Attempted
1 - 4 pts.

Acceptable
5 - 7 pts.

Admirable
8 - 10 pts.

Points

Content and Ideas

Presentation of the topic is superficial and does not go beyond common knowledge. Discussion lacks depth and/or is not supported by research (citations). Ideas are repeated and the document is unfocused and/or lacks clarity.  

General overview minimally supported, and the obvious is explained. Discussion is somewhat interesting but not deep enough and it is difficult to distinguish between personal opinion and ideas stated from research (inconsistency in the use of citations). Reader understands the ideas tried to be conveyed but may have questions due to lack of specificity.

The topic is thoroughly discussed. Ideas are straightforward, thorough, and to the point and are supported by research (citations). Enough information from diverse sources is presented so the reader has details to understand the topic.

Analysis

Unelaborated, e.g., quotes are copied; arguments are given with minimal support, analysis and discussion is superficial. Conclusion is unfeasible or plainly simplistic. There are many direct quotes or not enough citations.

Analysis and discussion is descriptive but does not demonstrate the use of higher order thinking skills, i.e., no inferences drawn, no or limited synthesis, no understanding of topic. Conclusion is somehow feasible but does not go beyond general common sense. Evidence is presented and supported by some citations.

Elements of critical thought are evident, e.g., inter-relationships are addressed, consequences are identified, comparisons are made, and antecedents/implications are explored. Conclusion provides innovative suggestions on how to manage the situation. Analysis is fully supported by citations.

Resources

There are not enough different resources represented to warrant a thorough analysis and/or resources come mostly from opinion papers.

There are enough resources represented but most of them portray only one point of view and/or the use of opinion and peer-reviewed papers is unbalanced.

There is an abundance of quality resources to support an informed discussion and analysis. Resources portray different points of view and there is a balance between the use of opinion and peer-reviewed papers.

Mechanics and Format

Paper format, Citations, and List of References do not resemble APA style. Mostly faulty punctuation, misspellings, sentence fragments, and other mechanical errors that prevent the reader from understanding the topic. The paper is a long string of words with no subheadings. Too much quoting so the voice of the author is lost.

Paper format, Citations, and References loosely follow APA style. Some faulty punctuation and some misspellings; some citations with no references and vice versa. The reader is distracted from the topic because of inadequate editing or proofreading. The paper's subheadings do not support the paper organization indicated by the instructor.

Impeccable APA style in paper format, citations, and list of references. Appropriate punctuation, sentence, and paragraph formation. No misspellings and/or other errors in language mechanics or grammatical usage. Format of report is professional-looking. The paper is divided into subheadings that support the paper organization.

4 rows x 10 possible points = 40 points x 2 = 80 points total. Total Earned Points =