Examiner comment on theses that have been revised and resubmitted

Since the 1980s there has been a growing interest in the 'visibility' of doctoral processes, particularly with respect to supervision, but more recently with respect to examination. Questions are being asked that encompass a range of issues from examiner selection through to the rigour and credibility of assessment procedures. Many commentators have pointed out that doctoral examination, and doctoral study generally, is an exceedingly complex phenomenon that has yet to be subject of sustained and systematic research. How students achieve success, the role supervisors play in getting a candidate's thesis to submission stage, or through an oral defence, and what constitutes quality in postgraduate research are all areas that are receiving attention in the field of research training in higher education.