A WORD OF THE SUPERVISOR

During the time of their work on this project, the candidates took it in the direction that I had agreed upon with
them by giving me updates
how often they should report progress and when they should ask for help
Preparation of theses
Students are advised to familiarise themselves with the following sections before commencing work on the
preparation of their thesis. They are also advised to consult their supervisor regarding any subject-specific
aspects of the thesis, for example the inclusion of photographs or diagrams or the presentation of supplementary
information such as CDs or DVDs. Permission to submit non-standard material should be gained by the
student's supervisor from Faculty prior to the thesis being submitted to Research Services.
A doctoral candidate must satisfy the examiners that the thesis forms an addition to knowledge, shows evidence
of systematic study and of the ability to relate the results of such study to the general body of knowledge in the
subject, and is worthy of publication either in full or in an abridged form. The format of the thesis must also
demonstrate that it is a coherent body of work.
Language of the thesis
The thesis should normally be written in English. Exceptionally, and with the permission of the Faculty, a
student may present a thesis that is written in another language where this is of demonstrable significance to the
impact and dissemination of the research.
Writing the thesis
The main source of advice and information for students beginning to write their thesis is the supervisor. It is
important that students discuss the structure of the thesis with their supervisor at an early stage in their research
programme, together with the schedule for its production, and the role of the supervisor in checking drafts. The
supervisor will also advise on such matters as undertaking a literature review, referencing and formatting the
thesis, and generally on what should or should not be included in the thesis.
A number of University courses are available that might prove helpful to students, e.g. academic writing
courses run by the English Language Teaching Centre (ELTC). There are also units in the DDP on thesis
production.
Many students have found it helpful to meet with people who have recently submitted their thesis and can
therefore pass on their experience first-hand. Academic departments may be able to facilitate this. It is normally
also possible to consult recently submitted theses that are available in institutional repositories such as White
Rose Etheses Online or via the British Library’s EThOS service.
Preparation for including in the thesis material owned by another person should be considered at an early stage
of the research and should not wait until the final stages of completing the thesis. The correct use of third-party
copyright material and the avoidance of unfair means are taken very seriously by the University and attendance
at a copyright training session offered by the Library is strongly encouraged (see 'Use of copyright material').
Students should take care to ensure that the identification of any third party individuals within their thesis (e.g.
participants in the research), is only done with the informed consent of those individuals, and in recognition of
any potential risks that this may present to them. This is especially important in view of the fact that an
electronic copy of the thesis will normally be made publicly available via the White Rose Etheses Online
repository.
Early familiarity with the software packages a student will use to produce the thesis will prove helpful. The
University's Managed computing network hosts a whole range of software that may be of help to research
students, over and above the Microsoft Office suite.
Acceptable support in writing the thesis
It is acceptable for a student to receive the following support in writing the thesis from the supervisory team
(that is additional to the advice and/or information outlined above, if the supervisory team has considered that
this support is necessary:
 1. Where the meaning of text is not clear the student should be asked to re-write the text in question in
order to clarify the meaning;
2. English language: If the meaning of text is unclear, the supervisory team can provide support in
correcting grammar and sentence construction in order to ensure that the meaning of text is clear (if a
student requires significant support with written English above what is considered to be correcting
grammar and sentence construction, the supervisory team will, at the earliest opportunity, require the
student to obtain remedial tuition support from the University’s English Language Teaching Centre);
3. The supervisory team cannot re-write text that changes the meaning of the text (ghost writing/ghost
authorship in a thesis is unacceptable);
4. The supervisory team can provide guidance on the structure, content and expression of writing;
5. The supervisory team can proof-read the text.
6. Anyone else who may be employed or engaged to proof read the text is only permitted to change
spelling and grammar and must not be able to change the content of the thesis.
The Confirmation Review and the viva are the key progression milestones for testing whether a thesis is a
student's own work.
A request for an extension of time limit, beyond the time limit for the research degree programme, should not
be made if the request is only to allow the student more time to improve the standard of written English in the
thesis.
