The tallest hurdle in completing a doctoral degree is the dissertation, which continues to be the primary capstone experience for the degree. Dissertation research is a mystery to many considering an advanced degree and can be intimidating to those who are unfamiliar with the nature of universities and doctoral research. In this report, the author removes some of the mystery by reviewing criteria applied by faculty in major universities and reporting the results of a questionnaire administered to faculty in Virginia. Both process and product criteria applied to doctoral research by the respondents in the study are reported.