PhD theses at the margin: examiner comment on re-examined theses

It is rare for a doctoral candidate to fail outright. In Australia, if a thesis exhibits significant flaws the candidate may be required to make major revisions and resubmit the work for re-examination. The written comments of examiners before and after resubmission can provide important insights into the process of examination and the qualities examiners look for in a marginal thesis. Drawing on 101 of the most recent, completed theses across fields in one institution, this paper investigates the differences in examiner comment on the qualities of theses by the same candidates before and after major revision and resubmission (N=6), and between these theses and those that were ‘passed’ at the first examination (N=95). Critical comments about the literature review and the degree to which the examiner moved into a supervisory role were found to be strong indicators of theses ‘at the margin’.