Word limits
No University regulation exists governing the length of theses, although a number of Faculties and departments
have established guidelines. Where these are not available, the student should consult the supervisor as to the
length of thesis appropriate to his/her particular topic of research. It should, however, be noted that brevity
achieved without sacrifice of clarity is a virtue much appreciated by examiners. The following Faculties have
guidelines on thesis length:
 Arts & Humanities - 40,000 words (MPhil) 75,000 words (PhD)
 Medicine, Dentistry & Health - 40,000 words (MPhil) 75,000 words (PhD, MD)
 Science – 40,000 words (MPhil) 80,000 words (PhD)
 Social Sciences - 40,000 words (MPhil) 75,000-100,000 words (PhD)
The above word limits exclude footnotes, bibliography and appendices.
Referencing
Accurate and consistent referencing is an essential part of your thesis. In the first instance, students are advised
to consult with their supervisor regarding acceptable methods of referencing in their discipline (i.e. the
presentation of footnotes, bibliography, appendices, etc). Online referencing tutorials are also available.
Online referencing tutorials
Comments on the thesis and the viva
My thesis was successfully examined on 18 November 2014. Here are some comments made by the examiners:
This thesis clearly represents a huge amount of work which is at doctoral level. The writing is of high standard
(…); and there are some places where this is of a very high standard and indicates ground breaking research.
Prof. Adrian Holliday, External Examiner

The candidate should be congratulated on how he deals with different languages in the literature.
Prof. Adrian Holliday, External Examiner

Being no stranger to Greece, Greek ELT, and the joys of ethnographic fieldwork within emergent Greek
educational contexts myself, I found the thesis to have great explanatory power and to be insightful in many
respects. It was a pleasurable and engaging read and represents work of a high standard.
Dr Richard Fay, Internal Examiner
During the oral examination the candidate displayed excellent mastery of the research process (…) In the viva,
the candidate showed a profound understanding of ethnographic method and how the case study related to his
professional field (…) The candidate responded to a very difficult interrogation of his methodological thinking
and procedures with confidence, knowledge and clarity.
Surviving a viva: a guide for candidates
Luke Cascarini, FDSRCS MRCS1 and D G Lowe, FRCPath FIBiol2
Author information Copyright and License information Disclaimer
This article has been cited by other articles in PMC.
To pass a viva a candidate must not only possess a thorough understanding of the subject but must also be able
to convey this to the examiners. Vivas are different from other exams: you cannot deal first with the questions
you know best and come back later to the ones you are not so sure about; and you cannot cross out previous
answers and rewrite them. In assembling the knowledge base it may be helpful to remember facts in a way that
makes them easily retrieved and communicated in a viva. An intelligent, structured, cogent answer wins the
points.
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LONG BEFORE THE VIVA
Start planning early. Study leave may have to be booked months ahead of a course or examination. Some of the
more popular Royal College courses are fully booked-up six months or more in advance; you may even require
a letter from your consultant to get a place. Make sure you have a copy of the syllabus well beforehand so as
not to leave any holes in your knowledge; in a viva the examiners might accept one question as a complete non-
starter but you cannot choose your favourite three out of five questions. If you need books, the time to get
second-hand bargains is when the round of exams before yours has just finished.
Candidates often feel that they have a good idea of the standard of knowledge expected by the examiners, only
to be jolted by the breadth of questions that they are expected to field. Consider reading the reports of previous
examinations, talking to other candidates and reading internet comments. You might organize or join a local
study group to practise viva questions on each other. Senior doctors or lecturers will often give up some of their
time to work with a committed study group.
