Chapter Introduction

This volume describes, compares, and analyses the experience of ‘defending’ the doctoral dissertation in a final oral examination in universities and traditions in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and beyond. Forming the basis for a comparative study of the different traditions, 11 case stu...

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Main Authors: Byram, Michael, Stoicheva, Maria
Format: Online
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis 2025
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Online Access:ONIX_20250818T142723_9781003495000_2
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author Byram, Michael
Stoicheva, Maria
author_browse Byram, Michael
Stoicheva, Maria
author_facet Byram, Michael
Stoicheva, Maria
author_sort Byram, Michael
collection Directory of Open Access Books
description This volume describes, compares, and analyses the experience of ‘defending’ the doctoral dissertation in a final oral examination in universities and traditions in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and beyond. Forming the basis for a comparative study of the different traditions, 11 case study chapters include analysis of the regulatory framework; semi-structured interviews with candidates, examiners, and supervisors; and ethnographic observations of the defence. Cases are drawn from universities in Bulgaria, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, the USA, and China. Further chapters analyse comparatively the findings in the case studies and explore crucial themes such as the nature and purpose of the defence, the composition of examining committees, the role of supervisors, and the idea of the defence as ritual and performance. Providing unprecedented levels of detail into a process often perceived as hidden from academic debate, this book will enrich the experience of both new and existing candidates as well as examiners and supervisors, and will be of further interest to researchers, scholars, and postgraduate students working on the study of higher education, international and comparative education, and assessment in higher education.
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spelling doab-20.500.12854ir-1660062025-08-19T05:05:17Z Chapter Introduction Byram, Michael Stoicheva, Maria doctorate studies doctorate defence cross-national comparisons European traditions European Higher Education Area EHEA oral examination PhD doctorate academic mobility international standards Portugal Denmark Poland Bulgaria Germany Slovenia Italy Norway France USA China thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JN Education thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JN Education::JND Educational systems and structures::JNDH Education: examinations and assessment This volume describes, compares, and analyses the experience of ‘defending’ the doctoral dissertation in a final oral examination in universities and traditions in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and beyond. Forming the basis for a comparative study of the different traditions, 11 case study chapters include analysis of the regulatory framework; semi-structured interviews with candidates, examiners, and supervisors; and ethnographic observations of the defence. Cases are drawn from universities in Bulgaria, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, the USA, and China. Further chapters analyse comparatively the findings in the case studies and explore crucial themes such as the nature and purpose of the defence, the composition of examining committees, the role of supervisors, and the idea of the defence as ritual and performance. Providing unprecedented levels of detail into a process often perceived as hidden from academic debate, this book will enrich the experience of both new and existing candidates as well as examiners and supervisors, and will be of further interest to researchers, scholars, and postgraduate students working on the study of higher education, international and comparative education, and assessment in higher education. 2025-08-19T05:05:16Z 2025-08-19T05:05:16Z 2025-08-18T12:30:16Z 2025 chapter ONIX_20250818T142723_9781003495000_2 https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/105574 9781003495000 9781032796321 9781032800134 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/166006 eng Routledge Research in Higher Education open access image/jpeg Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/105574/1/9781003495000_10.4324_9781003495000-1.pdf Taylor & Francis Routledge 10.4324/9781003495000-1 10.4324/9781003495000-1 fa69b019-f4ee-4979-8d42-c6b6c476b5f0 The Experience of ‘Defending’ the Doctoral Dissertation 7294977f-a731-45c4-a82e-7924b8577525 13e653f1-e915-4214-af75-c477ff5d4122 9781003495000 9781032796321 9781032800134 Routledge 1 - 17 London [...] Sofia University Sofia 10.13039/100017212 open access
spellingShingle doctorate studies
doctorate defence
cross-national comparisons
European traditions
European Higher Education Area
EHEA
oral examination
PhD
doctorate
academic mobility
international standards
Portugal
Denmark
Poland
Bulgaria
Germany
Slovenia
Italy
Norway
France
USA
China
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JN Education
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JN Education::JND Educational systems and structures::JNDH Education: examinations and assessment
Byram, Michael
Stoicheva, Maria
Chapter Introduction
title Chapter Introduction
title_full Chapter Introduction
title_fullStr Chapter Introduction
title_full_unstemmed Chapter Introduction
title_short Chapter Introduction
title_sort chapter introduction
topic doctorate studies
doctorate defence
cross-national comparisons
European traditions
European Higher Education Area
EHEA
oral examination
PhD
doctorate
academic mobility
international standards
Portugal
Denmark
Poland
Bulgaria
Germany
Slovenia
Italy
Norway
France
USA
China
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JN Education
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JN Education::JND Educational systems and structures::JNDH Education: examinations and assessment
topic_facet doctorate studies
doctorate defence
cross-national comparisons
European traditions
European Higher Education Area
EHEA
oral examination
PhD
doctorate
academic mobility
international standards
Portugal
Denmark
Poland
Bulgaria
Germany
Slovenia
Italy
Norway
France
USA
China
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JN Education
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JN Education::JND Educational systems and structures::JNDH Education: examinations and assessment
url ONIX_20250818T142723_9781003495000_2
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