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INSTITUTE for INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES

MASTER’S FORENSIC SCIENCE

Literature Thesis Forensic Science

Study guide and Protocol 2017-2018

Contents 1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1

1.1 General information ...................................................................................................................... 1

1.2 Content of the Course .................................................................................................................... 1

1.3 Learning outcomes ........................................................................................................................ 1

1.4 Format ...................................................................................................................................... 1

2. Supervision, topic selection and approval procedure ........................................................................ 2

2.1 Supervisor, co-assessor and coordinator .............................................................................................. 2

2.2 Topic selection .............................................................................................................................. 2

2.3 Approval procedure ....................................................................................................................... 3

2.4 Outline and planning .................................................................................................................... 4

3. Assessment ...................................................................................................................................... 4

3.1 Component 1, Report .................................................................................................................... 4

3.2 Component 2, Presentation Colloquium ............................................................................................ 5

3.3 Component 3, Presentation Mini-symposium ..................................................................................... 6

3.4 The calculation of the final grade...................................................................................................... 6

3.5 Table of specification ..................................................................................................................... 6

4. Fraud and Plagiarism ........................................................................................................................ 7

5. Schedule and deadlines ..................................................................................................................... 7

6. Contact information ......................................................................................................................... 7

7. Overview of thesis process and student responsibilities .................................................................... 8

Appendix 1: Exit qualifications of the master ........................................................................................... 9

Appendix 2: Information for Supervisors & Co-assessors ...................................................................... 10

Appendix 3: Assessment form Literature Thesis Report ......................................................................... 12

Appendix 4: Assessment form Colloquium ............................................................................................ 15

Appendix 5: Assessment form Mini-symposium ..................................................................................... 17

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1. Introduction

1.1 General information Programme: Master’s Forensic Science Course: Literature Thesis Forensic Science Course Code: 5274LTFS5Y Coordinator: Prof. A.C. (Arian) van Asten (assisted by Dr Y. (Yorike) Hartman) Period: Semester 1, period 1 and 2 Study year: 2017-2018 Credits: 5 EC

1.2 Content of the Course In this course the student has to write a literature thesis. The student will obtain in-depth knowledge on a specific forensic topic by studying and analysing state-of-the-art scientific literature. Writing the literature thesis is an assignment in which the student has to work independently, he/she has to choose a topic, make their own time planning, formulate a research question, find and select the relevant scientific literature and write a critical review thereof. The student is also expected to provide his/her own opinion on the topic, to point out possible shortcomings of the existing knowledge and to suggest how new research could provide new insights in the future. The results of the thesis have to be presented during a colloquium and all students will present a short overview during a mini-symposium. Enrolment for the Literature Thesis via ‘SIS’ is compulsory. Students have access to the Literature Thesis Blackboard site, on which they can find the Study guide, forms and the Turnitin-tool for uploading the thesis.

1.3 Learning outcomes At the end of the course the student is able to:

1. gather in-depth knowledge of a specific, forensic relevant subject; 2. formulate a research question; 3. find and select relevant literature from scientific journals; 4. critically read, evaluate and review the selected literature; 5. develop an own perspective on the literature; 6. make a planning independently, and to realise the self-set deadlines; 7. write a consistent, well-structured scientific thesis in English; 8. present the results of the literature thesis orally to a scientific audience; 9. summarise the research and present it orally to a broad audience.

1.4 Format This course will be preceded by an introduction lecture and consists of independent writing of a thesis. A thesis of 5 EC should be approximately 20 pages long (between eight and ten thousand words, excluding the list of references, which should amount to approximately 25-50 articles and books). After handing in the thesis, the student should present a 15 minutes overview of his thesis, followed by approximately 5 minutes of discussion. The audience consists of Forensic Science students, the supervisor and co-assessor, plus possibly interested staff personnel. At the end of the period 2, all students will present a short overview of their literature study (approximately 5 minutes in the form of a short pitch) in a mini-symposium.

