Product Purchase Recommendation Evaluation Criteria
1) Introduction: Does the paper have an accurate title? Does it have an introduction which addresses the needs of a clearly defined readership, and clearly forecasts the main points the paper is going to make and the reasoning supporting them?
2) Body of Argument: Does the paper clearly argue a thesis that unifies its structure? Do paragraphs occur in a logical order that is clearly explained in paragraph transition? Is the evidence appropriate and sufficient? Are sources carefully handled with care for their authority and reliability? Does the conclusion do more than merely summarize the argument?
3) Mechanics and Scholarly Style: Are sentences and paragraphs coherent and complete? Is usage accurate? Does the paper correctly follow MLA documentation style for in-text source citations? Is the reader certain where information is coming from and is it paraphrased rather than directly quoted except when quotes are essential? Is the Works Cited section properly formatted?
If you compare these criteria with those used to evaluate the next two papers, you will notice that some criteria appear in different orders, and other criteria are added to the ones you see here. The "PPR" assignment is a "bridge" paper designed to let writers demonstrate what they learned in last semester's composition instruction, and to establish some basic rules for integrating research into the lives and products of English 105 students. The next two assignments ask for significantly more advanced analytical skills on more abstract topics (i.e., elements of short stories or films rather than micro-wave ovens or portable music players). The next two assignments also begin to require that most or all secondary sources must be scholarly, peer-reviewed sources. Understanding the reasons for these two changes will require "information literacy" skills and changed attitudes toward written authority that may take some students months to learn, but they are essential to successful work in upper division courses.