The PhD Proofreaders is such an excellent resource for anyone working towards a PhD. I enjoy the newsletters, have attended a few workshops over the years and I also did a mock viva with Professor Peter Smith which I found really useful.

I feel like you truly operate to genuinely help students be successful in their research. My coach was thorough in their work and not only showed me the corrections but taught me to see the errors myself. Their descriptions and clarifications taught me what to look for, helping me learn to become a better scholar. They made me realise how much more interesting and fun my project could have been had I had more guidance from the beginning. My only regret is that I did not reach out to you sooner.

Very impressive and detailed review done. I strongly recommend them for all proofreading work.

I attended the theoretical framework masterclass which was very helpful in clarifying what is the conceptual framework, what is the theoretical framework and why both are important in your PhD. I had been unable to get a clear answer on these frameworks from my supervisors or others and the masterclass made it really clear and why they are so essential. The great thing was I'd been asking the question and suddenly your masterclass popped up, just at the right time.

I’m very happy with the copy editing. They are very very meticulous and find tiny bur critical mistakes that even my prof couldn’t find. They are really interested in your paper and devote so much work in making it better

I'm not sure where I saw the prompt for PhD Proofreaders but it triggered an immediate response of interest. I enjoyed the PhD Masterclass with Professor Peter Smith immensely! The lecture was everything I had been looking for and hoping for - for nearly a year now. I am having my first annual review next week better understanding the value of the advice I have been given by my supervisors, as well as what I have achieved so far in writing my thesis. The most important part of the lecture, among many, was the explanation of critical thinking and writing, this has been a very difficult aspect for me to comprehend all along. Many thanks to Professor Smith who articulated and explained perfectly all that I need to know! I am very excited about the other offerings as well from PhD Proofreaders! Thank you again, Diane Elizabeth Huntington Loring

I had reached a dead end when writing my thesis. Time after time my supervisors contradicted their inputs. This lack of overall direction prompted me to look for some pragmatic advice on how to structure my work. PhD proofreaders was exactly what I was looking for, sound practical advice to structure and plan my work. Digging me out of the hole I’d created. Using their resources I was able to rewrite and build my work in the space of 6 months. If you have supervisors who don’t read your work or listen to your concerns then you need these resources from PhD proofreaders.

Amazing source of advice, guidance and an all round PhD sounding board that just ‘gets it’, and super nice too.

The PhD Proof Readers are the most dedicated, thorough and amicable editors I have ever known. I strongly recommend them to PhD students, staff and researcher who wish to give their a polishing touch that makes it flawless and accessible.

I got in contact with PhD proofreaders when I had a lot of concerns about the wrapping up of my PhD and my viva due to multiple challenges I have faced throughout my PhD journey. Chatting to Max and later having the mock-viva with Peter allayed a lot of my concerns and I felt supported throughout. I feel like I have a much better idea about what to expect and how to prepare for my real viva, and I was able to chat through the worries I had with people that really understood my situation. Really grateful to both Max and Peter for the experience.

I receive Friday email that helps me. I saw workshop advertised. Ph.D Proofreader is genuine and from real people who write with an understanding of the experience of being a PhD student. Its business, have to make money, but no American hard sell, bombarding users with bargains, sign ups. I intend to book for viva course

Joining Jeremy's class boosted my confidence in selecting the right journal and avoiding common mistakes for publication.

Dr Max you're definitely one of the best academics and educators out there! The PhD crash course definitely helped with my literature review, a part I have struggled to write. I have not implemented the guidelines of the other lessons yet but I have no hesitation in encouraging you to continue helping young PhD scholars, especially in our day and age when AI apps are taking over everything. Thanks a million.

I loved the attention to detail that PhD Proofreaders provide. They do thorough and very detailed editing. I can confirm that they provide professional editing services at an affordable price! The quick turn around time is another plus. I am satisfied with their service.

I reached out mid-way through writing my PhD because I wanted to ensure I was on the right track and making solid arguments, in the correct structure, before finishing my research and discussion. I found having the literature review and some case studies edited and assessed incredibly helpful, and these learnings will shape how I finish my PhD. Max was very responsive and engaging and made sure all of the elements I wanted to discuss were checked by the editor. The process was smooth and transparent which I appreciated when dealing with personal work. The feedback I got was very constructive. Having this peace of mind at the mid-way point of writing was the motivation I needed to draft up my remaining chapters with guidance and confidence. I will definitely be submitting my remaining chapters for review before final submission.

