Research Paper Grading Rubric

EDUC 735

RESEARCH PAPER GRADING RUBRIC Exemplary Highly Proficient Proficient Developing Unacceptable Not Evident 10 pts 8 pts 6 pts 4 pts 2 pts 0 pt The paper is the number The body of the paper of pages specified in the is less than 15 pages. directions. (The body is The paper is not long Length (1.000, 15 or more pages. enough to be 5%) Additional pages evaluated. A grade of include cover page, zero will be given for abstract, and reference the assignment. list.) The paper meets all of The paper meets most The paper meets The paper meets few The paper meets very The paper shows no Addresses the requirements in the requirements in the some requirements requirements in the few requirements. evidence of meeting Requirements directions. directions. in the directions. directions. the requirements and (1.000, 5%) cannot be graded as such. The writer’s central The writing has a clear The writing has a The central purpose The purpose or The purpose is not purpose or argument is purpose. clear purpose or or argument is not argument is generally evident. readily apparent to the Thesis is well argument, but may consistently clear unclear. The thesis is missing. reader. developed, but may not sometimes digress throughout the paper. Thesis is unclear or Purpose (1.000, Thesis is well developed be clearly focused. from it. Thesis is adequate, even missing. 5%) and clearly focused. Thesis is well but may need further developed, but may clarification or not be clearly definition. focused. Balanced presentation of Information provides Information Information supports Central focus or No meaningful relevant and legitimate reasonable support for a provides adequate a central focus or argument not clearly information is information that clearly central thesis or support for a argument at time. identified. evident. supports central thesis or argument, and displays central thesis or Some analysis is Analysis is vague or Content does not Content (1.000, argument, and shows a evidence of a basic argument. evident. not evident. relate to the topic. 5%) thoughtful, focused, in analysis of a significant Analysis is basic Reader gains few Reader is confused depth analysis of the topic. and general. insights. or may be significant topic. Reader Reader gains Reader gains misinformed. gains important insights. meaningful insight. adequate insight.

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Appropriate portions in Appropriate portions in Most statements in Statements in the The literature in the No literature is cited. the paper are supported the paper are supported the appropriate paper are supported paper is not current, by current articles from by articles from portions of the by reliable, scholarly scholarly, reliable, or Literature scholarly journals and scholarly journals and paper are supported resources but appropriate. Support (1.000, from other reliable, from other reliable, by current articles additional resources 5%) scholarly resources. scholarly resources. from scholarly should be added. journals and from other reliable, scholarly resources. Assertions in the paper Assertions in the paper Assertions are Assertions are made Assertions are not Assertions are not Assertions (1.000, are clear and supported are clear and supported supported by but not supported by clear. evident. 5%) by current, credible by credible research. credible research. credible research. research. The ideas are arranged The ideas are arranged The ideas are The ideas are The writing is not Organization is not logically to support the logically to support the arranged logically arranged logically, logically organized. evident. purpose or argument. central purpose or to support the although occasionally Frequently, ideas fail They flow smoothly argument. They are central purpose or ideas fail to make to make sense from one to another and clearly linked to each argument. They are sense together. together. Organization are clearly linked to other. usually clearly The reader is fairly The reader cannot (1.000, 5%) each other. The reader can follow linked to each clear about what the identify a line of The reader can follow the line of reasoning. other. For the most reader intends. reasoning and loses the line of reasoning. part, the reader can interest. follow the line of reasoning. The writing is The writing is generally The writing is The writing is dull The writing has little The writing is not compelling. It hooks the engaging. In general, it appropriate and the and not engaging. personality. The professional or reader and sustains is focused and keeps the reader can Though the paper has reader quickly loses compelling enough Feel (1.000, 5%) interest throughout the reader’s attention. understand the some interesting interest and stops for the reader to paper. intent. parts, the reader finds reading. understand the intent. it difficult to maintain interest. Tone (1.000, 5%) The tone is consistently The tone is mostly The tone is The tone is not The tone is The tone is professional and professional and generally consistently unprofessional. It is unprofessional and appropriate for an appropriate for an professional. For professional or not appropriate for an could not be academic paper. academic paper. the most part, it is appropriate for an academic paper. considered an Page 2 of 5 EDUC 735

