Does the writing reflect competence in standard English grammar as evidenced by writing that is reasonably free from:


Facts and data

4.0
Writing includes sufficient quantity and a strong quality of facts and data to credibly support and match thesis and topic sentences.
3.0
Writing includes sufficient quantity and quality of facts and data to credibly support and match thesis and topic sentences.
2.0
Writing includes weak facts and data. They don't support the writing.
1.0
Insufficient use of facts and data. Missing information.
0.0
No evidence.

Facts and Data
Core Skills Writing Rubric

Explanation

While everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, not all opinions are equal. Some opinion—supported with facts and data—could be considered educated opinions. Others—which do not have such support—are uneducated opinions. Uneducated opinions receive poor grades.

Although we think of facts and data mostly in terms of research papers, other types of papers as well as digital literacy projects are also improved by including facts and data. For example, you might decide to write a narrative about your Spring break. To be truthful, no one really cares what you did on your Spring break. But by incorporating facts and data, you can make your experience appeal to a wider audience than your grandmother and a few close friends.

Let's assume you went to Panama City, Florida as a member of the trip sponsored by Schoolcraft College's Student Activities Board. Instead of just writing about your experiences, the thesis of your paper might be that traveling with the school group is safer than traveling alone. As you tell your story, you would then emphasize points about safety. Although this could be interesting, facts and data would make it stronger a stronger narrative.

To strengthen your paper, you might even cite Molly Feltner's “Keeping Safe on Spring Break,” where she argues, “Unfortunately, crimes such as theft and assault are not uncommon during spring break.” But to make your argument even stronger, you could find data on the number of thefts and assaults that are reported. Then, using examples, you should show why it was safer to travel with the Student Activities Board.

Quality Publications

Quality research leads to quality publications. To learn more about how to evaluate research, you can consult Evaluating Research.

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Standards of
Core Skills Writing Rubric

  1. Standard English
  2. Spelling, Punctuation, Word Choice Errors
  3. Run-on Sentences
  4. Fragments
  5. Agreement Errors
  6. Facts and Data
  7. Details and Examples
  8. Reasons
  9. Correct Citations
  10. Engaging Introduction
  11. Unified Body Paragraphs
  12. Purposeful Conclusion


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