2.1.5 Criteria of Good Research

1. Purpose clearly defined — the problem and its boundaries are sharply stated. 2. Research design carefully planned — sources and methods chosen to fit the problem, not convenience. 3. Full procedural detail — the reader can see, and reproduce, how findings were reached. 4. Sufficient and reliable data — representative sources; adequate sample. 5. Honest analysis — data are analysed with appropriate techniques; unwelcome results are not suppressed. 6. Objectivity — conclusions flow from evidence, not from the researcher's preference. 7. Limitations frankly stated — a good researcher admits what the study cannot claim. 8. Logical, unambiguous conclusions — expressed in the language of the findings. 9. Ethical standards — no plagiarism, no fabricated data, no distortion of sources; credit is given wherever due. 10. Proper citation — every borrowed idea is traceable to its source.