Dare I say it but I have reached that point where I have had to shortlist potential externals (where did the time go?)
I have 4 potentials but I don't know what are the 'best' reasons for selecting one over the others.
I have only met one of the four (does that matter?)
Two are men two are women (does gender make a difference are women more bitchy to women or men harder to men?)
Two I am actually quoting their work in my thesis (is that a recipe for disaster)

I don't know what makes for a good external examiner??????
Any ideas???

My supervisors have told me in the past that it's a good idea to choose an external who either myself or the supervisors have met before - if you appoint someone you've never met then you really are in the dark about their personality and it adds an unnecessary risk to the viva.

Opinion seems to be divided over whether you should go for the 'biggest ' name possible or for the most relevant person. My husband's supervisor (humanities subject) told him to pick a famous name because people will judge your thesis by who the examiner is, and you can ask the examiner for a supportive quotation to go on the back of your first book! In my subject (social sciences) I've never really heard people say that though.

As for quoting their work, I think you need to make a judgement as to why you have not quoted it, if you choose one of those examiners. Is it because it's irrelevant, because you were too lazy/fatigued to get any more books out of the library, because similar arguments had been made by someone else and you used their work instead? I can't imagine an examiner would pull you up in a viva for not quoting their work unless they were a total egotist!

Do you have to pick your examiners - surely your supervisors do this - not you?
I have quoted both my examiners work in the thesis (before knowing that they would be involved) because their work is relevant to my thinking. It's because of this, my supervisors chose them.

I would say go for the an examiner that your supervisors know personally and/or have a good record of passing students, i.e., don't go for someone they haven't used before, or are unaware how they'll perform in the exam. This is definitely the biggest recipe for disaster.

Go for the most senior examiner (they will be in the room to examine you, and not to perform or look clever in front of the internal examiner). They are likely to be a little more forgiving (I was told this in a viva course).

I'll lose my feminist membership for saying this but....choose a man. In my limited experience, I find women are more inclined to rip into someone (based on academic interviews and upgrades I've witnessed). Obviously, this is a personal preference, and one can't generalise. May be I've just been unfortunate enough to meet more than my fair share of not-so-nice women.

Quoting an examiner in your thesis is not a big issue as long as you know their work and you haven't criticised it.

Don't pick an examiner who is from a much higher or much lower ranked university than your own. Some academics have snobbery or inverted snobbery issues, and you don't want that to be a factor when they judge your work.

You should be guided heavily by your supervisors opinions, because they ultimately want you to pass, and will hopefully be directing you towards the best examiners for that eventuality.

I chose my examiners based on their knowledge of my area and since I used a qualitative methodology, I chose somehow who has a qualitative bias. Nevertheless, I have NEVER met any of them!! And that has me VERY worried.

Aloha - have you received your viva date?

My supervisor was about to nudge my external examiner and I suggested to him that he confirmed with the department that the thesis was sent off. Lo and behold - it was not. Why? The person who should sign off the external examiner request sheet - has not done so - WEEKS after. It is still sitting in his in-tray.

I am pissed can you tell? My supervisor has asked that the Department ensures the thesis is sent off before December - so I am thinking it wont be read until end of January - which probably leaves me with February!! It seems so far away to me right now. I just want to DO IT!

Thanks for the feedback chaps, am still procrastinating. Hva emade some enquiries and now know one is very busy, also angling at a conference where one other is a speaker. Can't help but feeeling this is such an important decision!!!
ahhhhh the indecision!!!!!