Quality Criteria

Thesis
-- Main.JohanJeuring - 06 Sep 2002

Here is a list of criteria we use to determine the grade of your 
Master's thesis. 

<ul>
<li> Research question.
Is the research question relevant? Has the proposed research been done before? 
Is it doable? Has it been formulated in such a way that useful research is possible? 
Is it clear how the research question and the proposed research are related?
<li> Previous work.
Research is always done in a context. What has been done before? How can you
use it? What background is necessary for the research? What theories are used?
Is it clear that you have found the relevant literature?
<li> Contribution.
A Master's thesis should contribute to science: it should investigate something
that hasn't been investigated before, or not in the same way. What is the 
contribution of your thesis?
<li> Analysis.
Have you analysed the research question properly and carefully? How deep
did you dive into the subject? Do you apply the techniques appropriately
and carefully? If important aspects are omitted, do you justify this? Do you 
distinguish between fact and opinion?
<li> Critical attitude.
Which choices do you make? What is the quality of the decisions
you take? Do you give good arguments for your choices? Do you follow
the traditions in the field? Do you ask yourself `Why?' sufficiently often?
A careful analysis why research question and the research plan fit
together well is necesary.
<li> Reflection.
Reflect on what you do, how you do it, why you do it, and how you write
something about it. Reflect on everything you do! Which results are
interesting? Do you think more research should be spend on one
of the results in your work?
<li> Literature.
Where does you show that you can find relevant material
to obtain a result, or to speed up the research? Does you use
literature or material different from what has been suggested by your
supervisor? Did literature research lead to new insights? Do you explain
these insights properly in the thesis?
<li> Synthesis.
Did the student find a good solution for the research question? Is the
reasoning correect? Are the conclusions worth the effort of the research?
<li> Abstraction.
Does the student abstract from the problem? Is there a generic solution
which can be translated or instantiated to practical situations?
<li> Relevance.
Does someone have an interest in, or would someone benefit from the research?
Does the thesis make clear that the results are of any help? 
<li> Integration.
Are practice and theory integrated?
<li> Justification. Is it possible to read the thesis on itself? Does the thesis contain
a justification of the research plan, and the actual research that has been done?
</ul>