Honors Ethics - Proofreading Checklist - Essay Grading Rubric
Argument/Interpretation
Essay addresses prompt completely. All parts fully addressed.
Thesis(es) is clear, plausible, insightful. Shows evidence that student has read and understood text(s) and issues..
Key terms and concepts defined where appropriate.
Explicit or implicit assumptions of author or work identified when relevant.
Relevant, convincing, and valid evidence supports points made. Relevant and convincing example(s) support, clarify, and illustrate. Arguments or positions of others accurately presented and analyzed. Questions to ask yourself: Have you given your reader convincing reasons to accept your thesis, interpretation, or position? Do you use citations, examples, analogies, etc. to illustrate, clarify, or support the thesis? Have you accurately presented the position of the philosopher(s) your essay discusses?
Strengths and Weaknesses of argument recognized. Alternative points of view recognized and charitably entertained. Obvious objections posed and answered.
Connections Drawn when relevant between the material addressed and other material from this course, other courses, personal experience, etc. Student builds upon previous work and experience. Relation to concepts, positions, thinkers, artists, etc. covered in this class made clear or insights utilized
+Creativity. Student thinks outside the box. Has an original yet relevant take on the question or an original interpretation that he or she supports well.
Structure/Organization
1. Structure is logical. Each paragraph plays a role in the overall development of the thesis or interpretation. A reader may easily outline the essay. You may want to include a "roadmap" to the essay for the reader in the first paragraph.
2. Introductory and concluding paragraphs are strong.
3. Smooth transitions between paragraphs. Headings and/or transitional sentences guide reader.
4. Topic sentence(s) of each paragraph clear and easily identified.
Helpful online advice - http://www.jimpryor.net/teaching/guidelines/writing.html Especially Section on “Make the Structure of your Paper Obvious"
Spelling, Grammar, Style
Correct Spelling: Use spell check! Words spell check won't catch: affect/effect, except/accept, it's/its, outweigh, their/there, principle/principal, dilemma, loose/lose, family's/families, weather/whether, to/too/two, then/than, prophesy/prophecy
Grammar and Style - A grammar checker can be useful: Setting your grammar checker. Helpful Site: Brian's Common Errors in English
1. Long, complex passive and/or run-on sentences avoided. (Sue hit the ball is usually better than The ball was hit by Sue. –unless you are emphasizing the ball on purpose .) See Turabian (7th ed.) Section 11.1 (pages 109-117)--very helpful examples.
2. Sentences do not end with a preposition.
3. Subject/verb agreement. He is. They are. (Not: they is)
4. Infinitives. "To run swiftly" not "to swiftly run." "Not to run" rather than "to not run". "Try to do" not "try and do."
5. Thing. Avoid the use of the words thing(s) or something when possible. What things? Specify. Instead of "Courage is a key thing" write "Courage is a key virtue."
Citation - Cite Carefully. Plagiarism is totally unacceptable!
1. Quotations introduced smoothly. Reference to the author or text is often best: As Aristotle argues, "........" (115). As Plato's Republic indicates, "......" (68-69). See our class text, Turabian (7th edition) has excellent advice on incorporating quotations in Section 25.
2. Quotations identified with quotations marks unless five lines or longer. Quotations longer than five lines indented with no quotation marks needed.
3. Quotations or resource materials properly attributed in a standard citation form such as MLA, Turabian (Chicago Manual of Style), or APA, but with page numbers added. Must have a Works Consulted/Reference List/Bibliography page.
4. If a source is followed closely, it is quoted. Do not simply change a few words in a sentence.
5. Cite quotations and use of an idea or structure, etc. including very loose paraphrase. More information on when to cite and how to cite is available in our class text, Turabian (7th edition) Sections 15 and 25.
4. Citations NOT made up. Guessing about correct source or inventing source is not acceptable.
5. ALL sources used including personal communications, internet material, other student papers, etc. are cited. Turabian gives many examples of all types of sources.
***** WHEN IN DOUBT, CITE. If you plagiarize, you will receive at minimum a zero on the essay. For more information about academic integrity including citing sources see the Dean of Students site at http://www.students.uidaho.edu/default.aspx?pid=45708
Instructions for citation formatting for both note and parenthetical (in-text) citation styles can be found in our class text Turabian 7th ed. The Landmark Citation Machine http://citationmachine.net/ can help as well. You can also find formatting in several styles for books in World Cat at http://www.worldcat.org/ There is a YOUTUBE video on how to use the World Cat citation features at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8W7kWMrVNk Purdue's Owl website also useful. Zotero free bibliographical software also great!
Format - Proper margins, fonts, spacing, paragraph numbering, page numbering, 12 point font, etc.
One inch to 1-1/4 inch margins on all sides. Double-spacing of main body of paper. Twelve point font. Each page numbered. Each paragraph numbered. Thesis iolded. Book titles and journal titles italicized. Foreign language words italicized. Outline of essay attached. Title page with name, course and section, and prompt for essay.