This section began with the question of whether the dissertation is an apprentice or an expert product. It seems that the answer to this question is that for many students it is both. Before attempting our own criteria of what makes a dissertation acceptable, it might be informative to see what others have said. Research was guided by some explicit theoretical or conceptual framework. Research was relevant to theory and could contribute to theory development.
Research has practical relevance within the research setting.
It could have helped change or improve something in that setting. Research has practical relevance beyond the research setting. Something could have been learned that might inform practice in another setting. That is, dissertations which are comparable in quality to studies currently being published in the field are considered adequate. The most obvious application of this principle is that if a dissertation is published in a reputable journal in the student's field of study, the dissertation is acceptable, by definition.