's work.
A well-written abstract is very important in situating the candidate's work. It will help the examiner decide if they are the right one for the examination. Examiners' reports have a life beyond the granting of the award and may be used in job applications and as references. Having a well-known and respected examiner can be an additional benefit after graduation.
Occasionally, it may be best to delay the exam for a brief period if a highly sought examiner is not immediately available.
Supervisors are advised to nominate examiners up to three months before final submission of the thesis to allow time for approval of the nominees and for contact to be made with minimum delay of the examination. The Principal Supervisor nominates an examining panel to the School or Research Institute HDR Director (or equivalent).
Who to Nominate, What to Tell Them
- All examiners should be leaders in the field of research undertaken by the candidate.
- Examiners will normally hold qualifications at least at the level at which they are asked to examine.
- UWS staff may not be nominated.
- A person may not be appointed as an examiner if they have ever been a member of the supervisory panel of the candidate. The 'cosy' rule applies here too. An example of cosiness would be nomination of a recent graduate who was in the same Centre/School as the completing candidate or where a recent past member of UWS held a significant academic leadership role in the School/Centre where the candidate was enrolled. Supervisors should also be sensitive to hidden examples of 'cosiness'. For example, where there are close personal relationships. Avoiding that sort of choice does not suggest that there would inherently be a conflict of interest but it recognises that it is better not to put people in a position where others may make such assumptions. If for any reason the panel appears 'cosy', the School or Research Institute HDR Director (or equivalent) may question the choice.
- Supervisors need to think about the mix of experience of the examiners. Research suggests that inexperienced examiners tend to be harsher in their judgement.
- Principal supervisors may wish to consider nominating an examiner in the home country of international students who may possibly act as a mentor for the candidate after their graduation and return to the home country.
- Overseas examiners may be invited but there is no requirement that an examining panel must have international members nor is there a limit on the number of international examiners.
Supervisors should make an informal approach to potential examiners and ask them for a brief CV which includes information on the proposed examiner's experience in supervision and examination of theses, their qualifications, publications summary and affiliations.
A time frame should be discussed, the principal supervisor should have a good idea of when the thesis will be ready to post and the examiner needs to know that they will be expected to complete their report within six weeks.
Examiners of Doctor of Creative Arts (DCA) candidates will need to be told about arrangements for exhibitions or performances and they should know ahead of time when to expect to attend an event and when they will receive the exegesis. It is not unusual for the exegesis to follow the attended event by up to a couple of months, but the examiner should be made aware of this and their availability for both parts of the examination should be confirmed.
It is the responsibility of the Office of the Academic Registrar to make all formal contact with the examiner and to provide them with information and instructions. However, supervisors should make initial informal contact, which must include discussion about the nature of the thesis topic and line of inquiry. This should include the abstract.
Supervisors may also tell examiners that the Office of the Academic Registrar will post instructions on the examination with the thesis and that they will be paid an honorarium at the rate recommended by the Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee (AV-CC). For more information, please see Advice Given to Examiners.
If necessary, examiners may require information about the structure of Australian research degrees, particularly if they are from an academic tradition that includes substantial coursework in doctoral study, e.g. North America.
What Supervisors should ask the Nominated Examiners
- A brief CV. Supervisors are asked to provide information on the proposed examiners' experience in supervision and examination of theses, relation of the proposed examiners' field of expertise to the thesis, qualifications, publications summary and affiliations. This information helps the School or Research Institute HDR Director (or equivalent), and UWS Research Studies Committee to make decisions.
- Whether the proposed nominee can examine the thesis within six weeks of receipt. You will need to have a good idea of when the thesis will be ready to post.
Candidates and Selection of Examiners
Candidates and supervisors should be thinking about potential examiners from an early stage in the candidature. Candidates should contribute to the discussion about examiners and they should tell their supervisors of their preferences, both who they would like and, if applicable, who they would prefer not to have. However, candidates should not know the final composition of their examining panel at the time of examination. Supervisors may reject a candidate's suggestion based on their knowledge of the examiner; in this case the candidate would be wise to accept the supervisor's judgement.
Candidates may eventually learn the identity of their examiners if the examiner agrees to their name being disclosed on the thesis report. Examiners may request that their identity not be disclosed.
Number of Examiners
Three examiners must be nominated for all higher degree research examinations; two examiners are required plus a reserve. An additional examiner may be appointed.
A reserve must always be included. They are used quite frequently if unforeseen circumstances prevent other examiners from proceeding, or further expertise is required to determine the outcome of an examination.
Accessing a Nomination of Examiners Form
» Nomination of Examiners Form (PDF, 166Kb)
Processing the Nomination Form
The principal supervisor should complete the nomination form with accurate contact information, sign to attest that the nominees have not contributed to the thesis and attach the additional information (CVs) and send it to the School or Research Institute HDR Director (or equivalent) for endorsement. Email addresses will speed up the process. Principal supervisors are asked to provide them wherever possible. It is important that contact information be accurate, clear to read, current and that names are spelt correctly and titles are correct.