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2. Supervision, topic selection and approval procedure

2.1 Supervisor, co-assessor and coordinator The supervisor is the first contact point for questions regarding the Literature Thesis. He/she is a forensic expert in a certain topic, able to provide expertise and guidance to the student. The supervisor is normally a permanent member of staff of a company or institution (e.g., Netherlands Forensic Institute, Food safety institute, Amsterdam Police, etc.). Occasionally, it can be a PhD student at the University of Amsterdam or another Dutch university. The coordinator of the Literature Thesis may agree upon another supervisor who does not meet these criteria. At the beginning of the thesis, the supervisor gives advice to the student on writing the outline and planning, and provides a few first references. The supervisor answers questions and provides direction when the student gets stuck. The supervisor reads the concept thesis and gives feedback on this concept, but does not contribute to the text. The supervisor advises the student whether the thesis is of sufficient quality to proceed with the colloquium. Finally, the supervisor assesses the Literature Thesis together with the co-assessor (also see appendix 2). The co-assessor judges the final version of the Literature thesis and the colloquium/defence. He/she is not involved in the supervision of the Literature Thesis. The co-assessor is a permanent member of staff at the UvA, or a PhD student, involved in the master program Forensic science (also see appendix 2). The coordinator of the Literature Thesis is the appointed lecturer for the Literature Thesis and can be found in the study guide. He/she organises the introductory meetings for the Literature Thesis and is the first point of contact for all general questions regarding the thesis planning and approval. The thesis has to be approved by the coordinator (see below for instructions), and changes in the planning or set-up of the thesis have to be agreed by the coordinator. The planning of the colloquium will be coordinated by the assistant coordinator.

2.2 Topic selection Students usually choose a topic in which they have a special interest. The choice of the subject is very important: the topic must be broad enough to justify writing a thesis on it (of 5 EC), but not so broad that the existing knowledge on the subject cannot be summarised in the time available. On the other hand, this subject should not be too close to that of the research project, i.e. the paper may not be written on the same subject as the student’s final research project. Furthermore, the topic should be science-related and should be relevant to forensic science. The coordinator may help the student in finding a topic. Finding a topic may be done in two ways: (i) following the own initiative of the student. Orientation about possible topics may be obtained by

attending student presentations of research projects and literature theses of previous years. The coordinator of the literature thesis can also recommend points of contact to discuss potential topics in a given forensic science area. Please note: Students that want to discuss their own topic with a possible supervisor from the NFI should first contact the coordinator of the Literature Thesis for contact information.

(ii) looking for a topic of interest from a list of project proposals. For this list of topics, the coordinator normally consults a collection of experts in the forensics field. These experts suggest topics of interest for their institutions, providing a collection of project proposals. The list of project proposals, together with the contact names of the proponents can be found on the CLHC website (http://www.clhc.nl/education/topics-literature-thesis/literaturethesis.html). The students are free to

http://www.clhc.nl/education/topics-literature-thesis/literaturethesis.html

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contact the persons listed in the proposals. The student should be aware there is no guarantee that there is enough number of topics for all the students who choose to follow method (ii).

If students are not able to find a suitable supervisor and co-supervisor for the chosen topic, the coordinator should be consulted. Student and supervisor agree on the definitive subject for the thesis, ensuring it complies with the above criteria.

2.3 Approval procedure Please note: • Students can only start with the literature thesis when the coordinator has approved the topic, and

a supervisor and co-assessor have been found. • Students that want to discuss their own topic with a possible supervisor from the NFI should first

contact the coordinator of the Literature Thesis for contact information. • It is very important to complete step 2 (see below) with all the necessary information. Probably

when you are at this stage, you have already contacted the coordinator with questions. However, the information provided in step 2 is considered as the final step for approval. That way both the coordinator and the programme coordinator have all the relevant information about your thesis in one email. With the supervisor and co-assessors in the CC, it also serves as a confirmation that they have agreed to their roles in and contribution to your thesis.

• In all cases the coordinator (Arian van Asten) can help you with contacting or giving advice on possible supervisors and co-assessors.