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REVISING
Consider how viva questions are characteristically formulated. A common way is with a request from the
examiner to define, classify, or list: define what you are about to talk about; classify it into a logical sequence of
subdivisions; list the causes, differential diagnoses, complications, management options. When you think you
have covered a subject—for example neoplasia—put the book down and try asking yourself the sort of
questions you could expect in a viva. ‘What is the commonest neoplasm of the...’, ‘classify inflammation of
the...’, and ‘list the causes of neoplasms of the...’. You can do this on your own or in work groups: either way,
have a suitable textbook to hand to clarify any points and avoid sharing incorrect information. Another common
examiner’s gambit is the question ‘Why should a surgeon (or physician, pathologist, radiologist) know
about...?’ The question puts you on the spot since it dictates that you shouldknow.
There are many viva revision books on the market that can help a candidate learn in a question-and-answer
format. These are useful in helping you store the information in a way that is quickly retrievable and gives you
an idea of the standard and style of questions to be expected; but they are not comprehensive and should be
used in conjunction with broader texts. Ask yourself why you really should know the answers. Examiners are
always impressed by insight. Practise coping with the more predictable opening questions. Your programme
should take you to the point where, in the week before the exam, you are working from brief notes or revision
cards and are comfortable, confident and quick with the common and important definitions, classifications and
lists.
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ARE COURSES HELPFUL?
Several universities run revision courses for undergraduate finals. A postgraduate might consider applying to
attend one of these since a good solid MB pass level, with clinical skills and experience relevant to your stage
of training and evidence of knowledge of safe practice, is not far from what most Royal Colleges are looking
for. For postgraduate exams, the choice of courses is wide. Some are organized by the Colleges that set the
exams and some are run by specialist businesses. Cost, quality and value for money vary greatly. If some of the
lecturers are also examiners, this may be a plus-point. Talk to people who attended a course and took the exam.
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THE EXAM
Appearance and etiquette
You need to feel as comfortable as possible, psychologically as well as physically. What you wear will help
both. You will feel better if you look the part that you are hoping to achieve by success in the viva.
If you have a plain two-piece dark suit, wear it. If you do not possess a suit do not buy one; you will look ill-at-
ease, gauche and uncomfortable. A man could wear a dark plain jacket or, on a hot day, just a shirt and tie (and
trousers). Windowpane checks and broad chalk-stripes are best kept for the race-course, but neither will cause
you to fail. Whatever you wear will really make no difference at all if you are properly professional. An
attributable tie (one that says ‘I’m a Barts man’ or ‘I’m a member of the MCC’, for instance) can be chancey. If
your examiner is also a Barts man you will get a very correct viva, so that he cannot be accused of bias. If the
examiner was rejected by Barts when he applied for a consultant post, it might colour his judgment. Better not
to take the risk.
Women candidates can wear almost anything they like. No examiner will react against trousers, stilettos or
fishnets. Beware of low-cut tops if you are a blusher. The blush will start somewhere around the manubrium
sterni and spread upwards; it can be disconcerting to watch your examiners tracking its progress towards your
chin. Men blush as commonly as women but the collar and tie hide the blush for about 10 minutes, by which
time the viva is either well under way or over.
Before you go in, consider the possibilities of the initial few minutes. If an examiner stands to greet you with
his right arm extended, you have no option but to shake hands. Not to shake hands without a very obvious
reason gets the viva off to a sticky start (it is the examiner’s fault, not yours, but you will be psychologically
wrong-footed). Your hand will be warm and wet because of nerves, so think ahead. Before going into the
examination room find a cool surface, such as a wall or tabletop, and press your right hand against it in several
places until the moment that you are called in. Then if you are forced to shake hands, yours at least will be cool
and dry.
You will be offered a chair. Put your backside as far into the angle of the chair as it will go: this will throw your
upper body forwards into the appropriate posture for a viva. Cross ankles but not legs and never arms. If you
are an enthusiastic hand-waver, wave your hands; if you refrain you will feel odd and look odd.
Never seek to appear to be anxious: if you aim for sympathy by showing excessive signs of anxiety you will get
none. The examiners will immediately assume that there is good reason (i.e. that you are not properly
prepared). By the same token, if things do not go well, pick up the pieces and start again. Never refer to a viva
earlier in the day in which you have done badly (or think you have).