I am at the point of writing my theoretical framework chapter and was a bit stuck. I saw your workshop being offered and thought I would join. It was informative and helpful. It was good to see the variety of participants from around the world joining the workshop. The 5pm to 6.30pm timeslot in the UK meant it was 6am to 7.30am here in New Zealand which was a manageable time for me.

I enjoyed that you can take this course at your own pace and go back to the lessons when you need them. It was also useful to have the templates and a series of questions related to each lesson to help get the writing going.

I've just finished the PhD Writing Course. Had I done this course earlier, I would have finished writing by now!

More than half the class was spent with the prof asking students what they thought instead of him giving us tips considering that he was the expert on this subject and that we were there to learn from him. Thankfully we get the slides afterwards at least - just going through those would have been a much better use of my time.

You and your excellent professional skills can always cheer me up and bring me more confidence at the last stage of this long matharon.

Without The PhD People, there is no chance I would have submitted my thesis on time. I wouldn't have passed first time, either. My thesis was let down by poor English, so the money I spent was worth every penny. It was a great investment.

Acknowledging the thesis introduction and conclusion are difficult to draft, I was hoping for a less discursive and more structured session. That said, there were some good tips on repetition and viva hooks.

I wanted to write to convey my thanks and appreciation for the proofreading undertaken by yourselves. The fact that you worked in Overleaf was especially helpful and a huge relief. The standard of proofreading was excellent and completed in time. I have finally been awarded my PhD and I could not have overcome the final hurdle without you.

I just want to take the opportunity to thank you for the excellent support that you and your company provided to me in my doctoral process. I subscribed to your services over a year ago at a time when I was facing my lowest point in motivation. Your wonderful guidance, tools and reassurance was just what I needed to see me through. I am happy to say that I received my doctorate this month and couldn’t have done it without your help.

I would like to thank The PhD People for a well edited Ph.D. dissertation. I don’t regret hiring them in the final stage of my writing. Their professional style helped to beautify my paper and make it easy to read without typos - it was a masterpiece. Consequently, I passed my Ph.D. without any corrections. I thank The PhD People for a job well done. Hence, if any doctoral candidate or graduate student wants their work to be professionally edited, I strongly recommend them.

This time last year I enlisted your services and it was the best thing I ever did. I now proudly call myself Doctor. I Graduated in October and I know without your services it would not have been possible. So, thank you, which seems so minimal for the amazing work you and your team do.

Your solidarity with developing countries' PhD students who would never be able to afford other similar services, makes you standout not only as a high quality proofreading services provider but also as an understanding and personal service supplier. This unique approach puts you at the helm of the pack.

Without this personalised assistance, there is no way I would have felt comfortable paying a proofreader. The PhD People couldn’t have done a better job. It was such a relief. The thesis they sent back read so beautifully and I was awarded no corrections.

I found the mock viva of immense value in preparing me for what's ahead in terms of the actual examination. Had a really great discussion with Prof. Smith today. Sincerely appreciated.

 I want thank you for the mock viva service you provided. This was amazing service. Especially as Peter had to read and more than got the gist of my 90,000 word qualitative thesis in an incredibly short space of time in order to make the mock viva meaningful and useful. Peter put me at my ease, asked insightful, relevant questions – including one that really tested my ability to think on the spot, as I needed to work through to get right. I felt that this was a true demonstration of his academic ability to absorb the core parts of my thesis in very little time.  I truly appreciate the kindness which you wished me well and enquired as to how I got on. Thank you. It was having to go through the process, think on my feet, with someone I didn’t know that made it as close to the real thing as it could possibly be.  I am sure this contributed to my being better able to respond coherently on the day, as the process wasn’t new to me and I wasn’t as nervous as I would have been. Peter’s experience in examining PhD students defending their viva was clearly visible.

You exceed my expectations. Not only did you correct the English in my dissertation, you did so while being ever mindful of the variety of subtle differences in language use between academic fields. You were able to expertly navigate between English errors that could just be corrected and English errors that required flagging for clarification and where the most obvious English correction would changed the content of my dissertation. The end result was a PhD dissertation which was not only written in proper English but had much clearer content as well. You were willing to go beyond expectations when editing my PhD dissertation.

