(1) THESIS- Do you have a clearly articulated thesis? Have you been faithful to the direction and support of your thesis throughout the paper?

(2) ORGANIZATION- Is the organization of your essay clear? Is each paragraph focused on developing a specific point, and do these points all support your thesis? Are paragraphs linked in a logical manner? Do you have clear transitions between paragraphs (and ideas)? Do you develop all of your claims and subclaims?

(3) EVIDENCE-Does the paper reflect a close reading of the materials of the course (this means reading beyond the surface of the texts, applying what is read (and heard) to new and different contexts, and connecting the ideas across contexts)? Do you select evidence and use the evidence to support rather than string quotes? Do you define key terms? Do you use proper citation and documentation guidelines?

(4) GRAMMAR AND OTHER SURFACE FEATURES- Is the paper relatively free of grammatical errors, punctuation errors, and misspellings? Does your writing reflect a growing vocabulary?

(5) ANALYSIS- Do you offer an analysis
of the supporting quotations and evidence you present in your paper? Do you offer an analysis of the assumptions underlying the evidence you have provided in your paper? Do you offer an analysis of the intellectual and historical context of your evidence?

(6) FORMAT-Have you followed any Writing Guidelines provided by your professor and/or department?