Argumentative topic must be related to
Memphis Tennessee!
Checklist for Final Research Paper
REMEMBER: A Turnitin score of more than 25% is too high!
This CHECKLLIST must be completed and submitted along with your final research paper.
Title:
______ Is my title strong and punctuated correctly? Are important words capitalized?
Topic:
______Is my topic ARGUMENTATIVE, and does it center around something specifically in my community?
Length:
______Is the text of my paper (excluding the Works Cited page) at least 8 pages?
Outline:
______Have I completed a strong outline that will help me organize this essay? (This outline does not have to be submitted—but you certainly need to work from an outline to organize your essay.)
Text:
______Is my introduction clear, and does it get the reader’s attention?
______Is my thesis statement ONE sentence, and does it show both the purpose and direction of my paper?
______Is my thesis statement in BOLD FONT?
______Does each paragraph have a thesis-connected topic sentence?
______Does each developmental paragraph contain information from at least TWO sources? Every idea should be fully researched.
______Is information from a source clearly introduced and distinguished from my ideas?
______Are all quotations properly introduced, and have I properly led out of them as well?
______Have I been careful not to quote directly more than 10-15% of my paper?
_______Are parenthetical citations in proper MLA format, and are they punctuated correctly?
______Is each paragraph unified?
______Is there coherence, primarily smooth movement/transition as I move into a new paragraph? The paper needs to read as a coherent whole, not as separate paragraphs with no relevance to each other.
______Is there enough supporting information for each point/paragraph in the paper?
_____Does my conclusion avoid the words “In conclusion,” and does it briefly restate my thesis (in different words) and branch out to show the overall appeal and relevance of my study?
Works Cited:
______Am I using proper format for this page—including proper indentation and spacing? REMEMBER: Entries are NOT numbered. You can immediately find online correct samples of MLA Works Cited pages. (When I grade your papers, I look first at the Works Cited page because it shows the amount of research you have done and also your close attention to MLA guidelines.)
______Is each entry in correct MLA format?
______Have I alphabetized my entries according to the author’s last name or the first important word in the title if there is no author?
______Is everything double-spaced?
______Have I included here ALL sources which I have cited in my paper?
______Have I included ONLY sources which I have cited in my paper?
OVERALL:
______Is my paper error-free?
______Is my paper college-level quality?
Turnitin Report:
______Is my Turnitin score less than 25%?
The AI score, which my instructor can see, MUST be 0%.
Grading Rubric
ORGANIZATION: 15% = ______/45
Introduction with strong thesis statement (in bold font)
Paper following MLA guidelines, including title of paper, headings, double-spacing, margins, etc.
Body/Developmental paragraphs that begin with clear, thesis-related topic sentences
Each body paragraph maintaining unity, staying with and never straying from support of the thesis statement
COHERENCE: 10% = ______/30
Each body paragraph in the paper showing both logical and smooth flow from the preceding paragraph
Transitions included at beginning of paragraphs
SUPPORT: 30% = ______/90
Relevant, specific support in each body paragraph that proves the truth of your thesis statement
In a research paper, showing that each body paragraph contains information from at least two strong sources (Using one source for a paragraph is not blended, supportive research. You must show that you have researched each idea (shown in each paragraph) fully.
DOCUMENTATION: 25% = ______/75
Citing sources parenthetically in MLA format inside the paper, right after you paraphrase or quote ANY information that comes from a source
Showing no more than 10-15% of a paper that is directly quoted, even though 80% or more of the paper might be cited. Careful paraphrase is required.
Entering each of the sources you have cited inside the paper on a proper MLA Works Cited page—in properly indented, properly spaced, alphabetical order, following all the guidelines for MLA format.
GRAMMAR/MECHANICS: 15% = ______/45
Errors in grammar or mechanics are not acceptable. Spend ample time
proofreading and editing.
TOTAL GRADE: /300
