Rubric for assessing the Research Paper Proficiency Level | Recall/ Reproduction (0 – 39%) | Skills & Concepts (40 – 59%) | Strategic Thinking (60 – 79%) | Extended Thinking (80 – 100%) |
Introduction (50) | Weak or no introduction of topic. Paper’s purpose is unclear. | Basic introduction that states topic but lacks interest | Proficient introduction that is interesting and states topic. | Exceptional introduction that grabs interest of reader and states topic |
Explanation of Issues (100) | Issue/problem to be considered critically is stated without | Issue/problem to be considered critically is stated but description leaves some terms | Issue/problem to be considered critically is stated, described, and clarified so that | Issue/problem to be considered critically is stated clearly and described comprehensively, |
clarification or description. | undefined, ambiguities unexplored, boundaries undetermined, and/or backgrounds unknown | understanding is not seriously impeded by omissions. | delivering all relevant information necessary for full understanding. |
Discipline Mastery (100) | Demonstrates little or no understanding of the case study and subject matter. | Demonstrates a limited understanding of the case. | Demonstrates a thoughtful understanding of the case and the subject matter. | Demonstrates a thorough and conscious understanding of the case and subject matter. |
Critical Thinking (100) | Information is taken from source(s) without any interpretation/ evaluation. | Information is taken from source(s) with some interpretation/ evaluation, but not enough to develop a coherent analysis or synthesis. | Information is taken from source(s) with enough interpretation/ evaluation to develop a coherent analysis or synthesis. | Information is taken from source(s) with enough interpretation/ evaluation to develop a comprehensive analysis or synthesis. |
Conclusion (50) | Conclusion lacks coherence, critical thought and organization. | Ideas stated and arranged with no evident logical structure. | A thoughtful conclusion that shows a logical progression of ideas and uses fairly sophisticated summary. | A strong cohesive, thoughtful conclusion that guides the reader through the chain of reasoning or progressions of ideas. |
Grammar, Spelling, Composition & References (100) | Disorganized with several grammatical and spelling errors. Does not reflect a high level of professionalism. NO references, within the body of the paper and listed references are not properly cited according to APA Referencing Style, v.6. | SOME measure of sequence, some grammatical and spelling errors. Reflect some level of professionalism. Some references, within the body of the paper and in the listed references are properly cited according to APA Referencing Style, v.6. | Organized, clear with minimal spelling and grammatical errors. Reflects high professionalism. MOST references, within the body of the paper and in the listed references are properly cited according to APA Referencing Style, v.6. | Clearly organized, thorough, and free of grammatical and spelling errors. Reflects the highest level of professionalism. ALL or a majority of references, within the body of the paper and in the listed references are properly cited according to APA Referencing Style, v.6. |
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