Guidance on an examiner’s role in confirming corrections and in re-examining resubmissions.
If the student has minor errors to correct, they must email their corrected dissertation directly to the internal examiner (or independent chair if there is no internal examiner). The student will be given 28 days from the formal RDEB notification to do this, but they can email their corrected dissertation before the RDEB decision if they wish.
The internal examiner must check the corrections and email the student and the Academic Quality and Policy Office (pgr-exams@bristol.ac.uk) to confirm that the corrections have been satisfactorily completed. If there is no internal examiner, an external examiner, the independent chair, or another University of Bristol academic must conduct this check.
Although the student will be awarded with outstanding minor errors, they will not receive their certificate until the confirmation has been received by the Academic Quality and Policy Office and the student has uploaded their dissertation to Pure.
If the student has errors or omissions of substance to correct, they must email their corrected dissertation directly to the internal examiner (or independent chair if there is no internal examiner). The student will be given six months from the formal RDEB notification to do this, but they can email their corrected dissertation before the RDEB decision if they wish.
All examiners must check the corrections. The internal examiner (or independent chair if there is no internal examiner) must email the Academic Quality and Policy Office (pgr-exams@bristol.ac.uk) to confirm that the corrections have been completed to the satisfaction of all examiners. The confirmation must clearly state that all examiners have approved the corrected dissertation.
If the examiners are not satisfied with the corrections, they can give the student up to four additional weeks from the point the student is informed to make further, minor modifications. The internal examiner (or independent chair if there is no internal examiner) must email the student – copying in pgr-exams@bristol.ac.uk – with the examiners’ further comments and the new deadline. They can also meet with the student (and supervisors) if this would be helpful.
The Academic Quality and Policy Office will process confirmations of completed errors of substance for ratification by RDEB at a scheduled meeting. There is a deadline for each of these meetings.
The Academic Quality and Policy Office monitors students who are required to correct errors or omissions of substance and may ask for updates from the internal examiner (or independent chair). The student could be deemed to have withdrawn if they do not send in their corrected dissertation by their deadline.
Students can request extensions to their deadline in exceptional circumstances by contacting RDEB (via pgr-exams@bristol.ac.uk). If RDEB approves an extension, the internal examiner (or independent chair if there is no internal examiner) will be copied into the confirmation email to the student.
If the student is required to resubmit, they must email their revised dissertation to the Academic Quality and Policy Office (pgr-exams@bristol.ac.uk) and upload a copy to Turnitin for a plagiarism review following the standard submission process. The student will be given 12 months from the formal RDEB notification to resubmit.
As this will be a re-examination, examiners will be re-appointed and will receive a link to an electronic copy of the dissertation. They can also request a printed copy. External examiners will be paid a re-examination fee.
The examiners must re-examine the dissertation following the standard PGR examination process. There are two differences for a resubmission:
If the student does not resubmit by their deadline, they may be deemed to have withdrawn.
Students can request extensions to their deadline in exceptional circumstances by contacting RDEB (via pgr-exams@bristol.ac.uk). If RDEB approves an extension, the internal examiner (or independent chair if there is no internal examiner) will be copied into the confirmation email to the student.
