The following is a guideline by which your paper will be graded. The final grade will be based upon the overall content and format of the paper.
Content = 50 percent
A
Excellent introduction—interesting, attention-getting
Specific, well developed thesis statement
Paragraphs develop and support the thesis statement well—specific examples given
Transitions are excellent
Organization is excellent
Conclusion is excellent and developed well
B
Introduction not as well developed—interesting and sufficient
Thesis statement is good
Paragraphs develop and support the thesis statement adequately
Issue has been addressed
Transitions are good
Organization is clear
Conclusion is developed adequately
C
Introduction not developed well
Thesis statement is good
Paragraphs develop and support the thesis statement adequately
Issue has been addressed
Transitions are good
Organization is clear
D
Introduction not adequately developed
Thesis statement is weak or not adequately stated
Paragraphs deviate from the thesis statement—off topic
Issue has been barely addressed
Organization is hard to follow
Conclusion is not developed or nonexistent
F
Introduction is inadequate or nonexistent
Thesis statement is weak or nonexistent
Paragraphs deviate from thesis or do not develop thesis
Issue has not been addressed
Transitions are nonexistent
Organization is incoherent
Conclusion is nonexistent
Plagiarism
Mechanics and Format = 50 percent
A
No to few comma splices, fragments, or run-ons
No to few spelling errors
No to few punctuation errors
No to few capitalization errors
No use of first or second person
No to few subject/verb agreement errors
No to few pronoun/antecedent agreement errors
No to few pronoun case or reference errors
No to few tense errors
"Works Cited" page format is excellent
Bibliographical information punctuated excellently
Title page format is excellent
Required paper format followed excellently
Required text length met (5 full pages)
MLA in-text citation format is excellent
Required number of sources cited met (5)
B
Minimal comma splices, fragments, or run-ons
Minimal spelling errors
Minimal punctuation errors
Minimal capitalization errors
No use of first or second person
Minimal subject/verb agreement errors
Minimal pronoun/antecedent agreement errors
Minimal pronoun case or reference errors
Minimal tense errors
"Works Cited" page format is good
Bibliographical information punctuated well
Title page format is good
Required paper format followed well
Required text length met (5 full pages)
MLA in-text citation format errors are minimal
Required number of sources cited met (5)
C
Some comma splices, fragments, or run-ons
Some spelling errors
Some punctuation errors
Some capitalization errors
Occasional use of first or second person
Some subject/verb agreement errors
Some pronoun/antecedent agreement errors
Some pronoun case or reference errors
Some tense errors
"Works Cited" page format is adequate
Bibliographic information punctuated adequately
Title page format is adequate
Required text length (5 full pages) not met
MLA in-text citation format errors are frequent
Required number of sources cited (5) not met
D
Numerous comma splices, fragments, or run-ons
Numerous spelling errors
Numerous punctuation errors
Numerous capitalization errors
Frequent use of first or second person
Numerous subject/verb agreement errors
Numerous pronoun/antecedent agreement errors
Numerous pronoun case or reference errors
Numerous tense errors
"Works Cited" page format is poor
Bibliographical information punctuated poorly
Title page format is poor
Required paper format followed poorly
Required text length (5 full pages) not met
MLA in-text citation format is poor or incorrect
Required number of sources (5) not met
F
Numerous/consistent comma splices, fragments, or run-ons
Numerous/consistent spelling errors
Numerous/consistent punctuation errors
Numerous/consistent capitalization errors
Numerous/consistent use of first or second person
Numerous/consistent subject/verb agreement errors
Numerous/consistent pronoun/antecedent agreement errors
Numerous/consistent pronoun case or reference errors
Numerous/consistent tense errors
"Works Cited" page format is incorrect or nonexistent
Bibliographical information punctuated incorrectly
Title page format is incorrect or nonexistent
Required paper format not followed
Required text length (5 full pages) not met
MLA in-text citation format is incorrect or nonexistent
Required number of sources cited (5) not met
Plagiarism
Use this checklist when you think you have finished with your research paper to verify you have avoided some of the most common errors of writers of research papers.
HEADING
A. Does the paper heading contain all of the required information?
1.Name
2.Teachers’ Names—Did you spell the teachers’ names correctly?
3.Course Titles
4.Date—Was the MLA date format used where the day is given first, then the month, and then the year (e.g., 9 January 2001)?
B. Is all the information in the heading double-spaced?
C. Is the paper titled? The title is double-spaced and centered after the heading over the first line of the text of the paper.
BODY OF PAPER
A. Is the paper formatted properly? Note, the teacher does not want to hear such statements as: "The computer wouldn’t do what it was supposed to do." All computers are capable of doing the following, so learn how to do these, find someone who
does, or suffer the consequences!
1. Do all pages have a one-inch top, bottom, left, and right margin?
2. Is the paper double-spaced?
3.Is a proper-sized font used? Times New Roman 12 point is a proper-sized font and should be used in all cases.
4.Does each page of the paper—including the outline, first page, and works cited—have the proper header in the upper right-hand corner of the page one-half inch from the top? The header needs to contain your last name and the page number.
5. Is everything stapled in the correct order? Please, you only need to staple the paper. Do not put the paper in a folder or binder. Staple the components of the paper in the following order:
a. Body of Paper
b. Appendix (optional)
c. Works Cited Page
d. Bibliography (optional)
B. Does the paper have a clear, strong introduction? The introduction should get the reader’s attention with an appropriate
attention-getting device, transition toward the thesis, and end with the thesis statement. The introduction should be
interesting, should flow smoothly, and should make the point(s) to be proven through the research. Since it makes the first
impression on the reader, the introduction should be taken very seriously.