Steps to get the topic approved: 1. Students can a) choose a topic from the CLHC website or b) can pursue their own topic. a) The student can contact the supervisor and co-assessor directly. b) The student sends an email to the coordinator ([email protected]) with a short description of the topic (the form can be found on Blackboard). 2. Once the student has made the arrangements about the topic with the supervisor and co-assessor, the student should send the coordinator ([email protected]) and the programme coordinator ([email protected]) an email with the following information:

• Title topic • Supervisor (include titles!) • Institute of the supervisor • Co-assessor: (include titles!) • Institute of the co-assessor • Short description of the topic including: (i) the main objective/research question. This refers to

the topic that will be covered (explaining why this is a relevant subject). It should contain specifically the research question that will be addressed. (ii) Initial literature resources that the student will start to research.

• Time schedule for the whole thesis (e.g. when is the literature thesis intended to start and when is it intended to be finished).

Very important: the supervisor and co-assessor should be included in the CC, because registration of the grade requires the email addresses, titles and the institutes of the supervisor and co-assessor. 3. After students have received approval from the course coordinator they can start with writing the thesis.

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Important note in case of a) a topic from the CLHC website: Please email Ineke Weijer ([email protected]) informing her you will start with this topic, so the topic can be removed from the CLHC website. That way the list is kept up to date.

2.4 Outline and planning The time schedule and subsequent time management is the responsibility of the student. For the planning, one should note that the Literature Thesis counts for 5 EC (equals 140 hours). The planning should take into account the actual time the student has available in the agreed time period, considering other duties as e.g. courses or work. When planning the dates, the student should take into account that he/she cannot start his/her research project until the literature thesis is finished and assessed (this includes the mini-symposium, see below). Note: The planned final date should not be exceeded; in case of any delay students should contact the assistant coordinator ([email protected]).

3. Assessment The grade for the thesis and colloquium are decided by the supervisor and co-assessor. The coordinator and the assistant coordinator will grade the mini-symposium. The final grade is given once the mini-symposium is finalised and the thesis has been checked by the coordinator with the Turnitin tool for plagiarism. Note: that the assessment forms (which contain the grades for the thesis and the colloquium) do not contain the final mark (the final mark is given once the mini-symposium is assessed). Note: If the deadline for writing the thesis is extended by more than 3 months, the lecturer (e.g. supervisor and co-assessor) can assess the thesis as insufficient. (Teaching and Examination Regulations – part B, article 4.3. The regulations can be found at www.student.uva.nl/fs under “Rules and regulations”).

3.1 Component 1, Report A Literature Thesis of 5 EC should be approximately 20 pages long (excluding appendices and the list of references, which should amount to approximately 25-50 articles and books) and should be drafted according to the following general lay-out:

• abstract • introduction, including the question which is studied • structured overview of the studied literature • critical discussion of the literature, including a personal perspective on the literature represented • conclusion and recommendations • list of references • search strategy (appendix)

The following information should be stated on the front page of the thesis: • title of the thesis • name of student and student ID • Master’s programme • name of supervisor(s) / co-assessor • date

http://www.student.uva.nl/fs

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The supervisor and the co-assessor will use the Assessment form Literature Thesis Report (Appendix 3) to assess the thesis. The assessment form states a number of criteria used in the assessment of the thesis:

• clear and relevant formulation of the academic question and hypothesis; • selection of suitable literature; • critical interpretation of the literature; • elaboration of the main line of argument; • student initiative / ability to work independently / stick to the work plan; • readability / use of language in the thesis.

After approval of the final version by the supervisor, a copy of the Literature Thesis has to be sent to the co-assessor. An electronic copy should be uploaded to the Turnitin plagiarism control-tool on the blackboard site and must be available to the coordinator at least 2 days before the colloquium. The completed assessment forms for the report and the colloquium have to be signed by the student, the supervisor and the co-assessor. Once the forms are complete, these have to be dispatched by the co-assessor directly to prof. dr. Arian van Asten (University of Amsterdam, department HIMs, attn. prof. dr. Arian van Asten, room C2.243, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam) or to dr. Yorike Hartman (University of Amsterdam, department IIS, attn. dr. Y. Hartman, room C3.132, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam). Very important: The original form needs to be handed in. It is not allowed to hand in, or email, a scan of the original form. The supervisor or co-assessor can make a copy for the student and/or their own records. It is recommended to scan the original forms directly after the colloquium and share the electronic file with the student and supervisor via email.