appropriate for an academic paper. academic paper. academic paper. Sentences are well- Sentences are well- Sentences are Some sentences are Errors in sentence Sentences do not phrased and varied in phrased and there is competently awkwardly structure are frequent reflect professional Sentence length and structure. some variety in length developed and constructed so that enough to be a major writing. Structure (1.000, They flow smoothly and structure. The flow understood. The the reader is distraction to the 5%) from one another. from sentence to flow from sentence occasionally reader. sentence is generally to sentence is distracted. smooth. adequate. Word choice is Word choice is Word choice is Word choice is Some words are used Many words are used consistently precise and generally good. The adequate but rather merely adequate and inappropriately. inappropriately, Word Choice accurate. writer often goes simplistic. the range of words is confusing the reader. (1.000, 5%) beyond the generic limited. word to find one more precise and effective. Professional writing and Professional writing Professional Professional writing The writing is not Continuity is not 3rd person are used and 3rd person are writing and 3rd and 3rd person are written in a evident. throughout the entire consistently used person are used used fairly professional manner paper. throughout of the paper. throughout most of consistently but the and 3rd person is not Continuity (1.000, Point of view and tense Point of view and tense the paper. reader is occasionally used. 5%) are consistent. are consistent. Point of view and distracted by Inconsistencies in tense are inconsistencies in point of view or tense consistent. point of view or are found throughout tense. the paper. The writing is The writing is almost The writing is Excessive wordiness The writing is Clarity is not evident. consistently clear and always clear and wordy but is also and jargon are unclear, confusing concise; the text is not concise; the text is not comprehendible. included in the paper and full of jargon. Clarity (1.000, excessively wordy and excessively wordy and but the reader can still The reader is unable 5%) confusing. confusing. interpret main ideas. to interpret ideas. Jargon does not Some jargon does exist convolute the text. but does not convolute the text. APA Format – APA format is used APA format is used APA format is used APA format is not There are frequent Format of the throughout the accurately and with few, minor errors. with some minor consistently followed. errors in APA format. document is not

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consistently in the paper errors. recognizable as APA. body of the paper and on the References (1.000, 5%) page. The writing is free of The writing is almost There are some There are occasional The writing has many There are so many Mechanics – errors. free of errors. errors. errors, but they do not errors and the reader errors that meaning is Grammar (1.000, represent a major is distracted by them. obscured. The reader 5%) distraction or obscure is confused and stops meaning. reading. The writing is free of The writing is almost There are some There are occasional The writing has many There are so many Mechanics – errors. free of errors. errors. errors, but they do not errors and the reader errors that meaning is Spelling and represent a major is distracted by them. obscured. The reader Capitalization distraction or obscure is confused and stops (1.000, 5%) meaning. reading. The writing is free of The writing is almost There are some There are occasional The writing has many There are so many Mechanics – errors. free of errors. errors. errors, but they do not errors and the reader errors that meaning is Punctuation represent a major is distracted by them. obscured. The reader (1.000, 5%) distraction or obscure is confused and stops meaning. reading. References (1.000, Compelling evidence Evidence from Professionally Professionally Although attributions References are 5%) from professionally professionally legitimate sources legitimate sources are occasionally seldom cited to legitimate sources is legitimate sources is that support claims that support claims given, many support statements. given to support claims. given to support claims. are generally are generally present statements seem There are virtually no Attribution is clear and Attribution is clearly present and and attribution is, for unsubstantiated. The sources that are fairly represented. represented. attribution is clear the most part, clear. reader is confused professionally Quality of resources Quality of resources and fairly Quality of the about the source of reliable causing the makes the reader makes the reader represented. resources allows the information and reader to have serious confident that the confident that the Quality of the reader to be uncertain ideas. Quality of the doubts concerning the information and ideas information and ideas resources allows of the reliability of resources causes the value of the material. can be trusted. 10 or can be trusted. the reader to be some of the sources. reader to doubt the more professional 10 or more professional certain of the accuracy of much of references consulted references consulted reliability of most the material must be articles from must be articles from all sources. 10 or presented. scholarly, peer reviewed scholarly, peer more professional journals (published no reviewed journals references more than 5 years ago). (published no more consulted must be Page 4 of 5 EDUC 735

than 5 years ago). articles from scholarly, peer reviewed journals (published no more than 5 years ago). The Reference List has The Reference List has The Reference List The Reference List The Reference List The Reference List APA Format – no APA formatting very few APA consistently uses has several APA has many APA does not resemble Reference List errors. formatting errors. APA formatting but formatting issues. formatting issues. APA formatting. (1.000, 5%) has minor errors. After the issue/topic has After the issue/topic has After the Although the It is not clear how the The writing does not been addressed from been addressed from issue/topic has been issue/topic has been author used Scripture include a Biblical both sides of the issue in both sides of the issue addressed from addressed from both to address the issue. World View section. an unbiased, expository in an unbiased, both sides of the sides of the issue in way, the author inserts expository way, the issue in an an unbiased, Biblical World what Scripture includes author inserts what unbiased, expository way, the View (1.000, 5%) about the topic. Any Scripture includes about expository way, the author includes some assertions from the the topic. Most all author inserts what Biblical ideas but author are supported by assertions from the Scripture includes only uses a few Biblical examples and author are supported by about the topic. reliable sources to Scripture reference. Biblical examples and support his/her Scripture reference. assertions.