Assessment Form for a Research Project, Thesis Project or Internship

Graduate School of Natural Sciences

Use of this form is mandatory for all large research projects, notably final thesis work (“afstuderen”). It must be filled out by the project supervisor and sent to the student desk (OSZ),Buys Ballot Building room 184b.

Student
First and last name
Student number
Telephone
Email address
Name of master’s programme
Research Project
Project title
Number of ECTS
Grades
Grade for final presentation
Grade for written thesis[1]
Final grade
(this grade will be recorded in OSIRIS and included in the student’s grade list)
Examiner signatures
Project supervisor / first examinername (must be a Utrecht University staff member), signature, and date
Second examinername (must be a Utrecht University staff member), signature, and date
Experts
If internal or external experts have been consulted, please note them here
Name and title
Affiliation
Email address
Name and title
Affiliation
Email address
Assessment
A / Research proposal
Context / N/A / —— / — / —/+ / + / ++
Goal / N/A / —— / — / —/+ / + / ++
Approach / N/A / —— / — / —/+ / + / ++
B / Results of the research
Theoreticalframework / N/A / —— / — / —/+ / + / ++
Scientificquality / N/A / —— / — / —/+ / + / ++
Results / N/A / —— / — / —/+ / + / ++
Scientificpaper / N/A / —— / — / —/+ / + / ++
C / Presentation of the results
Argument / N/A / —— / — / —/+ / + / ++
Writing / N/A / —— / — / —/+ / + / ++
Layout / N/A / —— / — / —/+ / + / ++
Presentation / N/A / —— / — / —/+ / + / ++
D / Attitude and motivation of the student
Analyticalcapabilities / N/A / —— / — / —/+ / + / ++
Attitude / N/A / —— / — / —/+ / + / ++
Research process / N/A / —— / — / —/+ / + / ++
Collaboration / N/A / —— / — / —/+ / + / ++
E / Overall Evaluation
Criteria description
A / Research proposal
Context / The motivation to study the centralsubject includes a description of whichknowledge domain it applies to, omissionsin existing literature, theoretical startingpoints, assumptions, and explanation ofscientific and societal relevance.
Goal / The research proposal provides a cleardescription of the research goal, researchquestion(s), and main deliverable(s). Thegoal is also an indicator of the ambitionlevel and scope of the thesis project.
Approach / The proposal includes a description of themain theories, the theoretical framework(concepts and variables), and the researchmethods that are applied to study thesubject. In addition, there will be a projectoutline with tasks, dates and deliverables.
B / Results of the research
Theoreticalframework / The thesis provides a clear overview of(international) literature stating thecurrent situation (‘state-of-the-art’) withrespect to relevant theories andtheoretical concepts (and theirinterrelation) in the research field.
Scientificquality / A research method is selected that fits thedefined theoretical framework and resultsin answering the research questions.Moreover, the research method isverifiable, valid and reliable.
Results / The thesis provides a coherent,understandable, and correct overview ofresults including a reflection on theresults. The formulated research questionsare answered clearly and systematically,based on rigorous analysis and not onspeculations.
Scientificpaper / The student is able to contribute to thescientific body of knowledge. One or morescientific papers are or will be writtenbased on the thesis.
C / Presentation of the results
Argument / The thesis is original, objective,conscientious and understandable. Thethesis provides the reader with a coherentinsight into the defined researchquestions, choices and results, anddiscussion.
Writing / The thesis is readable and uses adequatelanguage to address both scientific andpractical issues. In addition, the rules ofstyle, grammar and spelling are appliedappropriately.
Layout / The thesis is appropriately bound, andattention has been paid to a cover. Theformat of the entire document is APAstyle. The document contains a thoughtfulforeword, contents page, lists and
bibliographic references in addition to thecontents itself.
Presentation / In oral presentations the student is able toprovide a broad audience with a clear andinteresting overview of the research.
D / Attitude and motivation of the student
Analyticalcapabilities / The student is aware of the relevantmethodological and practical criteria, whythey are important and when they aremet. The student shows insight in thestrong and weak points of the currentresearch and practice, and searches forcreative solutions to contribute toomissions in these fields.
Attitude / The student participates actively inmeetings and reworks the thesis usingfeedback of the supervisor(s). Thestudent works hard, precisely,independently and is eager to learn.
Research process / The student adheres to the research planbut is also prepared to change or adaptthe plan if necessary. The student handsin material on time, and keepsappointments. The student is able toreflect on the used theories and results.
Collaboration / The student is able to comply with thedemands from the university as well asthe organization in which the research wasconducted. The student has the socialcapabilities to bring different interests
together, while managing the thesisproject successfully.
Publication
All theses must be uploaded to and stored in the IGITUR archive by the student. By default, theses are made available on-line to the general public. In exceptional cases, theses can be (1) published under embargo, i.e. become public only after a certain date, or (2) non-open access, i.e. not accessible to the general public anytime. Please use the options below only when absolutely necessary!
 The thesis is withheld from publication (embargo) until ………………………………… (date), because …
 The thesis will not be published (no open access), because …

Grades
Grades are assigned on a scale of 1 to 10, the lowest passing grade being 6. Unit grades must be assigned below 6, and halves are allowed from 6.5 and upwards. A coarse guideline to the meaning of the individual grades is:
10outstanding
9excellent, publishable in acclaimed peer-reviewed journals
8good, possibly publishable
7very satisfactory, average
6satisfactory, meets minimum standards
5 and belowunsatisfactory

For a student to be eligible for a cum laude diploma, the minimum final thesis grade must be 8.5.

[1]Please note that it is not necessary that the final grade can be directly computed from the final presentation and written thesis grades. (The relation between assessment criteria, partial grades and final grade should be made clear in the assessment section of this form.) The final presentation and written thesis grades must be included here because, for accreditation purposes, they must always be available separately.