Scoring Rubric

A) Abstract	5
Are all the essential components present?
Is the language clear?
B) Introduction	20
Is the topic area introduced in an effective manner?
Is the research question or area apparent early on in the introduction?
Is the literature reviewed in an effective manner?
Is the focus on concepts rather than individual findings?
Has a rational for the study been built?
Are there clear hypotheses and predictions?
C) Materials and Methods	15
Are all method components present?
Is there sufficient detail?
D) Results	20
Are findings presented in a clear manner?
Are results repeated unnecessarily?
Effective use of visual presentation of findings
Are all results presented?
Are statistics presented?
E) Discussion	20
Clear statement of findings
Interpretation of results
Are findings related back to the literature?
Are shortfalls and flaws addressed?
Is there an overall conclusion that summarizes the study effectively?
F) Style	10
Is the primary literature cited effectively and appropriately?
Has publication style been followed?
Are figures clear?
G) Strength of writing	10
Lack of spelling and grammatical mistakes?
Well organized intro and discussion?
Interesting an engaging?
Evidence of creative input and interpretation as opposed to simply a review of the literature?