Critical review of PhD Progress and Transfer Vivas at Universities in the United Kingdom
Critical review of PhD Progress and Transfer Vivas at Universities
Critical review of PhD Progress and Transfer Vivas at Universities in the United Kingdom
Introduction
The study by van Teijlingen et al. (2024) presents the role, structure and impact of PhD progress and transfer vivas in UK universities. The paper not only strengthens the ongoing discourse about doctoral training, assessment methods and researchers’ well-being but also fills an evident void in both empirical and reflective studies that deal with the experience and implementation of progress and transfer assessments in the case of doctoral candidates and institutions. The authors intend to dismantle the barriers that are around these assessments, highlight the variations among disciplines and institutions, and provide practical advice for students, supervisors and universities.
The article is reflective and practice-oriented, drawing on the authors’ professional and supervisory experiences along with illustrative case studies. Its main readers include PhD students, supervisors, directors of doctoral programs, and researchers in higher education interested in doctoral assessment and academic governance. As a whole, the article provides a timely and thoughtful contribution, but its use of experiential evidence also determines its strengths and limitations.
Summary of the Article
The opening section of the article describes the standard process of doctoral assessment in the UK and highlights two main events before the final oral exam: the early progress review and the mid-point transfer or upgrade viva. The authors point out that these assessments are intended to facilitate student development and ensure that the quality is doctoral-level, but their execution still varies significantly between institutions, faculties, and disciplines.
The writers support their argument with four meticulously written case studies that mirror the different universities and disciplines involved. According to the authors, the progress and transfer viva can go from being a supportive developmental conversation to a formalised and at times distressful examination experience. The case studies bring out different points like mixed-up expectations, assessment non-communication, different disciplines, shortcomings in supervision, and the emotional effect of the assessment result on the student.
The paper has also provided a waiting list of historical changes in doctoral evaluation practices, pointing out that the transition has been going on from informal supervisory decisions to very rigorous and uniform procedures. They wrap up their writing by offering a package of actionable suggestions that are meant to enhance the qualities of transparency, fairness, preparation, and pastoral support in viva processes of progress and transfer.
Critique
Significance and Contribution to the Field
The primary contribution of the article can be regarded as its focus on progress and transfer vivas as formative yet high-stakes assessments in doctoral education. The authors, by bringing to the limelight these very significant events that usually go unnoticed, are asking us to think about their major impact on doctoral journeys, researchers’ personas, and students’ psyches. The issue that has been raised is very much backed by the scant literature that exists regarding the experience of doctoral assessments in terms of progress.
The paper also offers a substantial practical contribution by giving clear suggestions for good practice. These practical insights may turn out to be particularly helpful for the doctoral applicants as well as their supervisors who are trying to comply with the institutional requirements. However, the contribution is mainly descriptive and reflective rather than theoretically grounded, which in turn restricts its interaction with wider assessment or higher education theories.
Methodology and Research Design
The authors go for a reflective qualitative method, which is based on experiential case studies. This methodology is suitable for the article’s exploratory and practice-oriented objectives. Moreover, the difference in disciplinary contexts makes the discussion much stronger as it shows how assessment practices can be very different in various fields.
On the other hand, the advantages of the methodological design are limited. The case studies come from the authors’ professional practices, which means that the selection and interpretation of the cases might be biased. Not having systematic data collection methods (e.g., interviews, surveys, or document analyses across several institutions) means that the findings are less generalizable. The authors do recognise such limitations, but the absence of triangulation weakens the evidential support of some of their assertions.
Argumentation and Use of Evidence
The article is well structured and presents its argument in a clear and organized manner, while at the same time case studies are being used very effectively to back up the main points made. The style of the narrative gives the readers the opportunity to interact with the difficult institutional processes through the real-life examples which makes the whole discussion really easy to comprehend and very useful. The authors are able to intertwine personal experiences with big issues like inequity, readiness, and student support that are commonly experienced.
Nevertheless, some of the points made are mostly based on testimonials. Although this approach is in line with the reflective character of the study, it diminishes the power of assertions about systemic problems in UK higher education. The article would have had more impact if it had included comparative data or existing empirical studies on doctoral assessment outcomes.
Ethical Considerations and Omissions
The article is mainly about ethical concerns, which focus on student well-being, the power of the teacher-student relationship, and the emotional impact of failing an assessment. The authors argue in a convincing way that progress and transfer vivas can have a great impact on the identity and confidence of researchers, particularly in the absence of support systems.
However, the debate could have gone further to point out the need for institutions to be accountable and how the doctoral governance frameworks could help in preventing harm. Even though recommendations are made, the ethical analysis would have been more robust if there had been a more in-depth and critical discussion on how universities interpret and implement the duty of care for students during high-stakes assessments.
Writing Style and Structure
The writing style of the article is clear, and the organisation is great, and the signposting is also effective. Through the case examples, the reader has an easier time reading the text and the very concerns of the readers are made real by the academic practice in the examples. However, if one is looking for concise guidance, then the case studies in the article may be overly detailed and long for him/her. The article could have been made even more user-friendly and clearer by including summary tables or schematic overviews of the assessment processes while maintaining the same level of analytical depth.
Conclusion
van Teijlingen and colleagues (2024) offer a very insightful and practice-oriented review of PhD progress and transfer vivas in the UK. The article not only shows the differences among institutions and disciplines but also underscores the implications of these differences for the emotional dimensions of doctoral assessment, thus making a significant contribution to the conversation around doctoral education and academic standards. The reflective case-based approach taken by the authors presents insights that would be beneficial to students, supervisors, and university administrators in equal measure.
However, the generalisation of the study’s conclusions is limited by the use of experiential evidence, the small scope of the sample, and the absence of systematic data. It would require future research with mixed-methods designs, larger institutional samples, and student-centred perspectives to confirm and elaborate on the authors’ claims. The authors’ findings are less widely applicable than those made by the article, though it definitely serves as a significant point of departure for the re-thinking of progress and transfer vivas as assessments that are both academic in nature and formative along the developmental intervention continuum.
Reference:
van Teijlingen, A., Harvey, O., Marmion, V., Regmi, P. R., & van Teijlingen, E. R. (2024). PhD progress and transfer vivas at universities in the United Kingdom. Journal of Education and Research, 14(1), 104–116. https://doi.org/10.51474/jer/16196
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