C. Does the paper have a good, strong thesis statement?
A. Poor, weak thesis statement: "World War I had many causes."
B. Good, strong thesis statement: "World War I was caused by the rise of nationalism along with massive military buildups and the creation of competing alliances throughout Europe."
C. Is the thesis statement supported by three to five main points?
D. Is equal support given to all main points?
E. Is the paper paragraphed properly?
1.Do paragraphs have a topic sentence and a closing sentence?
2.Does the content in each paragraph develop and stick to the topic sentence?
3.Are any of the paragraphs overly long? If they are, it might be a good idea to divide that paragraph into a few smaller paragraphs.
4.Are any of the paragraphs extremely short? Remember, a paragraph does not consist of a single sentence. A good
rule is to have a minimum of five to seven sentences per paragraph.
G. Have clear transitions been used between ideas within paragraphs and between paragraphs?
H. Do all paragraphs relate to one of the main points? Remember, try to stay focused and do not include information that is irrelevant!
I. Have such words as "this," "that," "these," and "those" to function as subjects in sentences been avoided? This construction leads to indefinite references.
1.Sentence with an indefinite reference: "This is very good."
2.Sentence avoiding the indefinite reference: "This paper is very good."
J. Is everything documented that needs to be documented?
1.Are all quotations documented directly?
2.Are all facts and figures documented even if they are not quoted? Remember, though, that common knowledge should not be documented. For example, if the following statement appeared in the paper, it should not be documented: "The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, just before 0700 hours."
K. Is all documentation done correctly?
1.Parenthetical references contain the last name of the author(s) and the page(s) on which the material can be found.
2.If the author is unknown, a shortened form of the title (correctly punctuated) should be used. The first important word of the title under which it was alphabetized in the Works Cited should be used.
3.If the last citation you made within the paragraph was from the same source, only the page number needs to be included in the citation. But once a new paragraph begins, a full citation must be given again.
4.Marks of punctuation come after the citation unless a block quotation is used, in which case the mark of punctuation comes before the citation.
L. If quotations were used, were they used properly? Everyone is encouraged to quote specific passages from other sources.
When quoting, though, be sure to observe the following rules:
1. Use quotations sparingly.
2. Do not just stick a quotation into a paper. All quotations should be introduced or blended into your sentences. When attributing a quotation to a specific person, give that person’s credentials; it makes what they have to say more meaningful and credible. Also, make sure the quotation relates to the previous sentence(s). There must be good continuity.
3. Carefully choose the information quoted. Make sure the quotation serves some purpose and would not have been better served to have been paraphrased. Do not quote specific dates or statistics.
4. Keep quotations short. Try to avoid quoting entire paragraphs or pages of text. If a quotation runs over four lines (about 100 words), a block quotation must be used. To make a block quotation, indent the entire quotation an extra one inch from the left margin. Also, in a block quotation, the punctuation comes before the citation, and quotation marks are not used.
5. Do not hesitate to ask if there is any uncertainty. The effective use of quotations can be tricky.
M. Is the paper free from the use of first person (I, my, mine, we, our) and second person (you, your)? Note, if the first or second person appears in a direct quotation, it is acceptable.
N. Is the paper free from the use of contractions (it’s, isn’t, we’re, they’re, etc.)?
O. Is the paper free from the use of abbreviations? Note, even the use of common abbreviations such as "U.S." for "United States" should be avoided. However, the acronym for an agency with a long name may be used if the agency’s complete name
the is written out the first time it is used and appropriate acronym is indicated afterwards in parentheses. For example, NASA may be used in subsequent references if it was properly identified the first time it was used as follows: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
P. Is everything spelled correctly? Note, running the computer’s spell check may not be enough to catch misused words such as "there" and "their," "affect" and "effect," "except" and "accept," etc.
Q. Is everything punctuated correctly?
R. Does the paper include a clear, strong conclusion? The concluding paragraph makes the last impression on the reader, so it should be considered as important as the introduction. Begin the conclusion with a restatement of the thesis, but do not
use the exact wording. Then summarize the main argument in three or four sentences. Finally, end your paper with a creative, thought-provoking idea that gives the paper a feeling of finality. Do not begin the conclusion with the words "in conclusion" or other such expressions.
S. Does the paper integrate all sources used? Note, a research paper is not a summary of one source with a fact or two from other sources thrown in for good measure!
T. Has someone else read the paper? Having someone else read the paper is a good idea. They are much more likely to catch a mistake, especially if the paper was written at the last moment.
U. Is the paper free from plagiarism? Note, the passages from another source cannot simply be copied word-for-word! These passages must either be quoted or paraphrased and must be documented! Plagiarism will result in automatic failure!
WORKS CITED PAGE
A. Does the Works Cited page contain all sources used and only those sources actually cited somewhere in the paper? Note, if other sources have been consulted but have not actually been cited in the paper, they may be included in a separate Bibliography, but the Works Cited page is not the place.
B. Is the Works Cited page labeled and formatted properly? See the "Formatting an MLA Research Paper" model for specifics.
C. Does the Works Cited page contain at least the minimum number of sources required?
D. Are all entries documented properly? Note, you must capitalize all important words in a title, even if they were not capitalized in the actual title.
E. Are all sources alphabetized by the author’s last name or the first important word in the title if the author is unknown? Note, the bibliographic citations are not numbered.