PAPER - GRADING RUBRIC
WRITING ASSIGNMENT EVALUATION FORM

Author(s): _____________________________________________________________________

Course: ________________________________________ Semester and Year: ______________

This rubric will be used in providing feedback on your paper. It is the foundation of an iterative feedback style of grading papers. There are three stages represented here. Stage 1 refers to the initial assignment related to the paper: choosing a topic, researching the subject enough to know that there are sufficient materials available and sufficient interest on your part, and writing a concise thesis statement. Stage 2 will be filled out as feedback to your best final draft and should be viewed as instructor input into Stage 3. Stage 3 is your final paper which will be graded.

When you hand in the paper attach all components which have been worked on and this grade sheet. I will use one grade sheet throughout the process. Keep track of it.

Writing Center at FGCU
I strongly suggest that you work with our writing center on this paper. It is graded for both content and writing.

________________________________________
All categories of evaluation listed below are rated on a 1 to 5 scale: 5 is excellent, 4 is good, 3 is fair, 2 is poor, and 1 means work, work, work.

Stage 1: Title, Thesis Statement, Outline and Working Bibliography

_____Title - Does your title accurately describe the paper? Does it capture the readers interest while accurately summarizing the content of the paper?

_____Thesis Statement - Tell me what the basic thesis or topic of the report is. Address the reader: what are you purporting to tell your reader and why is it important? The statement should be only one, relatively short, paragraph (a maximum of 5-6 sentences.)

_____Topic - Appropriateness is key; you should choose a pertinent topic and limit it so that your treatment is neither cursory nor exhaustive. All chosen topics should relate to the course. Ideas can be drawn from your textbook, lectures, class discussions and readings. (If the topic is assigned as it is in FIN 3244 there is no need to address this.)

_____ Outline - Provide an outline for your paper. The outline should tell the reader what the major topics of the paper are and what order they will be presented in. The outline is critical for good flow and structural cohesiveness in the paper and along with your working bibliography is the most important aspect of Stage I.

_____ Working Bibliography - This is your preliminary bibliography. It should be deep and wide enough to signal to both you and I that you have a viable, interesting, and sustainable topic. Are your sources appropriate to the topic, do they have a comfortable level of economic content for you, are there enough of them? Avoid an overreliance on web sources - books must be used and cited.

_____ Working Bibliography in MLA Style - This will become your Works Cited eventually. You may as well put all of your references in the correct style from the beginning. See the section on the MLA Style by clicking on this link.

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All categories of evaluation listed below are rated on a 1 to 5 scale: 5 is excellent, 4 is good, 3 is fair, 2 is poor, and 1 means work, work, work.

Stage 2: Your best and final draft paper.
You should consider this your best possible work. I go through the paper and give you feedback and then you have the opportunity to address my feedback and criticisms. Ideally, there are few problems and Stage III, where grades are assigned, becomes very easy for you to complete.

IMPORTANT: If your Stage II paper has significant writing and/or content errors my input will stop and it will be returned for you to deal with on your own for Stage III.

_____Final Outline - Provide a final outline at the front of the paper. Is your outline of sufficient detail? Does it follow logically and do the pieces fit together? Have you used it to better organize your paper? Has it contributed to good paragraph structure, flow and readability?

_____Headings- Headings are not required but they should be listed in your outline. If Stage II feedback indicates that you have problems with organization I would strongly suggest using headings in your paper. Note all major divisions of the paper with clearly identified headings and subheadings. Are the headings accurately describing that section of the paper?

_____Organization - This is directly linked to your outline: again, good outlines produce good internal organization within a paper. I am looking for a logical progression of thought. Are there significant gaps or missing parts? Does the organization of the paper help or hinder the reader's flow? Does each paragraph present a coherent theme?

_____Introductory and Ending Paragraphs - Do your introductory paragraphs, for the paper and for each section of the paper, tell the reader what you are up to? Are your ending paragraphs concise and clear? Are you summarizing the major points of the previous section or passage? Do individual paragraphs exhibit good transitional flow from one thought into another?

____ Transitions - Do individual paragraphs exhibit good transition from one thought into another? Are your transitions smooth or awkward? Is the flow for the reader smooth or are your transitions awkward and distracting from the flow of the paper?

_____Data - Use tables and graphs where you can. How effectively are numbers presented? Are exhibits such as graphs, charts, figures or other visual aids used where they contribute to the readers understanding of the paper? How do they relate to your text? Is the source of the data cited appropriately? Are they professional looking and formatted correctly? Would you hand this in to your immediate boss at your first job?

_____Spelling - "No quarter!" At best, keep a dictionary and thesaurus by your side. At worst, learn to use a spell and grammar checker and do not hand in a paper without using them.

_____Word Choice - Words are important! They give the reader a sense of how deeply you know your subject. Are technical terms used or abused? Is your vocabulary varied or boring? Are you using the terminology learned in this course to explain your thoughts? View writing as an opportunity to expand your vocabulary (i.e., use that thesaurus!)

_____Grammar - Are you following the rules of English grammar? Problems I see frequently include the use of colloquial language; subject-verb-object agreement; fragmented sentences; run-on sentences; punctuation issue; it's/its'; incomplete sentences; and odd capitalization. Can your reader understand you?

_____Content Coverage - Is there evidence that you have read both widely and deeply? Do you discuss alternative perspectives of issues? Is the relevant theory used as a framework for your analysis? Do you draw historical comparisons? Is your paper accurate in the facts? This is not a diatribe - we are writing papers in economics or finance here. All conjectures must have a clear base of fact.

_____Footnotes and Citations -When in doubt, reference! Use the MLA format for all citations and the Works Cited. Plagiarism and its consequences are covered in the syllabus.

