ABSTRACT
Experienced examiners decide very early on whether the assessment of a thesis is likely to be 'hard work' or 'an enjoyable read'. Their initial impression of the quality of the thesis is usually formed by the end of the second or third chapter—often by the end of the literature review. Supervisors do need to make it clear to their students that chapters like the literature review that are often drafted early in the thesis process need to be kept updated and revised, often substantially, prior to submission. Mullins and Kiley, the interviewers note that 'sloppiness' is one of the words most commonly used in negative responses to theses. The number of students who actually fail the PhD examination is extremely small. Many will, however, be required to do revisions, revealing that formative comments constitute a large proportion of the examiners' reports they analyzed.
