Research Paper Rubric
State Goal 3.B.4a
 

	Beginning	Developing	Accomplished	Exemplary	Score
Introduction	No introduction present	Thesis statement is unclear Tone may or may not be established	Thesis statement is clear Tone is established	Thesis statement is clear Catches the reader's attention through the use of an anecdote, example, startling fact, quote, or background information Tone is established
10 points	0 points	4 points	8 points	10 points
Body	Focus of each paragraph is unclear Paragraphs are not organized in a logical manner Little or no use of transitions Not enough supporting details Contains inaccurate information	Focus of some paragraphs may be unclear Paragraphs are somewhat organized in a logical manner Little use of transitions Not enough supporting details May contain some inaccurate information	Focus of each paragraph is clear Paragraphs are organized in a logical manner Transitions are used Appropriate amount of supporting details All information is accurate Uses some descriptive language Sentence length is somewhat varied	Focus of each paragraph is clear Paragraphs are organized in a logical manner  Transitions are used Appropriate amount of supporting details All information is accurate Uses descriptive language Language is sophisticated Sentence length is varied
25 points	15 points	20 points	23 points	25 points
Conclusion	No conclusion present	Does not contain a reminder of the thesis statement or simply restates the thesis word-for-word	Restates thesis statement  Summarizes major points	Closes with a final idea or example OR ends with a comment on the topic
10 points	0 points	4 points	8 points	10 points
Mechanics	Six or more errors in any of the categories	Four to six errors in any of the categories	Two or three errors in any of the categories	Uses correct heading 1-2 pages in length Double-spaced throughout 12 pt. font  Includes an appropriate title Tense is consistent Uses third person throughout No fragments or run-ons Correct punctuation Correct grammar Proper use of colons, semicolons Proper use of apostrophes Does not use contractions Combines sentences when possible
10 points	2 points	4 points	8 points	10 points

		Last updated on August 15, 1999. Based on a template from The WebQuest Page