_____Works Cited - Your initial working bibliography now becomes Works Cited. Follow the MLA Style for Works Cited. Are your references at an appropriate level or are they so technical that you didn’t get much out of it? Are your references current? Recent references are usually better than dated ones (except classics). Do not overly rely on web sources and Wikipedia is fine in your initial working bibliography but has no place in a final academic paper.

_____MLA Style - The goal of this requirement is to get you to look up a style and follow it. Are you following the MLA style as required? The St. Martin's Guide to Writing or any good College Handbook should be part of your personal library. There is also a web site on my home page which outlines the MLA style completely.

_____Writing Style - Does your paper hold the interest of the reader? Is your paper a pleasure to read? Do your thoughts fit together well; do they flow well? Is your writing choppy or smooth? Sophisticated or crude? Varied or monotonous? Provocative or bland? Engaging or incoherent?

_____Overall Impression - Good writing is more than the sum of its parts; synergy is everything! A well-written paper is a work of art that deserves global, as well as specific, assessment.



________________________________________
All categories of evaluation listed below are rated on a 1 to 5 scale: 5 is excellent, 4 is good, 3 is fair, 2 is poor, and 1 means unacceptable work.

Stage 3: Final Graded Paper.
Hand in Stage 1 and Stage 2 work with the Final Paper. Attach them to the back. IMPORTANT: Simply addressing the notes you receive from Stage II does not earn you an "A" for effort or even a "B". The paper is graded now on the piece you hand it and stands on its own. I am not grading effort: I am grading results.

_____ Summary Abstract (This is the only new requirement for the final paper - all other aspects of my grading replicate Stage II.) Your abstract should provide a brief summation of your research question and your conclusions. It should be labeled as the Summary Abstract, written on a single page, and attached to the front of your paper.

_____Final Outline - Provide a final outline at the front of the paper. Is your outline of sufficient detail? Does it follow logically and do the pieces fit together? Have you used it to better organize your paper? Has it contributed to good paragraph structure, flow and readability?

_____Headings- Headings are not required but they should be listed in your outline. If Stage II feedback indicates that you have problems with organization I would strongly suggest using headings in your paper. Note all major divisions of the paper with clearly identified headings and subheadings. Are the headings accurately describing that section of the paper?

_____Organization - This is directly linked to your outline: again, good outlines produce good internal organization within a paper. I am looking for a logical progression of thought. Are there significant gaps or missing parts? Does the organization of the paper help or hinder the reader's flow? Does each paragraph present a coherent theme?

_____Introductory and Ending Paragraphs - Do your introductory paragraphs, for the paper and for each section of the paper, tell the reader what you are up to? Are your ending paragraphs concise and clear? Are you summarizing the major points of the previous section or passage? Do individual paragraphs exhibit good transitional flow from one thought into another?

____ Transitions - Do individual paragraphs exhibit good transition from one thought into another? Are your transitions smooth or awkward? Is the flow for the reader smooth or are your transitions awkward and distracting from the flow of the paper?

_____Data - Use tables and graphs where you can. How effectively are numbers presented? Are exhibits such as graphs, charts, figures or other visual aids used where they contribute to the readers understanding of the paper? How do they relate to your text? Is the source of the data cited appropriately? Are they professional looking and formatted correctly? Would you hand this in to your immediate boss at your first job?

_____Spelling - "No quarter!" At best, keep a dictionary and thesaurus by your side. At worst, learn to use a spell and grammar checker and do not hand in a paper without using them.

_____Word Choice - Words are important! They give the reader a sense of how deeply you know your subject. Are technical terms used or abused? Is your vocabulary varied or boring? Are you using the terminology learned in this course to explain your thoughts? View writing as an opportunity to expand your vocabulary (i.e., use that thesaurus!)

_____Grammar - Are you following the rules of English grammar? Problems I see frequently include the use of colloquial language; subject-verb-object agreement; fragmented sentences; run-on sentences; punctuation issue; it's/its'; incomplete sentences; and odd capitalization. Can your reader understand you?

_____Content Coverage - Is there evidence that you have read both widely and deeply? Do you discuss alternative perspectives of issues? Is the relevant theory used as a framework for your analysis? Do you draw historical comparisons? Is your paper accurate in the facts? This is not a diatribe - we are writing papers in economics or finance here. All conjectures must have a clear base of fact.

_____Footnotes and Citations -When in doubt, reference! Use the MLA format for all citations and the Works Cited. Plagiarism and its consequences are covered in the syllabus.

_____Works Cited - Your initial working bibliography now becomes Works Cited. Follow the MLA Style for Works Cited. Are your references at an appropriate level or are they so technical that you didn’t get much out of it? Are your references current? Recent references are usually better than dated ones (except classics). Do not overly rely on web sources and Wikipedia is fine in your initial working bibliography but has no place in a final academic paper.

_____MLA Style - The goal of this requirement is to get you to look up a style and follow it. Are you following the MLA style as required? The St. Martin's Guide to Writing or any good College Handbook should be part of your personal library. There is also a web site on my home page which outlines the MLA style completely.

_____Writing Style - Does your paper hold the interest of the reader? Is your paper a pleasure to read? Do your thoughts fit together well; do they flow well? Is your writing choppy or smooth? Sophisticated or crude? Varied or monotonous? Provocative or bland? Effective or incoherent?

_____Overall Impression - Good writing is more than the sum of its parts; synergy is everything! A well-written paper is a work of art that deserves global, as well as specific, assessment.
Final Paper Grade:

Webpage Last Updated on May 18, 2010

email - Dr. Bradley K. Hobbs

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