Description
Research about a musical piece and the musician that created it.
– The piece: “String Quartet No. 19 in C Major,K. 465 (1785)”
– The musician: “Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart”
Research Paper Grading Rubric
MUS 100
Your papers will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
1. Following directions and staying on topic. Does the paper adhere to the directions, including word count and formatting guidelines, laid out in the paper assignment? Does it stay on topic and focus on the contextual/historical elements of the music?
Score: ____ / 20
2. Quality of prose. Is the paper completely free from errors in grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and spelling? Does the prose flow cleanly from one sentence to the next? Is it written as a formal university-level paper rather than an informal assignment?
Score: ____ / 20
3. Citation, quotations, & bibliography. Does the paper incorporate quotations appropriately? Is the paper properly cited throughout according to either Chicago, AAA, APA, or MLA format? Does the author include citations (author cited, page number, date) when necessary? Is the bibliography properly formatted, with at least 2 external sources? Does the bibliography contain appropriate sources (i.e. peer-reviewed sources or legitimate news publications)?
Score: ____ / 20
4. Precise language and brevity. Does the paper use specific language and description rather than generalized language that could apply to any type of music? Does each sentence contribute something significant to supporting the paper’s argument? Is the paper free of extraneous or repetitious material?
Score: ____ / 20
5. Overall coherence and flow. Is the prose organized into paragraphs in an appropriate manner? Do the paragraphs stay on a single subject? Do the paragraphs and sentences flow in a sensible way that makes sense to the reader, or are the paragraphs organized in a way that does not seem coherent? Do all ideas in the paper flow logically or do they jump around? Does each paragraph begin with a topic sentence that clearly frames the content of the ensuing paragraph and connects with the preceding paragraph?
Score: ____ / 20