The examination of research for dissertations and theses
Abstract
English: Specific knowledge and skills are required to maintain the quality of the examination
of postgraduate research. Preliminary research indicated that there was a need to
investigate the examination of postgraduate research. Individual and focus group
interviews were used in a qualitative research to determine the views of examiners of
dissertations and theses on the issue of examining postgraduate studies. An interview
schedule was compiled from the literature investigation and used as an outline for
the discussions. It was found that experienced examiners follow a definite structure
in the examination of postgraduate studies, the examination process does not always
run smoothly and remuneration was mentioned as a problem. The examination of
dissertations and theses is not a process to take lightly and examiners need proper
guidelines and training to enable them to be effective. Afrikaans: Bepaalde kennis en vaardigheid is noodsaaklik om gehalte in die evaluering van
nagraadse navorsing te behou. Voorlopige navorsing het aangedui dat ’n dringende
behoefte bestaan aan ’n ondersoek na die eksaminering van nagraadse navorsing.
Individuele
en fokusgroeponderhoude is in ’n kwalitatiewe navorsingsprojek gebruik
om die siening van eksaminatore van verhandelings en proefskrifte te bepaal. ’n
Onderhoudskedule is aan die hand van ’n literatuurstudie saamgestel en is as
raamwerk
vir die besprekings gebruik. Dit is bevind dat ervare eksaminatore ’n
definitiewe struktuur in die eksaminering van nagraadse studies gebruik, dat die
eksamineringsproses egter nie altyd vloeiend is nie en dat eksaminatorsvergoeding
aangedui is as ’n probleem. Die eksamineringsproses geskied nie lukraak nie en
eksaminatore het deeglike leiding en opleiding nodig om hulle in staat te stel om
die verwagte gehalte van eksaminering te handhaaf.