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Content
- Research Question - have you developed a deep, detailed answer to your
research question?
- Breadth of Evidence - exploration of a question can be most persuasive
when supported by a range of kinds of evidence. Have you drawn on a
variety of kinds of sources, taking advantage of the kinds of knowledge
and information that can be drawn from each (statistics, history,
experience, opinion, etc.)?
- Reliability of Sources - personal homepages and college newspapers are
sometimes unreliable! Have you used quality sources, found corroboration
when necessary, and thought critically about what you include?
Organization
- Framing of Sources - Any source worth drawing on ought to be fully
exploited, through a careful selection of quotation and deliberate framing
of the material. Have you adequately "set-up" and "commented-upon" any
source quoted or summarized?
- Conclusions from Sources - Sometimes an interesting bit of
information, a figure or statement does not say quite what we think. Have
you carefully checked the inferences made from given sources?
- Thesis/Conclusion - Do your thesis statement and conclusion adequately
frame all that comes in between? Check to see that "off-topic" paragraphs
haven't been included.
- Paragraph Coherence - Each paragraph should have a central idea,
classically articulated in the topic sentence. Check each paragraph to see
if you can restate its central idea; if you cannot do it, it may not have
one.
- Paragraph Sequence - The order of composition (how you drafted) does
not necessarily make the best reading sequence. Often introductory
thoughts occur last. Quickly skim or outline your essay and judge whether
you have chosen the most compelling sequence for your readers.
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