3.2 Component 2, Presentation Colloquium During the colloquium, the student should present a 15 minutes overview of the thesis, followed by approximately 5 minutes of discussion. The audience consists of Forensic Science students, the supervisor and co-assessor, plus interested staff personnel. The date for the colloquium should be arranged with the supervisor and the co-assessor, in such a way that both can attend. In exceptional cases (e.g. the supervisor is from abroad or has sudden obligations), the colloquium can be done without the supervisor. In that case, the supervisor and co-assessor have to determine the grade of the report beforehand and only the co-assessor will assess the colloquium. The organisation will arrange a number of days, time slots and rooms for colloquium presentations. These will be communicated on blackboard. To set the date for the colloquium, students send an email to the assistant coordinator ([email protected]) stating the preferred date and time, the title of the presentation, the names of the supervisor and co-assessor. Confirmation of the time slot for the colloquium will be provided by the assistant coordinator. The supervisor and the co-assessor will use the Assessment form Colloquium (Appendix 4) to assess the thesis. The assessment of the Colloquium covers:

• problem definition and contents; • quality of narrative style and presentation; • discussion /interaction with the audience.

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3.3 Component 3, Presentation Mini-symposium A mini-symposium will be organised at the end of period 2, where all students will present a short overview of their literature thesis (max 5 min). In this format, the students should be able to summarise the research question, and explain the major findings of their research. Students in the audience are encouraged to participate by asking questions and provide their point of view on the topic. The presentation schedule for the mini-symposium can be found on blackboard. To choose a timeslot students send an email to [email protected] stating the title of the presentation. The coordinator and the assistant coordinator will use the Assessment form Mini-symposium (Appendix 5) to assess the mini-symposium. The assessment of the mini-symposium covers the: • ability to summarise and explain a topic (including) to a broad audience. • ability to interact with the audience.

Note: results and conclusions of the thesis have to be presented; Note: the main findings and overall conclusions have to presented in the form of a short pitch which requires a different style and structure compared to the more in-depth colloquium presentation

3.4 The calculation of the final grade All components will be graded on a scale from 1 to 10, with a maximum of one decimal after the point. These grades are used to calculate the final grade. In order to pass the course, all components and the final grade have to be sufficient, i.e. at least a five and a half. When a student has not fulfilled this requirement, the examiner will register the mark ‘did not fulfill all requirements’ (NAV) whether or not the averaged grade is sufficient. The components will be weighted as follows:

1. Literature thesis (65%) 2. Presentation colloquium (20%) 3. Presentation mini-symposium (15%)

3.5 Table of specification Learning outcome

Components (see above)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1 1, 2 x 2 1, 2 x 3 1 x 4 1 x x 5 1 x x 6 1 x 7 1 x 8 2 x 9 3 x Table 1: Table of specification: the relation between the learning outcomes of the course (see 1.3), the assessment components of the course and the exit qualifications of the Master’s Forensic Science (see appendix 1).

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4. Fraud and Plagiarism This course uses the general fraud and plagiarism rules of the UvA. Fraud and plagiarism are seen as the intentional action or inaction of a student aimed at hindering the assessment of his/her knowledge, insight and skills. All written reports are submitted through Blackboard assignments to be automatically checked for plagiarism. When blocks of text are found to be copied without proper references, the exam committee will be notified. Suspicion of fraud during the exam will be send to the examination committee. The Examination Committee has the authority to terminate your participation in the master course. Please get acquainted with the university’s (http://student.uva.nl/fs/az/item/plagiarism-and-fraud.html). and career specific’s Education and Examination Regulations (http://student.uva.nl/fs/az/item/rules-and-regulations.html).

