Rubric for a Term Paper or Literature Review*

Criteria Justified criteria for inclusion and exclusion from review. Distinguished what has been done from what needs to be done. Placed the topic or problem in the broader scholarly literature Placed the research in historical context of the field. !c"uired and enhanced the sub#ect vocabulary. !rticulated important variables and phenomena relevant to the topic. Synthesi(ed and gained new perspective on literature. *dentified the main methodologies and research techni"ues that have been used in the field+ and advantages and disadvantages of them. %elated ideas and theories to research methodology. %ationali(ed the practical significance of the research problem. %ationali(ed the scholarly significance of the research problem. ,ritten with a coherent+ clear structure that supports review. 1 Did not discuss the criteria inclusion or exclusion Did not distinguish what has and has not been done Topic not placed in broader scholarly literature istory of topic not discussed $ey vocabulary not discussed $ey variables and phenomena not discussed !ccepts literature at face value %esearch methods not discussed 2 Discussed the literature included and excluded Discussed what has and has not been done Some discussion of broader scholarly literature Some mention of historical literature $ey vocabulary defined %eviewed relationships among &ey variables and phenomena Some criti"ue of literature %esearch methods used to produce claims discussed 3 Justified literature included and excluded Critically examined the state of the field Topic clearly situated in broader scholarly Critical examination of history of topic !mbiguities in definitions discussed and resolved 'otes ambiguities in literature and proposes new relationships )ffered new perspective %esearch methods criti"ued or new methods introduced

%esearch methods not discussed Practical significance of research not discussed Scholarly significance of research not discussed Poorly conceptuali(ed+ hapha(ard

Discussed appropriateness of research methods to warrant claims Practical significance discussed Scholarly significance discussed Some coherent structure

Criti"ued appropriateness of research methods to warrant claims Practical significance of research criti"ued Scholarly significance of research criti"ued ,ell developed+ coherent

* !dapted from art+ Chris -.///0. Doing a literature review: Releasing the social science research imagination. 1ondon2 S!34.