The topic is not valuable and not relevant; the topic may be impossible to discern; the paper makes little to no contribution to the audience’s knowledge; in a thesis-driven paper, the thesis is unclear or absent; the writer shows significantly limited understanding of the subject.
The analysis does not support the paper’s purpose or conclusion; the writer’s ideas are not comprehensible; the writer exhibits little to no understanding of the issues; the writer’s reasoning is significantly flawed, unconvincing, or incomplete.
The support for the overall argument (topic + analysis) is severely lacking; the writer uses inappropriate source materials or none at all; the source materials are not integrated into a coherent whole; the evidence for the writer’s ideas is insufficient or absent.
Visual content is ineffective, irrelevant, inconsistent, or absent; visuals not referred to within the text.
ORGANIZATION
Inadequate (F):
The paper does not have a discernible organizing principle; the paper’s structure significantly detracts from the paper’s purpose and meaning; the paper’s structure interferes with the reader’s access to the writer’s ideas and information.
Paragraph structure, length, and sequence are significantly flawed.
Key ideas are absent, unclear, or inaccessible. Readers find it very difficult to find them. Any supporting text seems disconnected from key ideas and haphazardly located.
Sentence order seems haphazard.
Introductions, conclusions, point sentences, and transitions are absent or interfere with the reader’s access to the writer’s ideas and information.
ACCESSIBILITY
Inadequate (F)
Syntax detracts from or is inappropriate to both the topic and the subsequent analysis and support. Intended context is ambiguous or incomplete.
Editing errors are numerous and persistent and interfere with comprehension.
Layout is weak, perhaps indiscernible; balance, alignment, and grouping are unordered; navigation of the text is restricted. Visuals are haphazardly placed in the text, if present at all.
Formatting inhibits the organizational elements; titles, headings and subheadings, bullets and lists, and typographical devices are limited, if present; visuals are improperly labeled, if at all, or are not present.
