This document discusses criteria for evaluating research papers and establishing thesis or dissertation criteria. It outlines three key criteria: quality, relevance, and leadership. Quality reviews emphasize objectivity and expertise of reviewers. Relevance examines whether the research addresses important topics and is useful. Leadership assesses whether the research is at the forefront of knowledge internationally. Additional criteria covered include clear focus, thorough research, logical organization and reasoning, proper documentation, and strong writing mechanics. The document concludes by discussing using rubrics to systematically evaluate research papers based on predetermined criteria.

1. ESTABLISHING
THESIS/DISSERTATION
PAPER CRITERIA
MODULE 5
By: Jocelyn M. Gallegos

2. •Any research process is complex and has
many feedback loops.
•The knowledge “output” of basic research
might--- often after years or even decades
find utility as a practical “outcome”.

3. • Examples:
• Louis Pasteur’s most fundamental understanding
about microbiology grew out of practical attempts to
control spoilage in beer and wine.
• In contrast, a knowledge-seeking study in basic
research can lead to a discovery of great practical
value.
• The atomic phenomenon of stimulated emission
identified by Einstein in 1917 led eventually to the
laser light that carries our e-mail today along
fiberoptic lines.*
• *Beyond Discovery: The Path from Research to Human Benefit.
www.nationalacademies.org/beyongdiscovery.

4. CLOSEPUP’s EVALUATION
CRITERIA
• The Committee on Science, Engineering,
and Public Policy of the United States
proposed three evaluation criteria for expert
research review process:
• QUALITY
• RELEVANCE
• LEADERSHIP

5. QUALITY
• The sine qua non of quality review is
objectivity.
• Panels are experts.
• Tradition of honesty.

6. RELEVANCE
• Does the research address subjects in which
new understanding could be important in
fulfilling a purpose or goal?
• Is the research useful for user groups?
• Will the research contribute to new
knowledge?

7. LEADERSHIP
• It is considered to be a potentially effective
criterion to test whether research is being
performed at the forefront of scientific and
technologic knowledge on an international
level.

8. Other criteria
• A. Clear Focus
• Is the topic clear?
• It is relevant to the course/program?
• Is it clearly introduced at the beginning of the
paper?
• Are the body of the paper and its conclusion
clearly related to the topic?

9. • B. Research
• Does the paper contain enough information to back
up the ideas?
• Are there enough sources of information?
• Are the sources reliable?
• Are they recent?
• Are they varied and balanced, especially on
controversial issues?
• When appropriate, were different types of sources
used, such as books, journals, newspapers,
interviews, or the Internet?

10. • C. Reasoning and Organization
• Are the key concepts defined and presented in a clear
way?
• Does the argument follow a logical outline?
• Are the parts of the paper coherent?
• Are they logically connected?
• Are the information presented clearly?
• When appropriate, was there use of statistics, tables
and/or graphs?
• Are quotes used only when necessary?
• When quoted exactly, word for word, are quotations
used to introduce and cite source?

11. D. Documentation
• Is the information documented in the body of
the paper?
• Are sources cited in the ___ Style?
• Are they in the right places?
• Does "Works Cited" page list ALL the works
cited in the paper, and no others?
• Are they cited correctly?

12. E. Writing Mechanics
• Is the paper free of grammatical, spelling, and
typing errors?
• Are sentences short, clear, and free of
unnecessary jargon?

13. MODULE 6
DESIGNING RUBRICS FOR
RESEARCH EVALUATION
• A research paper rubric is a systematically
constructed scoring table that will allow
effective evaluation of a research paper.
• It is a list of equivalent points to be applied to
certain research paper features and
characteristics.

14. PROPERTIES OF RESEARCH
PAPER USING RUBRICS
• 1. The feasibility and significance of the topic.
• 2. The strength of the thesis/dissertation
statement.
• 3. The structure of the research paper whether
it is complete in parts and chapters.
• 4. The format used for the layout and how the
paragraphs were arranged.
• 5. The citation style used.

15. • 6. The coherence of the discussion
parameters.
• 7. The technical specifications of the paper
whether the instructions were followed.
• 8. The absence of proofreading errors.
• 9. The overall appeal of the research paper
contents.

16. • 10. Originality and significance
– New or original ideas
– Overall contribution and significance
– Whether made assumptions are realistic.

17. End of Module 6