RESEARCH PAPER GRADING CRITERIA

The paper is organized around a critically considered, original and well-documented thesis, with an introductory paragraph, a well-developed middle, and an appropriate conclusion. The content of the paper is accurate. Points raised are factually grounded, and conclusions are based on a careful consideration of verifiable (empirical) examples.

The paper expands upon and applies larger thematic and methodological issues raised in class regarding the topic discussed. The paper makes explicit use of anthropological concepts and principles in its analysis. In addition, it displays skepticism (critical thinking) and originality in examining "the thinking behind the thinking" by raising important questions beyond relying on the content of sources consulted.

The paper has a cover-page, a body, a bibliography and an appendix, if needed. Charts, tables and graphs are created using Excel or PowerPoint, and display original research. They are also footnoted if they contain data published elsewhere. Useful illustrations are also included.

The body of the paper is at least 10 pages long (excluding charts, graphs, tables, illustrations and references) in 12 point Times Roman font with 1" margins on all four sides of the page and with .5" headers and footers. Pages are numbered. There are no more than 3 grammar and/or spelling errors in the paper.

The paper includes a minimum of 10 pertinent sources (scholarly books and peer-reviewed articles) referenced more than once in the body of the paper. Other sources include a combination of books, newspaper articles (if appropriate), government documents, and no web sites, except in very unique circumstances.

The paper is organized around a coherent and well-documented thesis, with a beginning, middle and an end. The content of the paper is mainly accurate and the topic selected addresses the assignment.

The paper may be somewhat limited or lacking in critical thinking and original ideas or observations. The paper makes reference to anthropological concepts and principles but fails to systematically incorporate them in its hypothesis or in the overall analysis.

The paper has a cover-page, a body, a bibliography and an appendix, if needed. Charts, tables and graphs are presented neatly, labeled and footnoted if they present data published elsewhere. Illustrations may or may not be included.

The body of the paper is at least 9 pages long (excluding charts, tables, graphs, illustrations and references) in 12 point Times Roman font with 1" margins on all four sides of the page and .5" headers and footers. Pages are numbered. There are no more than 5 grammar and/or spelling errors in the paper.

The paper includes a minimum of 9 pertinent sources (scholarly books and peer-reviewed articles) referenced more than once in the body of the paper; other sources are a combination of books, newspaper articles (if appropriate), government documents, and no web sites, except in very unique circumstances.

There is a general but unclearly presented presented thesis, There is too much regurgitation of sources, and not enough discussion of a thesis. The paper lacks coherency or is not well written. There is a poor selection of sources and not much use of specific examples.

The paper shows a general understanding of an issue, but is largely descriptive; summarizing sources, rather than being analytical. The paper relies heavily on opinions and generalizations. There is no depth of discussion or consideration of subtle issues and implications. Critical thinking and original ideas are largely lacking.

There may be problems with the content and accuracy of the paper. There is little use of specific facts, and conclusions may be based on an insufficient consideration of the available information. There are no charts, tables, graphs or other illustrations.

The paper has a body and a bibliography; it may be missing a cover-page, or an appendix. Charts, tables, graphs and illustrations are missing or are of poor quality. There are problems with the formatting of the paper.

The body of the paper is at least 8 pages long (excluding charts, tables, graphs, illustrations and references) in 12 point Times Roman font with 1" margins on all four sides of the page with .5" headers and footers. Pages are numbered. There are significant (more than 5) grammar and/or spelling errors in the paper.

The paper includes a minimum of 8 pertinent sources (scholarly books and peer-reviewed articles) referenced more than once in the body of the paper; other sources are a combination of books, newspaper articles (if appropriate), government documents, and no web sites, except in very unique circumstances.

The paper does not address the topic and is poorly written. It is poorly organization and lacks a coherent thesis. The beginning, middle or end may be missing. The paper demonstrates a lack of understanding and/or a lack of effort in exploring the topic. There is little use of specific facts, and conclusions may be largely unverified opinions.

The paper has a body and a bibliography. It may be missing a cover-page, a table of contents, or the appendix. Charts, tables or graphs are missing, as are useful illustrations. There are problems with the formatting of the paper.

The body of the paper is about 7 pages long (excluding charts, tables, graphs, illustrations and references). It uses 12 point Times Roman font with 1" margins on all four sides of the page with .5" headers and footers. Pages are numbered. There are a significant number (more than 6) grammar and/or spelling errors in the paper.

The paper includes a minimum of 7 pertinent sources (scholarly books and peer-reviewed articles) referenced more than once in the body of the paper; other sources are largely non-scholarly sources and consist partially of web sources,

The paper is devoid of organization and content. It is very poorly written. Little understanding or effort was put into this paper. It is missing sections such as a cover-page, bibliography or appendix. There are serious problems with the formatting of the paper.

The body of the paper is less than 7 pages long (excluding charts, tables, graphs and illustrations) in 12 point Times Roman font with 1" margins on all four sides of the page with .5" headers and footers. There are very significant (more than 8) grammar and/or spelling errors in the paper.

The paper includes less than 7 pertinent sources (scholarly books and peer-reviewed articles) referenced more than once in the body of the paper; and depends heavily on non-scholarly sources, including web pages.

Zero Points:

The paper is devoid of content. There may be no bibliography, charts, tables, graphs, etc. The content relies heavily or exclusively on Internet sources for paper.

The body of the paper is less than 6 pages long with few sources. The sources may be largely Internet sites. The paper does not follow any formatting guidelines. There are very significant (more than 10) grammar and/or spelling errors in the paper.