I needed extra clarification and support so I reached out to do the 10-lesson course. Each lesson was manageable and far exceeded my expectations. Sometimes one thinks they have a handle on, for example, the literature but further guidance in that lesson was extremely helpful. The added links to resources were a welcomed bonus. Each lesson proved enlightening and clarified what I needed to do, what I have done that was right/wrong, ways to improve each thesis chapter and the added benefit knowing that others faced confusion in the same areas that I do. Overall, an excellent 10 lesson course that is highly recommended.

I found the step by step help very valuable. The sections were clear.

I am approaching my submission date and thought a group setting might break the isolation of write-up and help with focus. I found the day to be leader-led rather than peer-focussed. I would have preferred some break-out options in the break times to have conversations with peers about their experiences etc. I felt like the day was focussed on the timed writing sessions (I know this is the point) but there was no interaction between us other than in the chat box when prompted to write our goals. I know the online format can be tricky but for the price, I expected more. I have attended writing retreats before online where the organisers have offered more tips for structuring the time etc and have offered one-to-one advice. I feel that the price of £30 was inflated for the service provided which is a shame. I enjoy the resources you provide on your website and understand that you need to pay overheads when organising something like this, but for what was provided, it's a lot. I have attended similar sessions, in person, with refreshments provided and they have been free. I felt disappointed at the end of the day. I think, in future, you may wish to consider adjusting the price.

I was really looking forward to the session on theoretical frameworks but right from the outset I'm afraid to say it was a disappointment. The slides were overly wordy, appeared to have no order and be taken from multiple different presentations. Rather than making something complex more easy to understand it just created more confusion due to its lack of structure. I'm sure the presenter has vast experience in her field but unfortunately delivering a presentation was not her forte. She also became easily drawn in and distracted from attendees who 'hijacked' the session for their own purposes which left large periods of time which were irrelevant to the rest of us. I have high opinions of PhD Proofreaders in general but this was a real let down and I regret paying for and wasting my time with this session.

I have been using PhD Proofreaders a lot and overall find it incredibly valuable. So thank you With regard to this particular workshop on Preparing for your Workshop, on reflection I gained more from it than I appreciated during the workshop itself. While it was happening, I felt a bit frustrated by how much time was allocated to going around the group for views on what they look forward to and fear about the Viva. There were probably three or four key points that came out of this, and that happened very early on. Everyone else's contribution was simply repetition and I felt a little dismayed as I watched the minutes ticking by. That aside, Jeremy is very engaging and clearly had a lot to share from a very informed position. Just wish we had gone through the slides as he must have originally planned. I have definitely gained from the workshop, but I also think there was more Jeremy had in mind to share with us and in the end didn't. Back to PhD Proofreaders, I am using your Writing Course, I have participated in a writing workshop, and I have enjoyed the workshops and will continue to do so. I also love the email motivators. Keep up the good work.

I reached out post viva as the exam panel said I needed to hire a professional proofreader. The service was fantastic, so detailed, useful and I could see a big change in the quality of my work. I also really appreciated and loved all the nice comments the proofreading team made about my work in the track changes - It was really encouraging :) It was a super quick service, and the team were very understanding about my changing deadlines too. Would definitely recommend and would use again in the future for academic journal papers for sure (if possible!)

I wanted to make sure that my introduction and conclusion were well detailed and comprehensive enough. After the session I am now clear on what I need to do moving forward. I think your service has improved my confidence that I can do it.

Very thorough, helpful, productive.

Many thanks for recently proofreading my thesis. I found the experience very useful- I was also able to pick up mistakes that I make and patterns of mistakes because of the experience and things pointed out, there were a few things which only human but because of the process I was then able to pick up on. I would 100% recommend any PhD student to have a professional proofreader and your service. It was very useful, thanks.

I’m at the proposal stage of my PhD journey and this workshop was clear practical and informative.

I reached out to you because my viva is around the corner, and it made me feel anxious. Now, I feel at ease knowing what to expect, which has also helped me with my slides. The best thing about it is just knowing that there is someone out there who understands the pressure that comes with a PhD and is willing to offer some help.

