ASSESSMENT
Your essays will be assessed on the following criteria (highlighted lines are often trouble points for students and are particularly important) The TA’s will mark the essay using a rubric based on the criteria below and will provide both comments within the text as well as general comments along with the final grade.
1. A Clearly Stated Thesis – what you are trying to demonstrate or prove. (20%)
2. Argument to support your thesis: (30%)
– analysis of the subject matter; not just description
– setting out key issues
– essay flows from one point to the next
– addresses key points on the other side of the argument
3. Effective use of a variety of good sources (20%)
– use at least five books or articles including one reference from a scholarly journal from last five years (automatic deduction of 5% if bibliography does not include this)
– using relevant articles, books and other materials
– demonstrating familiarity with the literature of the subject
– quotations properly used
– careful use of websites
– footnotes and references correctly done
– APA or Author-date style of footnoting is preferred
–bibliography
4. Relevant subject material – leave out irrelevant material (10%)
5. Organization and style (20%)
– paper is well written
– good construction of paragraphs
– essay concludes; does not just end.
– mechanics (spelling, punctuation, grammar etc.)