Evaluation Criteria
Content (75%)
- The writer clearly conveys the paper’s purpose, overarching research question, and the extent (i.e. scope) of the content it will cover, discussed within the context of relevant psychological research, theoretical frameworks, and practical applications (e.g. counseling, law, education). A goal of defining the purpose and scope is to specify and justify the coverage of the paper.
- The writer includes a thorough and coherent synthesis and analysis of relevant psychological research and theoretical frameworks, including relevant conflicting evidence and perspectives. This synthesis and analysis should allow the intended audience to understand the state of the literature.
- The writer supports arguments and claims with relevant psychological research and theoretical frameworks.
- The writer identifies key studies and describes methods and results. The writer demonstrates how an understanding of research methods (including data analysis) impacts the conclusions of cited research.
- The writer identifies and explicates the contributions of the paper. The writer summarizes, critiques, and synthesizes the arguments and findings presented in the paper, accounting for conflicts and leading to a conclusion (which may be tentative and may include practical
applications, depending on the state of the literature). - *For empirical papers only : The writer designs a methodologically sound study and performs appropriate data analyses.
- *For empirical papers only : The writer describes the study’s methods and results clearly and accurately.
- *For empirical papers only : The writer reflects on the strengths and limitations of the study’s methods and data analysis.
Writing (25%)
- The writer attends to the assumed prior knowledge of the audience (i.e., a senior psychology major).
- The writer organizes the information clearly and concisely, with smooth logical transitions. The title and abstract convey the scope, approach, and thesis of the paper.
- The writer adheres to the conventions of Standard American English grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
- The writer follows the American Psychological Association’s (APA) publication style guide in documenting sources via in-text citations and bibliographical references, the recommended use of language (including attention to non-biased language), and the formatting of the paper (including, title page, abstract, reporting statistics, heading styles).