Schoolcraft College Writing Fellows

Quality Standards
for Research Papers
Handout #007

The following quality standards were developed by the Department of English at Schoolcraft College. The highlighted words will give you additional information about the concept; information that includes an explanation as well as resources to learn more about it.

Quality Standards for ENG 102 Papers

1. A satisfactory introduction provides necessary background information, names or limits the topic or scope of the paper, and suggests or states a thesis.

1. What is the topic of the paper?
2. What is the scope of the paper?
3. What is the thesis of the paper as stated in or suggested by the introductory paragraph?
4. Is enough background information provided in the opening paragraph so that the reader appreciates the author’s point of view?
5. Does the first paragraph make the reader want to continue the paper?

2. Source materials and research skills are considered satisfactory when the paper or report includes a variety of credible and timely primary and secondary source materials relevant to the topic. These sources must be referenced clearly, paraphrased fairly and accurately, and quoted with accuracy using quotation marks or indention. All sources referenced in the text of the paper should be cited in a Works Cited or References list as all citations should follow MLA documentation format. A research paper or report that does not use, reference, or document source material is less than satisfactory.

1. How many sources are used in the paper?
2. Do the sources appear to be credible, timely, and accurate?
3. Are there any omissions in the types of materials that were researched?
4. Does there appear to be any bias in the research material that the author choose to cite?
5. Does the author use appropriate MLA citation [or other appropriate citation] for quotations and references?
6. Do the quotations appear to be accurate?
7. Are there any quotations that should be paraphrased?
8. Do the quotations assist the reader in getting a better understanding of the thesis?

3. Satisfactory organization and development is achieved through clear paragraphing, orderly essay structure, adequate support of generalizations, and topic unity. More specifically, supporting paragraphs develop the thesis satisfactorily by using clear topic sentences, meaningful and relevant evidence, illustration, or analysis while they maintain order, unity, and coherence.

1. Do paragraphs have clear topic sentences?
2. If there a natural flow from one paragraph into another?
3. Are there any paragraphs that do not seem to advance the thesis of the paper?
4. Are generalizations supported with specific examples?
5. Are there any logical fallacies in the paper?

4. Articulation and Style are satisfactory when sentences are clear and concise and the paper is free of grammatical errors.

1. Could you identify any grammatical errors in the paper? (Please mark any errors on the paper.)
2. Could you identify any sentences that were not clear and concise? (Please mark any errors on the paper.)

5. A conclusion is satisfactory when it reiterates the paper's or report’s focus in a new way, reviews or summarizes the paper’s main points, and/or provides a recommendation, argument, or point with which to end the discourse meaningfully.

1. Does the conclusion
1. _____reiterate the paper’s focus in a new way?
2. _____review or summarize the paper’s main points?
3. _____provide recommendation, argument, or point to end the paper meaningfully?
2. If none of the three categories above is marked, how might the concluding paragraph be improved?

6. What was the one part of the paper that you liked the best?

7. If you could only make one suggestion for improvement, what would it be?

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Schoolcraft College Writing Fellows
18600 Haggerty
Livonia, MI 48152
734-462-4400 (ext. 5292)
fellows@schoolcraft.edu