5. Schedule and deadlines Important dates, times and room numbers can be found in the schedule below and on DataNose. The presentation schedule for colloquia and schedule for the mini-symposium can be found on Blackboard. Dates Time Room Activity participants Lecturer September 15, 2016

9:00-11:00 D1.115 Q&A Literature Thesis

All students Arian van Asten, Yorike Hartman

December 15, 2017

13:00-17:00 G4.15 Mini-symposium


February 16, 2018

11:00-14:00 A1.06 Resit Mini-symposium


6. Contact information Coordinator Literature Thesis: prof dr. Arian van Asten ([email protected]) Assistant coordinator Literature Thesis: dr. Yorike Hartman ([email protected])

http://student.uva.nl/fs/az/item/plagiarism-and-fraud.html

http://student.uva.nl/fs/az/item/rules-and-regulations.html

http://student.uva.nl/fs/az/item/rules-and-regulations.html

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7. Overview of thesis process and student responsibilities The student is responsible for:

• finding a topic either via the CLHC topic list or by providing his/her own subject (see 2.2); • going through the administrative steps to get the topic approved (see 2.3); • having a start-up meeting with the supervisor, where the supervisor helps the student to start the

thesis by giving advice on the outline and planning, and providing a few first references; • making a planning independently (see 2.4); • writing the literature thesis independently (the supervisor does not contribute to the text, see 2.1); • contacting the supervisor when he/she gets stuck (for more information of the role of the

supervisor, see 2.1 and appendix 2); • scheduling the date for the colloquium with the supervisor and co-assessor and making sure that

they are aware of deadlines (e.g. when they can expect to receive the final version), that they receive the final version in time and that they confirm having received the thesis (see 3.2);

• sending (via e-mail) the following documents to the supervisor and co-assessor at least 2 days, but preferably 1 week, prior to colloquium: - electronic copy of the final thesis - electronic copies of the assessment forms for the report and colloquium (the excel formats!)

containing all required student and thesis information (e.g. please fill in the student and thesis information to speed up the assessment and completion of the forms by the supervisor and co-assessor);

• uploading an electronic copy of the final thesis to the Turnitin plagiarism control-tool on the blackboard site at least 2 days before the colloquium (see 3.1);

• providing the supervisor and co-assessor with a printed paper version of the assessment forms, containing all required student and thesis information, at the colloquium.

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Appendix 1: Exit qualifications of the master Knowledge and understanding

1. Graduates will know and understand the forensic process in detail, including the players and their roles, the statistical foundation for the interpretation of evidence, the judicial context and the quality requirements within the process.

2. Graduates will have gained an overview of the most common traces and knowledge of the classical forensic expert areas, the scientific principles of the main techniques used in those areas and the appropriate methods used for the analysis of the data generated by such techniques.

3. Graduates will have gained state-of-the-art knowledge of the scientific developments within their bachelor's discipline and are able to integrate those within the forensic science to make innovative contributions to these areas.

Applying Knowledge and understanding

4. Graduates will be able to apply their forensic knowledge to a basic forensic case including the application of the Bayesian paradigm for the interpretation of evidence.

5. Graduates are able to identify relevant forensic issues, to formulate appropriate research questions, develop an experimental set-up and to design a project plan to answer their question and implement that plan under supervision.

6. Graduates are able to work autonomously and with others in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams and are able to apply their problem solving abilities in unfamiliar environments within multidisciplinary contexts related to the field of forensic science.

Making judgements

7. Graduates are able to review situations critically and in a systematic way and are able to draw inferences on the basis of incomplete information; and they are aware of the limitations of these inferences.

8. Graduates will have knowledge of and insight into the role of forensic science in society and awareness of the standards required for scientific research in order to function adequately and autonomously in their future professions and reflect on societal problems.

Communication

9. Graduates will be able to communicate findings and conclusions with solid argumentation both orally and with written reports to expert and non-expert audiences in the legal context.

Learning skills

10. Graduates are aware of their knowledge and competencies and are able to independently acquire knowledge and skills in unknown situations. They have the ability to reflect upon their contribution and future professional development.

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Appendix 2: Information for Supervisors & Co-assessors Please use the pdf file posted on Blackboard to send to the supervisor and/or co-assessor.

