Writing Criteria and Grading Rubrics

The Sociology WEC Writing Criteria

Sociological Imagination

• Evaluates the implications of existing knowledge or social arrangements.

Writing at the Sentence Level

• Is free of significant errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling. Sentences flow, with varied sentence structure.

• Avoids repetition and minimizes unnecessary and vague language.

Argumentation and Structure

• Includes a research question or thesis of reasonable scope for the paper/project. (Assess for specificity, debatability, and importance)

• Thesis is well aligned with the evidence presented.

• Organizes points clearly and persuasively with logical paragraph structure.

• Develops argument towards a logical conclusion.

• Summarizes main argument(s) in conclusion.

• Identifies where important ambiguities or limitations exist in data or theory.

Literature

• Cites relevant literature (raters will look for the incorporation of 4-5 academic sources).

Data Analysis

• Draws on fieldwork or secondary data to test theoretical or substantive scholarly claims. If necessary, suggests modifications to those claims.

• Conveys cases, examples and contexts with adequate depth.

• Interprets and explains the meanings of patterns found in data accurately and succinctly.

• Interrogates why or how patterns occur.

Communication

• Addresses an educated lay audience, communicating important sociological concepts and insights with accessible language.

The Writing Criteria as a flexible toolkit

The Writing Criteria have been developed to express the desired writing abilities first identified by faculty in 2014. We have gradually refined them in response to feedback from the raters, clarifying ambiguities and avoiding repetition.

The criteria can be selectively adapted for classroom use or rubrics. Most of the principles are addressed explicitly in the Writing for Sociology materials on this site. We hope that instructors will emphasize particular criteria for different assignments. Over the course of their major, students should become familiar with the different criteria and internalize their underlying principles.

More about how the criteria were developed - research with faculty and students

During 2013/14 we conducted focus groups with graduating seniors about their experience writing in Sociology, and faculty spent an afternoon discussing the characteristics they desired in student writing. Faculty and students agreed that writing is a critically important part of the curriculum and that it is essential for the career development of students in the major.

However, our survey revealed that the faculty and students differed in their assessment of writing abilities of undergraduates. Students rated their abilities in many core areas as “strong” or “satisfactory” while faculty more often rated student abilities in the same areas as “satisfactory” or “weak.” Some of this discrepancy may result from the fact that the more motivated and committed students were also more likely to respond to the survey. It was clear we could do a better job of helping our students to become strong writers and to appraise the strengths and weaknesses of their own work.

Survey results indicated that students wanted more consistent grading standards. It was striking to see that in several cases, they also wanted faculty to hold their writing to higher standards. As one student put it, “I wish that my professors and TA’s critiqued our writing skills harsher. I am a decent writer, but I know I could be better.” One strong finding from our focus groups was that students felt that grading criteria tend to be specific to professors or courses, while the faculty would like to encourage broader understanding of desired writing abilities across courses.

Consequently, it is valuable to have a standard set of terms for what we are trying to encourage, and a more consistent set of grading criteria from which faculty can draw for rubric ideas.

Sample Rubric

Clear rubrics which indicate writing goals for the students help align the focus of writers and facilitate grading.

Below, you can view and copy a sample rubric from Tanja Anďić which may help you design your own. The rubric below is on a 30 point scale, and places a strong weight on directional writing.

Sample rubrics for Assessing Diagrams/Concept Maps and Assessing Powerpoint Visuals by Karen Frankel - ideas could be adapted for posters.