#159 - What Your PhD Examiner Is Actually Checking

Jul 29, 2026

Connect

Today, I am going to tell you what I am actually looking for when I open your thesis, because it is not what most candidates think.

29 July 2026

Read time: 3 minutes

I have examined over forty-five doctoral theses.

And I can tell you that the ones that pass smoothly are never the most impressive.

They are those that are easy to defend.

That is a distinction worth reflecting on, as most candidates spend their final months trying to make their thesis smarter, more sophisticated, more polished.

That is not what gets you through.

What gets you through is making it easy for me to say yes.

Your supervisor helps you build the thesis.

I decide whether it passes.

We are doing different jobs, and I am looking for different things.

Subscribe to keep reading this post

Already have an account? Log in

#158 - How to Write a Thesis by Publication

Today I am walking you through that structure so you do not make the same mistake. 22 July 2026 Read time: 3 minutes You can have three papers in top journals and still fail your thesis by publication. Not on the research. Not on the quality of the papers. On the one chapter most people do not even know they need to write. A mentee came to me last year in a state. He had done the ...

#157 - "This Needs More Depth" What Your Supervisor Actually Means, And Why They Never Show You

Today, I am going to take the five most common supervision comments I hear and show you what they actually mean, what the fix looks like, and why your supervisor probably cannot show you themselves. 15 July 2026 Read time: 3 minutes A mentee sent me her methodology chapter last year with a note at the top: "My supervisor said this needs more depth. I have rewritten it three times ...

#156 - The Part of a Doctorate Nobody Warns You About, And Why It Ends More PhDs Than the Research Does

Today, I am showing you why this happens, what is actually missing once the taught phase ends, and what I have been building to fix it. 8 July 2026 Read time: 3 minutes div]:bg-bg-000/50 [&_pre>div]:border-0.5 [&_pre>div]:border-border-400 [&_.ignore-pre-bg>div]:bg-transparent [&_.standard-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pl-2 [&_.standard-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,ul,ol,...

The Research Insider

One insider strategy per week to complete your PhD or DBA on time, use AI responsibly, and navigate the academic system with confidence. 230,000+ researchers follow my work on LinkedIn. 10,000+ subscribe to this newsletter. Here's why. Whether you're a full-time researcher or a working professional doing a doctorate alongside your career, the system wasn't built for you. Universities teach methodology. They don't teach you how to actually finish. Every Wednesday, I share one technique from the examiner's side of the table. The things I've learned from examining 45+ PhD theses, supervising 30+ researchers to completion, and mentoring working professionals through doctorates they were told they couldn't do while working. All in under 3 minutes. AI is changing research fast. I've tested 12+ tools with doctoral students and I train universities on responsible AI use. I'll show you what works, what makes things up, and how to use these tools without putting your integrity at risk. My followers call me their virtual mentor. This newsletter is where that mentoring goes deeper. No fluff. No jargon. Just the strategies I use with my own mentees, in your inbox every Wednesday.

#159 - What Your PhD Examiner Is Actually Checking

Subscribe to keep reading this post

The Research Insider

Join The FREE Challenge