| Clarity & Content | Clear thesis statement & argument. Cohesive. Raises important issues or ideas not previously covered in literature cited. | Topic is carefully focused & clearly outlines major points related to topic. General ideas are expanded upon in logical manner, extending the significance of student's work. | Ideas presented closely follow conventional concepts with little expansion or development. Certain logical connections or issues essential to topic omitted. | Major ideas related to the content may be ignored or inadequately discussed | | | |
| Evidence | Evidence provided is appropriate (relevant) and sufficient. Evidence is properly cited and positioned within the text to support the argument. | Sources are well chosen but students' handling of material may not fully support their argument. May have errors in attribution. | Some sources do not support, or may be insufficient to support, argument. Sources may be poorly selected and improperly cited. | Evidence is insufficient or irrelevant to the thesis and/or is improperly cited or uncited. | | | |
| Organization | Excels in organization & representation of ideas. Writing flows smoothly throughout from intro to conclusion. Transitions effectively aid reader in following writer’s logic. | Ideas are logically arranged to present sound scholarly argument. | Ideas & concepts are generally satisfactorily presented although lapses in logic & organization are apparent. | Content may be poorly focused or the scholarly argument is weak. Overall, the content & organization needs significant revision to represent a critical analysis of the topic. | | | |
| Grammar | Word choice is appropriate. Sentence structure is correct and clarifies meaning. Essentially error-free in terms of mechanics. | While there may be minor errors, the paper follows normal conventions of spelling and grammar throughout. Errors do not significantly interfere with topic comprehensibility. | Inconsistency and/or errors in syntax and/or grammar result in weak formulation of argument or lead to difficulties in reader understanding. | Frequent errors in spelling, grammar (such as subject/verb agreement & correct tense), sentence structure, and/or other writing conventions make comprehension difficult. | | | |