Thesis – the thesis is brilliantly original, clearly demarcated, and concise. It answers the prompt holistically.
Organization – Organization is clearly demarcated by topic sentences. Paragraphs are neither too short or too long. The paper has transitions and flows well.
Images do not count towards your source requirements (your sources must be text) if you choose to find primary sources outside of class be sure they are primary sources rather than secondary. Both of your secondary sources should be peer reviewed. This means referencing books, articles, or online databases directly from the library or university website. You may use additional websites (.org or .edu only) but these do not count towards your secondary source requirement.
Primary Sources –
the author wisely chose and understands the primary sources in the paper. Pages are utilized well in the service of a broader argument. 3 primary sources are to be used, and at least one has to be from a source I provide.
Secondary Sources – the author wisely chose and understand the secondary sources in the paper. Passages are utilized well in the service of a broader argument. 2 secondary sources must be used.
You need to cite every source of information you use. You must use Chicago citation style. This means that works must be cited in-text (using footnotes), and in bibliography
Technicalities – these are no technical errors. Writing is creative, elegant, and persuasive. The author employs appropriate and clever word choice.
- Have a title that addresses/summarizes the argument and themes of the paper
- Have a strong, incisive, and well-defined thesis
- Have a graceful, well crafted introduction and conclusion
- Have strong topic sentences for each paragraph, which summarize the content of the paragraph and demonstrate clear links to the overall argument of the paper
- Include meaningful citations of course materials, including at least one primary source
- Be effectively organized
- Show signs of close and careful proofreading