Attributes | Proficient | Developing | Emerging | Not Acceptable |
Topical relationship of sources to question | Both sources are clearly related to question. | One source is clearly related to question; other is marginal. | Both are only marginally/peripherally related to question. | Neither source is adequately related to question. |
Quality and authority of sources selected (encyclopedia articles were not to be used) | Both sources appear reliable, authoritative and of good or high quality. | One source appears reliable and of good quality and authority; the other is marginal. | Both sources are of marginal quality and authority; or, one does not meet the requirements of the assignment. | Both sources are of poor, unreliable, or indeterminate quality or do not meet the requirements of the assignment. |
Identification & description of authority of sources | Annotations fully, characterize author, audience and publisher of sources. | Annotations accurately, but minimally, characterize author, audience and publisher of both sources. | One, or both, annotations lack some important information or mischaracterize author, audience or publisher of sources. | Annotations do not accurately describe author, audience or publisher of either source. |
Quality & clarity of the summary of ideas in sources | Main ideas of both sources, including nuances and subtleties, are clearly summarized. | Main ideas of both sources are summarized, but minimally; or, one is incomplete or sketchy. | Main ideas are not summarized clearly; or, summaries are simply incomplete or sketchy for both sources. | Summaries appear to be possibly plagiarized or main ideas are unclear or misrepresented in both sources. |
Representation & discussion of relationship of sources to each other | Relationship of ideas in sources to each other clearly described. | Attempt to relate ideas in sources to each other sometimes fuzzy or unclear. | Attempt to relate ideas in sources to each other results in inaccurate representations of one or both. | No attempt is made to relate sources to each other. |
Representation & discussion of relationship of sources to research question | Relationship of ideas in sources to the research question is clear and logical. | Attempt to relate ideas in sources to the research question sometimes fuzzy or unclear. | Attempt to relate ideas in sources to the research question misrepresents one or both sources or the research question. | No attempt is made to relate sources to the current research question; nothing is said about the issue. |
Accuracy of the citations | Citations are complete and errors minor. | Citations are mostly complete and errors minor. | Citations are incomplete, errors numerous. | Citations incomplete, errors are major and numerous. |
Research strategies & tools | Description of research strategies employed and tools consulted demonstrates superior skill and effort. | Description of research strategies employed demonstrates awareness of research strategies and tool. | Description of research strategies or employed very poor or obviously inaccurate. | Strategy & tool not described. |