GUIDE TO EVALUATING MASTER’S PROJECT (SUPERVISOR)

The Master’s Project evaluation process involves TWO stages.

Stage 1: Dimension-based Assessment

 Read through the project and evaluate it using Rubric A. (Analytic Rubric)
 Award marks according to each dimension and sum up the marks.
 Record the marks in CGSR08 Master’s Project Evaluation Report.

Stage 2: Overall Assessment

 Compare the marks given with the categories in Rubric B (Holistic Rubric) to determine if the marks awarded are
justifiable.
 Refer to the Grading System for the final grade.
 Readjust the marks, if necessary.
 Prepare the descriptive evaluation report using the guiding questions provided.

Documents to be submitted to CGS:

Student: 2 soft-bound copies of the Master’s Project, Progress Report (CGSR03) & Submission Checklist
Supervisor: Master’s Project Evaluation Report (CGSR08) & the descriptive evaluation report.

IMPORTANT
Marks (Grades) awarded are not final. Supervisors are reminded NOT to reveal the marks (Grades) to
their supervisees. Supervisors’ marks only constitute 60% of the total marks.

1
 Assessment Rubric For Master’s Project
RUBRIC A

Dimension 1 2 3 4 Weight Score

Title  The title hardly reflects
Background the focus of the study,
to the study revealing little
information about the
Statement of variables, subjects &
the Problem research setting
 The title reflect the
focus of the study,
revealing some
information about the
variables, subjects &
research setting
 The title clearly reflects  The title very clearly X 0.5 2
the focus of the study, reflects the focus of the
revealing fairly study, revealing
adequate information adequate information
about the variables, about the variables,
subjects & research subjects & research
setting setting

 Background  Background  Background information  Background information X 1.25 5

information is hardly
relevant and does not
provide a clear lead-in
to the research
problem
information is fairly
relevant but does not
provide a clear lead-in
to the research
problem
is relevant and provide is very relevant and
a clear lead-in to provides a very clear
research problem lead-in to the research
problem

 Problem statement is  Problem statement is  Problem statement is  Problem statement is X 1.25 5

hardly articulated clearly
and not
supported/justified by
theory and/or past
research
articulated fairly clearly
but only minimally
supported/ justified by
theory and/or past
research
articulated clearly and articulated very clearly
supported/justified by & well supported
theory and/or past /justified by theory
research and/or past research

2
Dimension 1 2 3 4 Weight Score
 Research Objectives &  Research Objectives &  Research Objectives &  Research Objectives & .
Research
Questions/hypotheses Questions/ hypotheses Questions/hypotheses Questions/hypotheses x 2.0 6
Objectives
are hardly focussed are fairly focussed and are focussed and clear. are highly focussed and
and Questions
and clear. clear  Provide clear direction clear
(hypotheses
 Hardly provide any  Provide fairly clear for measuring  Provide very clear
clear direction for direction for measuring relationship between direction for measuring
measuring relationship relationship between variables relationship between
between variables variables  Some degree of variables
 No alignment between  Hardly any alignment alignment between  Total alignment between
research objectives, between research research objectives, research objectives,
questions and/or objectives, questions questions and/or questions and/or
hypotheses and/or hypotheses research hypotheses hypotheses

 Research hardly offers  Research offers fairly  Research offers  Research offers very
Significance
any relevant relevant contributions relevant contributions relevant contributions x 1.25 5
of the study
contributions towards towards theory/ towards theory/ towards theory/
theory/knowledge knowledge knowledge knowledge development
development or development or development and/or as well as practices
practices practices practices
 Hardly any key terms  Some key terms are  Most key terms are  All key terms are x 1.25 5
Operational
are operationally operationally defined operationally defined operationally defined
definitions of
defined clearly. clearly. clearly. clearly.
terms
 The number of  The number of  The number of  The number of  3.75 11.25
Literature
empirical studies being empirical studies being empirical studies being empirical studies being
Review
reviewed is reviewed is fairly reviewed is adequate. reviewed is more than
inadequate. adequate.  Articles reviewed are adequate
 Articles reviewed are  Articles reviewed are current and relevant to  Articles reviewed are
dated and hardly fairly relevant to the the focus of the study very current and
relevant to the focus of focus of the study but but somewhat dated. relevant to the focus of
the study somewhat dated.  Some evidence of the study
 Hardly any evidence of  Little evidence of critical analyses of  Ample evidence of
critical analyses of critical analyses of theory and/or past critical analyses of
theory and/or past theory and/or past research theory & past research
research research  The review indicates  The review indicates
 The review indicates  The review indicates good understanding of very good
little understanding of fairly good the research topic understanding of the
the research topic understanding of the research topic
research topic

