Grading Guidelines for Papers

I. Thesis , introduction and conclusion: Does the paper have a clearly articulated thesis? Are the main points to be discussed clearly spelled out in the introduction? Does the paper reach a logical conclusion that clearly summarizes what has been done and that demonstrates the validity of the thesis?

II. Organization: Does the paper have an easy to follow organization? Do the main arguments flow logically from point to point?

III. Research: Does the paper show evidence of good research? Are the facts right? Is evidence from sources clearly explained and cited? Is there a correctly formatted bibliography?

IV. Analysis: Is there an analytical framework within which facts fit? Does the paper read like an encyclopedia entry or an analytical paper?