Name: Grade:
Rubric for Literature Review
Write a review of the literature on a research topic in your field of graduate study in a paper of five to seven pages excluding
title page and references. This review will become the basis for your research paper for the course.
Grading Scale: F (-69); C (70-79); B (80-89); A (90-100)
Low Performance At or Below Average At or Above Average Exemplary Score
Content (30 points) 15 points 20 points 25 points 30 points
Provides no thesis or Fails to provide a clear Provides a clear thesis or Provides a clear thesis or
Provides
statement of purpose. thesis or statement of statement of purpose. statement of purpose.
thesis/state-ment Review is mainly a purpose. Review is mainly Review summarizes the Review summarizes,
of purpose summary with very little a summary with very little literature but needs to synthesizes, and critiques
Summarizes, commentary. Fails to commentary. Fails to lead include more synthesis and the literature on a limited
synthesizes and lead the way to a the way to a researchable critical commentary. topic, raising questions
researchable question. question. Length is 5-7 Identifies an unanswered when appropriate.
critiques sources Length is 4 pages or less pages not counting title but researchable question. Identifies an unanswered
Identifies a not counting title page page and reference list. Length is 5-7 pages not but researchable question.
researchable and reference list. counting title page and Length is 5-7 pages not
question. reference list. counting title page and
reference list.
Organization (30 15 points 20 points 25 points 30 points
points) Body is not clearly Body is sometimes not Body of the review is Body of the review is
organized. Structure does clearly organized. organized by date, topic, or organized by date, topic, or
Body of the not build an argument in Organization is not theme. Organization could theme. Organization is
review support of a appropriate for the topic. be made more appropriate appropriate to the topic.
organized by thesis/statement of Structure does not build a to the topic. Structure Structure builds a cogent
date, topic, or purpose. clear argument to support sometimes does not build a argument to support the
the thesis/statement of clear argument to support thesis/statement of purpose.
theme
purpose. the thesis/statement of
Organization purpose.
appropriate to
topic
Builds a cogent
argument to
support
thesis/state-ment
of purpose
Format 4 points 6 points 8 points 10 points
(10 points) Written more as an Written as an essay but Written as an essay Written as an essay
annotated bibliography does not follow APA following APA manuscript following APA manuscript
Written as essay than as an essay. Does manuscript guidelines. guidelines, including a title guidelines, including a title
APA not follow APA page, headings, reference page, headings, reference
manuscript manuscript guidelines. citations within the text, citations within the text,
guidelines and a list of references with and a list of references.
only minor problems in
following APA format.
Scholarly Writing Style 4 points 6 points 8 points 10 points
(10 points) Paper fails to rise above Review is mostly a Review is written in the Review is written in the
an unrelated set of summary with few writer’s voice with the writer’s voice with the
Use of writer’s summaries on the topic. comments on the sources. writer’s ideas starting and writer’s ideas starting and
voice Writing is frequently Writing is sometimes ending some but not all of ending paragraphs. Writing
Clear and difficult to understand. incoherent. Writer the paragraphs. Writing is is clear and coherent. Uses
coherent Writer often fails to use sometimes fails to use usually clear and coherent. vocabulary appropriate for
vocabulary appropriate vocabulary appropriate for Uses vocabulary an educated audience.
Appropriate for an educated audience. an educated audience. appropriate for an educated Written in third person.
vocabulary Inconsistent use of third Inconsistent use of third audience with only a few
Written in third person. person. minor errors. Written in
person third person.
Correctness (10 points) 4 points 6 points 8 points 10 points
Major errors in grammar, Many minor errors in Only 1 or 2 minor errors in Correct grammar, spelling,
Grammar
spelling, and punctuation. grammar, spelling, and grammar, spelling, and and punctuation.
Spelling punctuation that detract punctuation.
Punctuation from the purpose of the
writing.
Documentation 4 points 6 points 8 points 10 points
(10 points) Writer has copied Writer has sometimes Writer has used vocabulary Writer has used vocabulary
passages from sources. copied phrases or sentences and terminology only as and terminology from the
Appropriate use Writer does not cite from sources. Writer has needed. Writer has cited sources only as needed.
of language references within the text. frequently failed to follow references within the text of Writer has correctly cited
taken from List of references does APA guidelines for citing the paper according to APA references within the text of
sources not follow APA references within the text of guidelines with only minor the paper according to APA
guidelines. the paper. Reference list errors. Reference list guidelines. Reference list
References cited has many errors in use of follows APA guidelines follows APA guidelines.
within text in APA guidelines with only minor errors.
APA format
Reference list in
APA format