Research: Thesis Guide

Thesis Evaluation

The Review Process
The Biology Undergraduate Committee faculty represents the breadth of biology in that its members come from the Departments of Molecular & Cellular Biology and Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, and from the Harvard Medical School. One reason that the committee is so large is to have a diversity of opinions and another is to have broad expertise covering many areas of Biology. Many of the committee members have served in previous years, and so there is continuity in terms of consistency of evaluations from year to year. All thesis readers are asked to provide narrative evaluations. The Committee's job is to review the narrative reports from all the readers, and based on these narratives, to assign the thesis grade (No Credit, Creditable, Praiseworthy, Excellent, Exceptional). Note:The thesis is primarily evaluated as a written work. Students receive credit for their laboratory performance in their grades for Biology 99r.

The Thesis Grades: What They Mean

EXCEPTIONAL: This grade is reserved for truly outstanding theses. Mastery of difficult techniques is not in and of itself an adequate criterion for earning the Exceptional distinction; nor is the judgment that a particular thesis is publishable.

EXCELLENT: This grade distinguishes well-written theses that report scientific research of very high quality. The thesis should be without serious flaw in both the design and the execution of the project. Theses of this quality are often publishable.

PRAISEWORTHY: This mark distinguishes clearly-written theses which reflect a very good effort. The result obtained may be publishable. Most theses are expected to fall into this category.

CREDITABLE: This mark acknowledges that a serious effort was made to test a good hypothesis. The rationale, methods, and results should be clearly described.

NO CREDIT: This grade is reserved for theses that do not meet the standards expected of a Biology undergraduate thesis, either in the writing of the thesis or in the quantity and quality of research undertaken for the thesis. You do not have to submit a thesis in the Biology concentration and "No Credit" is equivalent in determination of honors etc. to no thesis. If you are concerned that you may fall into this category you should seek the advice of your academic advisor or the Head Tutor as to whether you should submit a thesis.

Thesis Statistics

A statistical record of all theses submitted beginning with the class of 2006 is available online: click here.

updated 11/21/07