Very clear and thorough information on the process and art of publishing written postgrad work, while also very useful for those in the process of defining their interests and approach to building their online academic presence while focusing and directing their research. Highly recommended for anyone still deciding on study topics and possible approaches for potential PhD programmes!

Will do so after I finish. So far, extremely helpful.

Loved the helpful step-by-step instructions and encouragement. Every phase of the PhD process had helpful information on how to tackle in very simple and practical ways.

I was really confused about the viva and how it will go what are the questions that will be asked from the examiner and how long it takes so I was googling this information and I found your website Your work make my journey easier as I was looking for someone I can do rehearsal with and someone will give me a real feedback with no grading so I can feel confident in my real viva That you provide what the PhD candidate needs

Wanted to get pointers regarding the Viva process and how to be successful in doing this. The lecture was useful in this process

I reached out to the service by recommendations from a colleague. Max is very helpful and responded email fast and efficiently. The proofreaders are also great, scrutinised my thesis carefully. A very professional work I have received, thank you.

I struggled with isolation and feeling like I didn't belong anywhere near academia. I still feel like that to an extent, but knowing others relate to this makes all the difference - it normalises the unease! So far, I have successfully avoided presentations but I'm now in my final year and I can't for much longer. The storytelling session was helpful in stripping back to basics, making presenting seem achievable (with practise), and removing the stuffiness that often surrounds presenting and adds to the intimidation. Finally, I met a nice bunch of people.

Icreached out to learn about communicating science!!! Clares workshop was amazing, great techniques and endless positive energy - the best, sering Clare telling storys and getting a clear picture of how thus could work for myself!

Excellent presentation by Clare Murphy who enlightened all of us on the powerful art of seeing and telling professional, academic and personal stories.

Another very good workshop led by Jerry. Writing critically is something that I realise now I haven't fully understood. Not least, that it doesn't just relate to the Lit Review chapter! Thank you.

I get your emails because of your interesting webpage. In a session of an hour and a half I got few but important clues to take into account, not only about the topic of the session. Besides, given that it's a lonely journey sharering simmilar concerns with other PhD students is a bit of a relief. Your expertise is the best about your service. It's clear you know what a PhD entails.

Jeremy led a very useful workshop with his usual easy-going style. I feel more confident about writing my Introduction and Conclusion chapters as a result. Thank you.

Good session with clear indicators. Jeremy is a very likable and able guy -A realist who knows his stuff. This service is needed for the few who undertake doctoral work and often are left alone to solve problems , even with University supervision. thank you . Best regards David

The session was exceptionally useful in uderstanding the structure and purpose of two key parts of a thesis - the introduction and conclusion. Professor Wellington is very warm and attentive to the needs of participants. I recommend these sessions highly.

Prepping for your Viva workshop, was very useful. Although that my Viva is more than a year away, and my university will have a workshop about it, I decided it would be useful to have an early look at what is required. It was a very useful session, interactive, and helpful. Good to hear from others on the same journey, and from an experienced examiner sharing their knowledge, hints and tips. Thanks!

I reached out because I am not getting much support from my supervisor and I felt I needed help. I am now ready to begin writing up my literature review and theoretical framework. The best thing about yesterday’s class is that I felt like I’m not alone in my doubts. The session cleared up some of my doubts and was very useful. I now know how to incorporate the theory and concepts I need for my project

Wanted someone to quickly read proof-read a chapter I was working on. Great and fast service! I am very happy. It sure saves me time, and I can focus more on actually writing. -Emma

The webinar helped to reassure me that I was on the right track, it gave me some super helpful information, guidance and it was useful to hear that many of my concerns were echoed with others

I reached to get a better general understanding of how writing a thesis works and to get maximum charity for my own theory chapter! After the workshop I feel like 1000% ready to deliver!!! The best thing? - Gina does not only know what shes doing but also how to communicate it in the most effective way!!!

I receive your newsletter, I writing my thesis, and the topic-- Writing for Publication-- peaked my interest. It was excellent: the slides and explanations were clear. I really appreciate the video link and slides which allow me to continue to revert to the session. Thank you!