INFORMATION FOR SUPERVISORS & CO-ASSESSORS

LITERATURE THESIS FORENSIC SCIENCE The literature thesis is a mandatory part of the MSc in Forensic Science and is scheduled for 5 European Credits (equals 140 hours). The student will obtain in-depth knowledge on a specific forensic topic by studying and analysing state-of-the-art scientific literature. Writing the literature thesis is an assignment in which the student has to work independently, he/she has to choose a topic, make their own time planning, formulate a research question, find and select the relevant scientific literature and write a critical review thereof. The student is also expected to provide his/her own opinion on the topic, to point out possible shortcomings of the existing knowledge and to suggest how new research could provide new insights in the future. The results of the thesis have to be presented during a colloquium (presentation). LEARNING OBJECTIVES At the end of the course the student is able to:

1. gather in-depth knowledge of a specific, forensic relevant subject; 2. formulate a research question; 3. find and select relevant literature from scientific journals; 4. critically read, evaluate and review the selected literature; 5. develop an own perspective on the literature; 6. make a planning independently, and to realise the self-set deadlines; 7. write a consistent, well-structured scientific thesis in English; 8. present the results of the literature thesis orally to a scientific audience. 9. summarise the research and present it orally to a broad audience.

ROLE OF THE SUPERVISOR The supervisor is the first contact point for questions regarding the Literature Thesis. 1. To act as a supervisor will roughly take 1-2 days (officially the UvA allocates 10 hours for this task),

this includes being present at the final presentation of the thesis at Science Park at the end of the year (usually in December).

2. Within the 8-16 hours it is expected that the supervisor: - helps the student to start the thesis, - answers questions and provide directions when the student gets stuck, - reads the concept thesis and provides feedback.

3. The supervisor should not be actively involved in re-writing or editing the thesis, the quality of the thesis is expressed in the grade.

4. The grade is determined by the supervisor and co-assessor and is based on the thesis and colloquium, special electronic forms are used to obtain an objective score and provide valuable feedback.

5. The student is responsible for: - finishing the thesis in time and to find a suitable time slot for the presentation (students plan the

work on the thesis in the period September – December depending on their other courses), - for providing the supervisor and co-assessor with the final version of the thesis, - for informing the supervisor and co-assessor on the date, location and time of the colloquium, - and for providing the supervisor and co-assessor with an electronic and paper copy of the

assessment forms containing all required student and thesis information.

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6. The electronic copy is used to calculate the grade and the paper copy should be filled in and handed in by the co-assessor to the organisation (this is explained on the forms).

7. All logistic and planning issues are dealt with by the UvA and can be reported to the coordinator and assistant coordinator (see contact information below).

8. All reports are checked for plagiarism by the coordinator of the literature thesis. 9. Registration and overview of all topics and reports is done by the coordinator. With regard to the topic, please consider the following points to get an optimal result both for the supervisor and the student: 1. Considering the time available and the level of the students, the topic should be well defined and not

be too broad/vague 2. Ideally the student needs to find and study in the range of 25-50 relevant articles 3. If much literature on the topic exists the supervisor can limit it by setting a time frame for the review

(e.g. the last 5 or 10 years) or selecting a specific forensic evidence type or application 4. Providing the right key words will help the student to find all relevant literature 5. Helping the student to pinpoint the search and define the topic at the start improves the quality and

value of the thesis What can you gain by submitting a topic for a forensic science literature thesis? : 1. You will get an up-to-date collection of literature (articles in pdf) of interest to your work and research 2. You will get a literature thesis in English describing and analysing the topic (although the quality varies

most reports are good enough to share with colleagues in your team, occasionally the quality is exceptional and can directly be used in your own work, for instance in a peer-reviewed published review or as introduction of a peer-reviewed scientific publication)

3. You can come into contact with talented students that may be interested in a research project in your team (note : must not be the same topic as the literature thesis)

ROLE OF THE CO-ASSESSOR The co-assessor judges the final version of the Literature thesis and the colloquium presentation. He/she is not involved in the supervision of the Literature Thesis. The co-assessor is a permanent member of staff at the UvA, or a PhD student, involved in the master program Forensic science. The student must find a suitable co-assessor him/herself with assistance of the CLHC (CLHC coordinators are often co-assessors) and/or the Literature Thesis coordinator. To co-assess a literature thesis typically requires 4 hours, this includes studying the thesis, being present at the final presentation of the thesis at Science Park at the end of the year (usually in December) and providing grades and feedback in collaboration with the supervisor. The co-assessor hands in the completed assessment forms to the organisation (this is explained on the forms). It is recommended to scan the original forms directly after the colloquium and share the electronic file with the student and supervisor via email. CONTACT INFORMATION Coordinator Literature Thesis: Prof. Arian van Asten ([email protected]) Assistant coordinator Literature Thesis: Dr Yorike Hartman ([email protected])

