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.