Skip to main content

Research progress reports

Student research progress is evaluated at the end of each semester for every student in programs with a thesis, project or major paper, starting when the student is engaged in their research. The student’s research supervisory committee is responsible for evaluating their research progress in relation to the student’s overall research plan. Students may receive an evaluation of:

  • Satisfactory Research Progress: The student is developing their research adequately relative to the stage in their research program. There may be minor problems with progress in an overall evaluation of satisfactory progress.
  • Difficulties with Research Progress: The student has some important issue or issues that need to be addressed in order to attain reasonable progress relative to the stage in the student’s research program.
  • Unsatisfactory Research Progress: The student has some fundamental problem or problems with their research progress relative to the stage in the student’s research program.

Normally, students who are not progressing well will be given an evaluation of Difficulties with Research Progress as their first indication of serious lack of progress. Students with an evaluation of Difficulties with Research Progress must subsequently receive a satisfactory evaluation on their next research progress report in order to remain in clear standing.

Students with an evaluation of Difficulties with Research Progress who do not achieve a satisfactory evaluation on their next research progress report will receive an Unsatisfactory Research Progress evaluation. Clear and significant cases of lack of research progress may result in an Unsatisfactory Research Progress evaluation without first receiving an evaluation of Difficulties with Research Progress.

Students who receive an Unsatisfactory Research Progress evaluation will be assigned probationary status and remain on probation until such time as they successfully achieve a satisfactory evaluation on their research progress report. A student who receives a second Unsatisfactory Research Progress evaluation shall be dismissed.

It is the student’s responsibility to complete and submit a research progress report each semester during their research program. Failure to submit the report does not exempt the student from potential academic consequences, including evaluations of progress or academic standing.

Instructions for completing the research progress report will be emailed to students in research-based programs near the end of every term. If you have not received the email or have questions, please contact gradthesis@ontariotechu.ca.