3
Dimension 1 2 3 4 Weight Score
 Somewhat appropriate  Fairly Appropriate  Appropriate research  Very appropriate 3.75 11.25
Methodology
research design that is research design that is design that is capable research design that is
capable of addressing capable of addressing of addressing most of capable of addressing
only some of the some of the research the research questions all the research
research questions questions  Clear description of the questions
 Rather vague  Fairly clear description research sample,  Very clear description
description of the of the research sample, sampling techniques, of the research sample,
research sample, sampling techniques, data collection sampling techniques,
sampling techniques data collection procedures and data collection
and data collection procedures and methods of data procedures and
procedures methods of data analysis methods of data
 Justifications for the analysis  Justifications for the use analysis
use of the methodology  Justifications for the of the methodology are  Justifications for the
are vaguely presented use of the methodology presented and use of the methodology
and not discussed are presented but not somewhat adequately are clearly presented
adequately discussed discussed and adequately
discussed.
 Results are somewhat  Results are presented  Results are presented  Results are presented 3.75 11.25
Data Analysis
inaccurate or correctly but the correctly with accurate correctly with accurate
& Results
incompletely interpretation lacks interpretation. and detailed
presented. accuracy  Data analyses are interpretation.
 Data analyses are  Data analyses are appropriate, and are  Data analyses are
appropriate but hardly appropriate but only adequate to address appropriate, extensive
adequate to address adequate to address most of the research and sophisticated, and
the research questions. some of the research questions are adequate to
questions. address all the
research questions

4
Dimension 1 2 3 4 Weight Score
 The discussion may be  The discussion  The discussion  The discussion soundly 3.75 11.25
Findings &
incomplete or interprets some of the interprets most of the interprets all the
Discussion
partially/not clearly findings and is findings and is findings and is carefully
connected to the somewhat connected connected with other connected with other
results. The connection with other sections of sections of the report sections of the report
with other sections is the report such as the such as the such as the
vague. background, problem background, problem background, problem
 The findings presented statement, research statement, research statement, research
are mere repetitions of questions, instruments questions, instruments questions, instruments
the results without and results. and results. and results.
appropriate  The findings are  The findings are  The findings are
interpretation either superficially discussed in relation judiciously discussed in
 Implications, discussed or not to theory and findings relation to theory and
recommendations and discussed in relation to of past studies cited in findings of past studies
directions for future theory and findings of literature review. cited in literature
research are hardly past studies cited in  Implications, review.
drawn from the literature review. recommendations  Implications,
research findings.  Implications, and directions for recommendations and
 Limitations of the study recommendations and future research are directions for future
are somewhat directions for future drawn from most of research are carefully
irrelevant. research are drawn the research findings. drawn from all the
from some of the  Limitations of the research findings.
research findings. study are relevant and  Limitations of the
 Limitations of the study adequately described. study are very relevant
are fairly relevant but and extensively
not adequately described.
described.

5
 1 2 3 4 Weight Score
Dimension
 Writing style and  Writing style and  Writing style and  Writing style and 1.25 3.75
Writing Style, language use are not language use are fairly language use are apt language use are very
Language apt for academic apt for academic for academic writing. apt for academic
Use & writing writing.  A few grammatical writing.
grammatical  Many grammatical  Some grammatical errors that impede  Hardly any
accuracy errors that impede errors that impede communication grammatical errors that
communication communication impede communication
1.25 5
Overall  The abstract is  The abstract  The abstract  The abstract
Presentation missing, incomplete or summarizes the study summarizes the study concisely summarizes
inaccurate. by mere lifting with some essentials the study with all the
sentences, at times points missing essential points
 The presentation irrelevant, from the final included
format including the project report.  The presentation
graphics is at a format including the  The presentation
minimum level of  The presentation format graphics is format including the
acceptability, though at including the graphics acceptable. graphics
times messy and is fairly acceptable. demonstrates author’s
confusing.  Most sources are attention to detail,
 Some sources are cited cited accurately to neatness and care.
 Citations are rather in a proper format to demonstrate the
incomplete or enable accuracy credibility of the  All sources are cited
inaccurate and provide checking information accurately to
little avenue to check presented. demonstrate the
the validity of the  Chapters are somewhat credibility of the
information gathered . loosely organised but  Chapters are information
the main sections still organised with logical presented.
 Organisation of stand out. Ideas are sequencing. Ideas are
chapters lacks logical stated but at times not developed with some  Chapters are well
sequencing and ideas clearly developed. support organised with logical
are not clearly sequencing. Ideas are
developed clearly developed with
adequate support.

RUBRIC B
6
Item
OVERALL
ASESSMENT
The project demonstrates that the
candidate has
 very poor knowledge and
understanding of the research
topic and the research process.
 very poor research skills to
undertake research
 very poor critical reading and
writing skills in research
Allocation of Marks
82%
{A- – A]
The project demonstrates The project demonstrate The project demonstrates that
that the candidate has that the candidate has the candidate has
 poor knowledge and  fairly good knowledge  good knowledge and
understanding of the and understanding of understanding of the research
research topic and the the research topic and topic and the research process
research process the research process
 adequate research skills to
 poor research skills to  has fairly adequate undertake research
undertake research research skills to
undertake research  adequate critical reading and
 poor critical reading writing skills in research
and writing skills in  has fairly adequate
research critical reading and
writing skills in
research
7
 GRADING SYSTEM FOR POSTGRADUATE

GRADE MARKS GRADEPOINT MEANING

A 80 - 100 4.00 OUTSTANDING

A- 75 - 79 3.67 VERY GOOD
B+ 70 - 74 3.33 GOOD
B 65 - 69 3.00 PASS
B- 60 - 64 2.67
CONDITIONAL PASS
C+ 55 - 59 2.33
(Subject to CGPA=> 3.00)
C 50 - 54 2.00
C- 45 - 49 1.67
D+ 40 - 44 1.33
FAIL
D 35 - 39 1.00
F 0 - 34 0.00