Eye contact is not essential; there are many places in the world in which it is considered disrespectful. If you
usually make eye contact with people, meet your examiner’s eyes. With two or more examiners, engage both or
all of them even though only one is asking the questions. They will feel more comfortable if you do.
Answer the question
Examiners are looking for a clear and logical dissertation on a subject, usually within a few minutes because of
the pressure of time. They tend to like a definition that shows that you know what is going on, and you need to
make yours as watertight as possible. You may need to refine some parts of your definition if the examiners
challenge it.
If you do not understand a question, ask for it to be rephrased or ask for clarification, such as ‘I’m sorry, would
you like me to tell you about...?’ If you are asked several questions at once, the examiner is clearly at fault: pick
one of the questions that you are happy with and answer that. If you cannot respond, say so early with a use of
words that suggests that, although you cannot immediately recall the answer, you do know really.
Never accept the ‘Tell me about...’ gambit. This is the cardinal sign of a woolly examiner who cannot formulate
a proper question that has a clear expected response. Establish precisely what the examiner wants you to tell
him about, rather than wading in and allowing him to quibble with your answer (‘No, that’s not what I was
looking for...’). Try ‘Yes, certainly, what would you like me to start with?’, which sounds cooperative and
positive, and might concentrate the examiner’s mind.
In the viva you may be hit with a heartsink question. A heartsink is a question that is perfectly simple yet for
some reason completely unanswerable at that instant—‘What is the difference between plasma and serum?’
There is no good way of responding to a heartsink question, by definition, so think of as many as possible
before you go into the exam. If, however, you are asked, say, ‘What fungi are of surgical importance?’ and
cannot think of a single one, you might try ‘Well, there are lots. Which one would you like me to start with?’.
When the examiner suggests you start with Candida albicans, at least you will get a handhold on the question.
Consider how to move the questioning on. Sitting quietly saying nothing is a waste of everyone’s time. Practise
saying ‘I can’t recall’ (better than ‘I don’t know’—especially as you almost certainly do know but cannot at that
instant retrieve the answer).
You are likely to be asked for a list at some point. Clarify early whether the examiner wants a straight list (they
usually do but not always) or whether he or she wants you to expand on the items as you go. Put common items
first: scorpion bite might be true but is probably not as common as gallstones. Put iatrogenic on every list
because it will almost always belong there. Never repeat items that you have already mentioned—you will have
gained the points and will be seen as wasting time. Close a list by saying ‘And the last example on my list is...’
so that the examiner cannot keep asking ‘And another?’.
At the end of the viva
When the bell goes, say ‘thank you’, stand up and leave the room immediately. Ignore anything that is said after
the final bell. Do not dwell on instances of ‘Good’, ‘Well done’, ‘Excellent’, ‘Oh dear’, ‘Never mind’, ‘It
doesn’t matter if you don’t know but...’ that are said to you—they are now in the past and seldom have a
bearing on the outcome of the viva. Do not grimace, weep or look desperate. Do not thank the examiners for
their time. Do not say ‘I’m sure I could have done better’; it invites the response ‘Yes, I’m sure you could’. Do
not shake hands or hang around. Your examiners have to mark your performance and cannot do so while you
are within hearing.
If you have more vivas that day, put the last one from your mind and start all over again as if nothing has
happened. You will inevitably think of all the things you forgot to say or got wrong. You will not think of the
many things that you said that were correct and so you will have a distorted view of how well you did. Try to
avoid this—easy to recommend, very hard to do.
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CONCLUSIONS
As a final consideration, think about the pressures on the poor people who have to ask you the questions. If you
can somehow alleviate these, this may help get the examiners on your side. Many examiners find vivas
challenging: ‘All that the candidate has to do is answer each question as I ask it, whereas I have to think of five
or six questions in a logical sequence’. Some examiners frown at candidates, not because they are being
censorious or doubtful but because they are considering where the questioning should go next.
Tailor your revision style to the exam style, practise questions and answers and remember that the examiners
really want you to do well. Meet them halfway—give them a chance.