Helping doctoral students understand PhD thesis examination expectations: A framework and a tool for supervision

The examination of a PhD thesis marks an important stage in the PhD student journey. Here, the student's research, thinking and writing are assessed by experts in their field. Yet, in the early stages of candidature, students often do not know what is expected of their thesis, nor what examiners will scrutinise and comment on. However, what examiners look for, expect and comment on has been the subject of recent research. This article synthesises the literature on examiner expectations into a framework and tool that can assist students to understand PhD thesis examination expectations. Suggestions of how this tool may be used as part of a broader supervision pedagogy are offered.