Effectively formulates a clear description of the research problem, concept, or idea, and specifies major elements to be examined; selects and prioritizes information appropriate to addressing the research problem, concept, or idea; accurately and appropriately analyzes and interprets relevant research information; precisely and effectively applies appropriate research methods, techniques, models, frameworks, and/or theories in developing and justifying multiple solutions or conclusions; solutions or conclusions are insightful, coherent, well supported, logically consistent, and complete.

Effectively formulates a clear description of the research problem, concept, or idea, and specifies major elements to be examined; selects and prioritizes information appropriate to addressing the research problem, concept, or idea; accurately and appropriately analyzes and interprets relevant research information; precisely and effectively applies appropriate research methods, techniques, models, frameworks, and/or theories in developing and justifying multiple solutions or conclusions; solutions or conclusions are insightful, coherent, well supported, logically consistent, and complete.

Effectively formulates a clear description of the research problem, concept, or idea, and specifies major elements to be examined; selects and prioritizes information appropriate to addressing the research problem, concept, or idea; accurately and appropriately analyzes and interprets relevant research information; precisely and effectively applies appropriate research methods, techniques, models, frameworks, and/or theories in developing and justifying multiple solutions or conclusions; solutions or conclusions are insightful, coherent, well supported, logically consistent, and complete

Effectively formulates a clear description of the research problem, concept, or idea, and specifies major elements to be examined; selects and prioritizes information appropriate to addressing the research problem, concept, or idea; accurately and appropriately analyzes and interprets relevant research information; precisely and effectively applies appropriate research methods, techniques, models, frameworks, and/or theories in developing and justifying multiple solutions or conclusions; solutions or conclusions are insightful, coherent, well supported, logically consistent, and complete. Effectively formulates a clear description of the research problem, concept, or idea, and specifies major elements to be examined; selects and prioritizes information appropriate to addressing the research problem, concept, or idea; accurately and appropriately analyzes and interprets relevant research information; precisely and effectively applies appropriate research methods, techniques, models, frameworks, and/or theories in developing and justifying multiple solutions or conclusions; solutions or conclusions are insightful, coherent, well supported, logically consistent, and complete.

Question 2 (12%) Research problem, concept, or idea is not clearly articulated, or its component elements are not identified or described; research information is poorly organized, categorized, and/or superficially examined; research information is often inaccurate or incomplete; presents little if any analysis or interpretation; inaccurately and/or inappropriately applies research methods, techniques, models, frameworks, and/or theories to the analysis; presents few solutions or conclusions; solutions or conclusions are often not well supported, inaccurate, and/or inconsistent, and are presented in a vague or rudimentary manner. Adequately identifies and describes (or sketches out) the research problem, concept, or idea and its components; gathers and examines information relating to the research problem, concept, or idea;

Effectively formulates a clear description of the research problem, concept, or idea, and specifies major elements to be examined; selects and prioritizes information appropriate to addressing the research problem, concept, or idea; accurately and appropriately analyzes and interprets relevant research information; precisely and effectively applies appropriate research methods, techniques, models, frameworks, and/or theories in developing and justifying multiple solutions or conclusions; solutions or conclusions are insightful, coherent, well supported, logically consistent, and complete

Effectively formulates a clear description of the research problem, concept, or idea, and specifies major elements to beexamined; selects and prioritizes information appropriate to addressing the research problem, concept, or idea; accurately and appropriately analyzes and interprets relevant research information; precisely and effectively applies appropriate research methods, techniques, models, frameworks, and/or theories in developing and justifying multiple solutions or conclusions; solutions or conclusions are insightful, coherent, well supported, logically consistent, and complete examined; selects and prioritizes information appropriate to addressing the research problem, concept, or idea; accurately and appropriately analyzes and interprets relevant research information; precisely and effectively applies appropriate research methods, techniques, models, frameworks, and/or theories in developing and justifying multiple solutions or conclusions; solutions or conclusions are insightful, coherent, well supported, logically consistent, and complete

Question 1 (12%) Research problem, concept, or idea is not clearly articulated, or its component elements are not identified or described; research Question 1 (12%) Research problem, concept, or idea is not clearly articulated, or its component elements are not identified or described; research Adequately identifies and describes (or sketches out) the research problem, concept, or idea and its components; gathers and examines information relating to the research problem, Adequately identifies and describes (or sketches out) the research problem, concept, or idea and its components; gathers and examines information relating to the research problem,

Referencing (10%) Did not meet criterion. External sources are acknowledged but incorrectly referenced. Harvard system of referencing has been used however closer adherence to the demands of the Harvard style guide is required. External sources are generally referenced correctly using the Harvard style but there are minor errors in formatting or the use of punctuation. All external sources are referenced correctly using the Harvard referencing style. Extent of Research (10%) Most of the references are from sources that are not peer-reviewed or professional, and have uncertain reliability; few if any appropriate citations are provided; reader doubts the validity of much of the material Academically legitimate references are generally used but only a minimal number of them; clear and fair citations are presented in most cases; most of the information/content/evidence comes from sources that are reliable. Presents good evidence from academically legitimate sources; attribution is clear and accurate; references are primarily peer- reviewed journals or other approved sources. Several relevant citations have been omitted.

High Distinction (80-100%) Excellent standard of presentation, including editing, grammar, punctuation and structure. Outstanding communication of ideas. Readability of the project is enhanced by facility in language use/word choice, excellent mechanics, and syntactic variety; uses language conventions effectively (e.g., spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, paragraphing, grammar, etc.) Writing is compelling and sustains interest throughout; tone is consistently professional and appropriate for an academic research project

Credit (60-69%) Distinction (70-79%) Good standard of presentation, including editing, grammar, punctuation, and structure. Clear communication of ideas. Readability of the project is enhanced by facility in language use/word choice, good mechanics, and syntactic variety; uses language conventions well (e.g., spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, paragraphing, grammar, etc.) Writing is somewhat compelling and mostly sustains interest throughout; tone is mostly professional and appropriate for an academic research project High standard of presentation, including editing, grammar, punctuation, and structure. Excellent communication of ideas. Readability of the project is enhanced by facility in language use/word choice, excellent mechanics, and syntactic variety; uses language conventions effectively (e.g., spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, paragraphing, grammar, etc.) Writing is mostly compelling and generally sustains interest throughout; tone is consistently professional and appropriate for an academic research project

Criteria Does not meet requirements Meets requirements Pass (50-59%) Written communication (20%) Did not meet criterion The written project exhibits multiple errors in grammar, sentence structure, and/or spelling; inadequate writing skills (e.g., weaknesses in language facility and mechanics) hinder readability and contribute to an ineffective research project Writing is unengaging, and reader finds it difficult to maintain interest; tone is not consistently professional or suitable for an academic research project Acceptable standard of presentation with clear communication. Written research project displays good word choice, language conventions, and mechanics with a few minor errors in spelling, grammar, sentence structure, and/or punctuation; errors do not represent a major distraction or obscure meaning Writing is usually engaging and keeps the reader’s attention; tone is generally professional and appropriate for an academic research project