I reached out to your service for help with proofreading my thesis chapters. Your assistance has significantly impacted my PhD journey by providing tremendous support, reliability, attention to detail, and pastoral care. The best aspect of the service you offer is your deep understanding of PhD-level sources, the challenging nature of academic work, and the combined academic and moral support you provided, which has been immensely beneficial to me. The Friday pep talk from Max has been a tremendous strength, and I look forward to reading it every Friday.

PhD Writing retreats are amazingly supportive because they encourage a structure in my writing habits. They also facilitate setting up of mini-goals, with excellent follow-through suggestions.

I reached out to you to proofread my thesis. I was very happy with the reliable service you provided and knowing that someone will diligently read through everything really had a positive impact on my peace of mind. What stood out about your service was probably the responsiveness, flexibility and reliability.

I came across The PhD People when looking to find the support I didn't feel I was getting from my supervisors and to fill some gaps in the support from my institution. Unlike many companies offering this kind of service the professionals offering advice via The PhD People are seasoned academics with EXTENSIVE experience, which I find incredibly valuable (and not just because my supervisors are relatively less experienced). I love the fact that there are 1:1 options, as well as more input driven workshop options, all with a fair and transparent pricing. And the academics I've encountered are very positive and encourage you to enjoy the PhD experience! Thank you!

A very concise and insight full course which provided the main points that all PhD students want to hear to help focus their studies.

I'm finding thesis writing quite a gruelling process. Workshops like these offer a useful opportunity to reflect on how best to make sense of this huge task in a supportive and non-judgemental space.

I am currently doing a PhD and am at write up stage. I wanted to make sure the way I write my literature review is in line with the required structure and being more precise within my overall writing is important for me.

After years of receiving updates via a newsletter from PhD Proofreaders and reaching the final stages of my own PhD, I finally enlisted their services. Exhausted from constantly reviewing my own thesis, I needed expert assistance with formatting and a comprehensive proofread. The process was straightforward, and the outcome was exceptional. Thanks to their support, I'm on track for a timely submission. I highly recommend their services for anyone in need of thorough and professional academic proofreading

The part where he mentioned how we should go about each topic is the best part for me. For example, write maybe half a page, or that topic shouldn't exceed 5,000 words. I think it's beneficial to make it concrete like that.

Very nice encounter with a diverse group. Well directed by Jeremy with some great nuggets. The conclusions section will definitely improve my paper writing as well as helping with the thesis itself.

Wanted some suggestions for structuring chapters. I found this course very helpful.

I really needed the support and connection with a community and this service gave that to me. I don’t feel alone in doing the PhD anymore.

I attended the preparing for a VIVA seminar and it was extremely useful and reassuring. Peter was really engaging and encouraging.

I am very happy with the support given by PhD Proofreaders at very short notice. They journal paper I sent was turned around quickly, with important omissions and errors spotted and further suggestions for improving language. I look forward to work with them again soon and would warmly recommend them!

I really wanted to thank you for all your help and support over the past year. I am finishing this year feeling much more confident about my PhD. When I initially reached out for coaching in early 2023, I was so anxious about my PhD and had significant doubts about my ability to progress. However, the coaching have helped me feel much less alone, and given me the confidence that I can succeed. 

It's great, it is worth each of your penny. The admin is very responsive, helpful, and friendly.

Max made sure he knew exactly what I wanted and made sure I felt comfortable with and understood the service. Anthony's service was thorough, and useful. Glad I sent my first chapter in early to get my feet wet and now have sent further drafts. It's important to me to have an extra set of eyes even though I have an excellent supervisor; she can focus on content. Will continue to use Max's (and Anthony) for the next three years I'm sure.

I think the Masterclass was not so helpful and I got the idea that I am not the only one. Firstly, I would like to point out that, although the speaker is very knowledgeable on the topic she was kind of all over the place, wanting to address many topics at once which made hard to follow-up. Next, I think the use of the chat was not appropriate, I could detect that a lot of participants were searching for a guide or a roadmap to clarify how to start and develop a Theoretic Framework and what we got was some type of philosophical summary about the topic. My suggestions: You could categorize the audience into HASS, Health Sciences, Engineering, etc. because although the Theoretical Framework is required in all types of PhD, the approach that each type of academia has is different and sometimes (like in engineering) it is not as philosophical as in Social Sciences for example. Next to this, I would limit the participants per session, in this Masterclass the amount of people was an issue, we were a lot of people with a lot of questions from different backgrounds and I feel not everyone got what they were searching. Be mindful of people's money since the cost of the Masterclass, at least for me, was the equivalent to groceries for a week and I bought it on discount!. Also, I would recommend to have someone help the presenter with the interactions with the audience if/when the presenter is not as skilled on managing the tech aspect of the whole presentation. Talking about the presentation, this speaker could've made an effort with the slides because they were VERY heavy on text and seemingly from another workshop. We, as PhD students, often hear that you'll loose audience's attention with too much text and it is ironic that an established researcher is doing it and expecting us not to drive away in our minds. All in all this workshop was not as useful as i thought. I'd rather use the free resources on the PHD Proofreaders webpage and watch videos on YT.