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Appendix 3: Assessment form Literature Thesis Report Note: The assessment forms are made available on Blackboard in Word and Excel format. The assessors should use the Excel format to calculate the grade. Name student: Student ID: Assignment: Literature Thesis Report

1 Fraud & Plagiarism: General UvA rules apply (http://student.uva.nl/fs/az/item/plagiarism-and-fraud.html). * Explanation grading: Grade each element with: 0.2 = poor, 0.4 = insufficient, 0.6 = average, 0.8 = good or 1 = excellent.

Skills (skills in grey cells are assumed to be covered in the bachelor) Weight Score (*see below)

Cont

ent

Title and abstract

The title and abstract are concise, informative and cover the subject of the review. 2

Context The review is put in the correct scientific context. 3

Methods The search strategy is concisely described and can be replicated. 2

Statistics The methodology is statistically correct. 0 n/a

Target audience

The review is clear for an interdisciplinary forensic audience. 2

Form

Structure The review has a well-defined structure. 1

Figures and Tables

The figures and/or tables, including headings and legends, are correct, clear and informative. 1

Academic writing

The document is written in clear and understandable English and the correct scientific language is used. 2

References

Citations are used appropriately, reported in a consistent format and listed in a correct manner.1 1

References are relevant and a sufficient overall body of literature has been studied. 2

Synt

hesi

s

Focus The thesis has a clear aim, goal and focus. 3

Research question

The formulation of the problem statement and research question(s) are clearly described. 2

Argumen-tation

Do the results justify the conclusion(s) and does the student answers the research question? 3

Critical thinking

The student reflects critically on strengths and limitations of the accomplished work and provides recommendations for future research.

3

Forensic relevance The forensic relevance is clearly explained. 3

Total points (calculated by multiplying the score with the weight factor and summing up the scores)

Total 30 points

Grade (calculated by dividing the total score by the total weight*10) (in case of 0 points the final grade becomes 1)


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Top (what did you particularly appreciate or value?

Tip (What do you recommend to improve in the future?)

Date: Title Thesis Grade Please note:

……… The literature thesis report counts for 65% of the final grade

Signatures Student:

Supervisor

Name supervisor …………………………………………………

Co-assessor

Name Co-assessor …………………………………………………

This form has to be dispatched by the co-assessor directly to Prof. Arian van Asten (University of Amsterdam, department HIMs, room C2.243, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam) or to Dr Yorike Hartman (University of Amsterdam, department IIS, room C3.132, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam). Please note: The original form needs to be handed in. It is not allowed to hand in, or email, a scan of the original form. It is recommended to scan the original form directly after the colloquium and share the electronic file with the student and supervisor via email.

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Qualification standards for grading the literature thesis report Reasons to use in the feedback for understanding the grade. Grade < 5,5: It is reasonable to assume that a sufficient level will not be achieved within a considerable period of time. The thesis lacks an own view on the subject; is insufficient in terms of structure and academic writing; important scientific literature is missing; feedback of the supervisor was not implemented. The thesis has no value for the supervisor's own research. Grade 5,5-6: The thesis meets but does not exceed minimum standards, e.g. - Personal original contribution shows little creativity or own view on the subject matter, or - significant feedback and guidance from the supervisor was required, or - academic writing is of moderate quality, and - the thesis is of limited value to the supervisor's own research. Grade 7: Literature thesis meets the minimum standards and: - Personal original contribution is of value, but the own view on the subject is still limited, and - the student required some guidance by the supervisor in forming ideas, and - academic writing was of sufficient quality, and - the thesis is useful for the supervisor's own research but not strong enough to share with

colleagues. Grade 8: Literature thesis meets the minimum standards and: - Personal original contribution is of value with a clear own view on the subject matter, and - the student required little guidance by the supervisor in forming ideas, and - academic writing was of good quality. Indications for this level are: - That after modifications the final product could be presented at a symposium, and - that the thesis is strong enough to be shared with colleagues and is valuable for the supervisor's

