Preserving doctoral integrity – an international study of examiner perspectives on the role of the oral examination in doctoral study

Globally, many countries include a viva or oral examination as part of the doctoral examination. However, there is no universally agreed way to conduct the viva, and in recent years online and hybrid format have become commonplace. This study explores examiner perspectives on how the viva contributes to the overall doctoral examination process. We utilised a qualitative approach interviewing examiners in three case study universities (six Mediterranean-based examiners, 10 UK-based and five at a New Zealand university) to understand how vivas were implemented, delivered and negotiated in each location. We captured examiners’ reflections on the role of viva, their experiences during the viva, how intellectual dialogue was encouraged, the determination of doctorateness, and the influence of different viva formats. Five major themes emerged from analysis: power imbalances in the examining panels; the viva as a rite of passage; the viva as a quality assurance mechanism, especially given the rise of Gen AI; the viva as an enabler or disabler of intellectual dialogue (depending on the format); and achieving or demonstrating ‘doctorateness’ during the viva. There were considerable differences in the policies and practices across the three locations, which significantly influenced the conduct and experiences of the viva.