I am struggling with the Literature review chapter. Chanced upon your site. Lessons are a good start. Advice is great. The templates are useful. Thank you.

Hello. I am a Certified English Language Teacher and I have been teaching in Secondary schools since 2008. I am reaching to you from Burkina Faso (West Africa) for two reasons. The first is that I was able to successfully complete my PhD in three years, not more. The second is that I am happy to be referred to as Dr. PhD Proofreaders impacted my journey in many different ways. Through the motivational emails I received every week and through the very clear and easy-to-use templates, I was able to complete the writing in time before the dissertation went for evaluation. I registered in late November 2020 for the PhD Programme at Université Joseph KI-ZERBO here in Burkina Faso and got permission to start writing the dissertation in July 2021. I am now Doctor in Applied Linguistics. Many thanks for your invaluable guidance. Keep on with your good work. Lallé Michaël ZOUBA, PhD

Just started a PhD and literally had no idea where to start, what and how to do it. You have provided me with some vital tools to start this exciting and terrifying journey. I like that I can come back to it whenever I need over the course of the next 5 years (part time). Thank you for the incredible effort that has gone to make this programme of work sharing your knowledge and understanding on the subject to help others on their journeys.

Max et al have had a very positive impact on my Masters+PhD journey between 2018 and 2023, helping me make sense of it both at an academic and emotional level. I used several free and paid resources throughout, and each one of them made a difference to the journey. I loved the metaphysical weekly aspirins too, which always helped me re-contextualize my unique positions as a PhDer. Thanks Max, keep it up!

The application of theories in my research story had been vexing me for some time. This intervention unlocked the mystery in a very effective and digestible way such that the light bulb came on. You provide a valuable service in terms of your writing guides and cheat sheets but also in reinforcing that we are a community with common challenges and uncertainties and that no-one should feel lonely.

Phd Proofreaders have fantastic, knowledgeable speakers. Last night, Gina Wisker was brilliant. The best thing about your service is that the lectures are affordable to attend, online and source amazing speakers. Last night, I think some of us would have liked to have a follow-up session with Gina. For instance, we attend her online lecture and then a week later, when we have had a chance to absorb her wise words and implement them into our work, we attend a follow-up with a Q&A session as there is never enough time in the initial lecture. It is so useful listening to her advice, but also to hear the other attendees' opinions and struggles and let the attendees share advice amongst each other too.

I attended the 'Developing Your PhD Theory Framework' to help me understand exactly what was meant by concepts and theory and how concepts, theory and the thesis engage with each other. Although I took the information I needed away from the session, I felt the session could have been presented in a more coherent structure - the topics jumped around, which was distracting and (at times) confusing. It also felt there was a great deal of repetition. This could have been resolved using more visuals within the presentation - for example, a funnel with concepts at the wide and theory at the narrow end. As the presnter built on the use of concepts and theory, this visual could be built upon. Likewise, one case study could be used, rather than changing between case studies. And student difficulties/challenges could have been presented first and 'unpacked' during the presentation. In summary, although I received the information I needed from the session (and I won't hesitate to attend future sessions), the learnings could have been achieved in less presentation time, more discussion/thinking time, and with a more structured, coherent approach.

I thoroughly enjoyed the session, I find that as a PhD student there is the expectation that you will produce a lot of written work both for your thesis and for publication but little input on *how* to write. The methods shared were really interesting and gave me food for thought

I loved the session on preparing for the PhD viva. I actually felt my fear going away and getting replaced with excitement. Dr. Wellington helped me see the viva in a new light. I'd recommend this very interactive seminar to all PhD candidates.