own research. Grade 9: Literature thesis meets the minimum standards and - Personal original contribution is innovative, and - the student required little or no guidance by the supervisor in forming ideas, and - academic writing was of excellent quality. Indications for this level are: - That after minor modification the final product could be published as a peer reviewed review

article - the thesis is extremely valuable for the supervisor's own work. Grade 10: Same as grade 9 and the final product can compete with publications of recognised scientists in the field concerned, as evidenced by a publication in a scientific journal with a high impact factor. The thesis is of high importance in the development of the academic field.

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Appendix 4: Assessment form Colloquium Note: The assessment forms are made available on Blackboard in Word and Excel format. The assessors should use the Excel format to calculate the grade. Name student: Student ID: Assignment: Colloquium Literature Thesis


Skills ( the skills in grey cells are assumed to be covered in the bachelor) Weight Score (*see below)

Cont

ent/

synt

hesi

s

Structure The presentation is logically organised and has a clear research question and take home message.

2

Scientific content

The scientific content is correct and relevant and the student uses valid scientific argumentation to underpin the content.

3

Critical thinking

The student reflects critically on strengths and limitations of the accomplished work and provides original recommendations for future research.

3

Forensic relevance

The forensic relevance is clearly explained. 2

Target audience

The content of the presentation was understandable for the target audience of scientific peers.

2

Form

Lay-out The presentation has a clear lay-out, has appropriate figures and tables, has limited use of text and is balanced in use of colour and design.

2

English Clear and understandable English and the correct scientific language are used.

2

References Proper referencing to scientific literature and other sources.1

1

Pres

enta

tion

Technique Verbal communication: volume, tempo and intonation. Non-verbal communication: active and open posture, eye contact with the audience, no distracting habits.

2

Time management

The presentation is given within the time limit and is not too short or too long.

2

Interaction The student interacts with the audience when needed. 0 n/a

During the discussion the student answers the questions correctly and on a sufficient scientific and forensic level.

3


Total 24 points



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Date: Title Thesis Grade Please note:

……… The literature thesis colloquium counts for 20% of the final grade

Signatures Student:

Supervisor

Name supervisor …………………………………………………

Co-assessor

Name Co-assessor …………………………………………………

This form has to be dispatched by the co-assessor directly to Prof. Arian van Asten (University of Amsterdam, department HIMs, room C2.243, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam) or to Dr Yorike Hartman (University of Amsterdam, department IIS, room C3.132, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam). Please note: The original form needs to be handed in. It is not allowed to hand in, or email, a scan of the original form. It is recommended to scan the original form directly after the colloquium and share the electronic file with the student and supervisor via email.

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Appendix 5: Assessment form Mini-symposium Note: The coordinator will bring the assessment forms to the mini-symposium. Name student: Student ID: Assignment: Mini-symposium Literature Thesis


Skills ( the skills in grey cells are assumed to be covered in the bachelor) Weight Score (*see below)

Cont

ent/

synt

hesi

s

Structure The presentation is logically organised and has a clear research question and take home message.

2

Scientific content

The scientific content is correct and relevant and the student uses valid scientific argumentation to underpin the content.

2

Critical thinking

The student reflects critically on strengths and limitations of the accomplished work and provides original recommendations for future research.

2

Forensic relevance

The forensic relevance is clearly explained. 3

Target audience

The content of the presentation is fitting for a broad target audience.

3

Form

Lay-out The presentation has a clear lay-out, has appropriate figures and tables, has limited use of text and is balanced in use of colour and design.

2

English Clear and understandable English and the correct scientific language are used.

0 n/a

References Proper referencing to scientific literature and other sources.1

0 n/a

Pres

enta

tion

Technique Verbal communication: volume, tempo and intonation. Non-verbal communication: active and open posture, eye contact with audience, no distracting habits.

0 n/a

Time management

The presentation is given within the time limit and is not too short or too long.

3

Interaction The student interacts with the audience when needed. 0 n/a

During the discussion the student answers the questions correctly and on a sufficient scientific and forensic level.

3


Total 20 points



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