From: "Martin v. Löwis" [mailto:martin@v.loewis.de]

My answer is "it depends": If you did not do that, and, for example, explain why it *can't* be done, than this is a good thesis, provided you give qualified scientific rationale for why it can't be done. If you say you did not do it, but it could be done in this and that way if you had 50 person years available, then this could be a good thesis as well, provided the strategy you outline, and the rationale for computing the 50 person years is convincing. If you just say, "Oops, I did not finish it because it is too much work", then this would be a bad thesis.

Yep - that was what I was getting at, and your explanation corresponds exactly with my gut feeling. Cheers. Tim Delaney