Highlighted by real-life examples, these workshops take you on a detailed, step-by-step journey through the PhD process. As a part-time, year 6, Doctoral Researcher I attended the 3-part 'Planning Your Thesis' Masterclass before embarking on the final leg of my PhD. This has proven a useful reminder of the PhD process detail I've learned and forgotten along the way. The knowledge and experience imparted by the workshop lead, Peter, is worth a thousand times more than the cost of the sessions. I’d highly recommend these workshops to Doctoral Researchers at any stage of their journey.

There is no way to 'see' an example of a viva so it's something of a dark secret. It was really helpful to have someone demystify the process. In particular it was extremely useful to get the examiner's perspective on the purpose of the viva and the metrics that should be applied. I feel much better prepared for the viva and will benefit from this knowledge as I compile my thesis too. It's the second workshop I've attended. They've both been great but have struggled to fit the content to the time. An extra 30 minutes would have been appreciated.

I attended the PhD Viva workshop led by Prof. Jeremy, and it was a highly productive class. The workshop was well-structured, with a set of clear points to keep in mind when preparing for the big day. I would highly recommend this session to anyone who wants to understand the purpose of the viva, why it is an essential part of your PhD journey, and how to prepare for it

A very thorough and comprehensive overview and step-by-step presentation of the PhD process. Also I appreciated the resources highlighted and detailed examples provided.

Thank you so much for an excellent presentation by Prof. Jerry Wellington on Introductions, Abstracts and Conclusions - immensely helpful! I 'reached out' because I am currently drafting my thesis and floundering a bit in too many words/lack of conciseness and SIGNPOSTING failure! Structure is a major challenge in terms of cohesion, obviously, but also, re economy. This session's guidance on word length, content and functions of sections at the top and bottom of a thesis, helped me greatly with understanding the role and nature of signposting, and the importance of making explicit what the contribution of the thesis is. This will really help me organise, place and direct my writing. Thank you, again. The best thing about your service is how encouraging and supportive you are. The whole interface with us is so 'human' and so honest about this rather daunting undertaking ... So glad I found you!

I found the session very valuable. This session gave me new tips and understanding (and confirmations) of how these two pillars support the core chapters. Prof Wellington's expertise and openness was elegant and his guidance was compelling.

I couldn't have done it without Professor Smith. Working with him on the mock viva was fantastic - he was kind, supportive and he really helped build my confidence. In particular, he helped me to speak clearly about my research and my contribution to my discipline. After the practice oral, I read the key research of my examiners and then spoke about how my research linked to their research, which made them really happy!

I got in touch with the PhD Proofreaders for a Mock Viva, as I was not sure whether my supervisors and I would manage to do one because of time issues. Peter replied really fast and suggested a date - the procedure was very easy going. I sent my thesis and about ten days later we had the Mock Viva. I really enjoyed talking about my thesis, and found the questions Peter asked really helpful. They were broad and detailed questions, which made me think again and see things from another perspective. Thank you for having such a uncomplicated and easy-going service, which is on point and gives a very good sense of what to expect in the real-world viva! Thank you for the support and feedback Peter, you are doing very great work!

Very keen to get this expert guidance regarding working on PhD framework. It was inspiring to hear from the very global group who gathered for this genuinely supportive Zoom mtg. The ‘review information’ sent after is great!

Thanks so much for the mock-viva. Professor Peter Smith is an absolute gem, and I still cannot figure out how he primed the confidence of a shy nerd like me to exhaust 2 strict viva examiners, one of whom was so aggressive he raised the eyebrows of the chair-lady many times, and he was unhappy about giving me any break 😊 The other examiner had to take headache medication during to get through the whole 3-hour exam (she finished her questions after the first hour). This would normally prompt me to run for the hills, but I remembered Professor Smith’s words that I knew more about what I had done than any examiner could and did surprise myself – for one time in my life when it mattered most, I was unflappable. They complimented me on my “preparation”, but Professor Smith was my real guide. It left me with a successful viva and a great story over a pint with my supervisors in the pub afterwards.

The PhD Proofreaders is such an excellent resource for anyone working towards a PhD. I enjoy the newsletters, have attended a few workshops over the years and I also did a mock viva with Professor Peter Smith which I found really useful.