KrügerKriterien

KrügerKriterien is a term used in German-language scholarship to denote a family of evaluation criteria named after a German-speaking researcher Krüger. The concept appears across multiple disciplines to guide systematic assessment of quality, credibility, and usefulness of outputs, processes, or data. Because different authors adapt the framework to their domain, there is no single canonical checklist.

Typically, the KrügerKriterien enumerate dimensions such as relevance to the purpose, accuracy and traceability of information, completeness of data or argumentation, internal and external consistency, transparency of methods, and practicality or feasibility of implementation. Depending on the field, additional dimensions such as replicability, fairness, interpretability, or ethical considerations may be included. The criteria are intended to facilitate structured critique and to support comparability across cases.

Applications can be found in research evaluation, data quality assessment, program or project auditing, and quality control in information management. They are used in both formal review processes and internal quality assurance, providing a common language for stakeholders to discuss strengths and weaknesses.

Criticism focuses on potential subjectivity in weighting and the risk of over-rigidity, while supporters argue that a clear framework improves consistency and accountability.

See also: quality criteria, evaluation framework, validity and reliability.