Sample Final Project Guidelines and Rubric

Throughout your courses, you may be asked to complete a final project for class. The format may look much like the one you see here.

SAMPLE:
Overview
As a new graduate student, one of the most important skills you will learn is the art of creating a scholarly argument. The ability to effectively evaluate and
integrate multiple sources of evidence and data into a cohesive narrative is integral to success in both academic and professional settings. At the heart of this
process is the ability to critically analyze texts and other research publications to discern their approaches, underlying assumptions, and conclusions.

In this assessment, you will develop an analysis of a selection of research surrounding a topic of your choosing. You should select a topic that is interesting to
you, is relevant to your chosen profession or discipline, and is worthy of academic research. Unlike in a traditional research paper, you will not begin with
specific research questions in mind. You will be asked to draw conclusions as part of this assessment, but they should emerge from your analysis rather than
being established beforehand.

Keep in mind that you are not attempting to create an exhaustive study of your topic at this time. If you elected to use this topic for your capstone or master’s
thesis, you would perform a much more thorough investigation. In this assessment, however, you will focus specifically on the development of a scholarly
argument by identifying, analyzing, and integrating at least two scholarly resources published within the last 10 years.

The project is supported by three milestones, which will be submitted in Modules Four, Six, and Seven. The final submission will be due in Module Nine.

This assessment will address the following course outcomes:

 Analyze and interpret academic texts across various disciplines according to their formal characteristics and the conventions of the discipline
 Develop research-based, scholarly arguments that integrate multiple sources of credible evidence and have relevance to the discipline or profession
 Analyze scholarly works for their underlying research questions, methods, and adherence to accepted research standards for informing future research
designs
 Develop clear, accurate, and well-organized academic writings that adhere to the standards, conventions, and expectations of graduate-level, scholarly
discourse

Prompt
The following critical elements must be addressed in the submission:

NOTE: The submission need not be organized in the order below. You simply must address all of the components outlined. Be sure to review the rubric for specific
descriptions of the expectations for each critical element.
I. Introduction: Describe your selected topic and defend its significance in broad terms.
a) Describe the topic selected for the analysis. What is the problem or issue that has generated research in this area? Why is it important or
problematic? Who does it affect and how?
b) Explain how the specific topic you selected is relevant to your chosen field of study. How does research into the topic benefit the discipline,
profession, or society?

II. Analysis of the Literature: For each of the research articles (at least two, published in the last 10 years) that you have found related to your topic,
address the following questions and defend all claims with specific evidence:
a) Analyze the research questions: What problem was the research study addressing? Did the author present coherent and logical reasoning for
why the research questions were important?
b) Analyze the methodology employed: Was the study a quantitative or qualitative study? Was that choice appropriate for the research questions?
Why or why not? What were limitations of the methodology employed, and were there any obvious biases or assumptions in the study? Did the
author adequately discuss those limitations and biases?
c) Analyze the results: Did the author provide the actual results of the data analysis? Where applicable, did the author achieve any necessary
conditions for the analysis to be valid and reliable?
d) Analyze the conclusions: Are the author’s conclusions supported by his or her findings? What other conclusions (if any) might be proposed that
would also be supported by these findings? How do the author's conclusions compare with findings from other studies?

III. Conclusions: Based on your analysis of the literature, synthesize your major findings to draw general conclusions. Build a logical argument using the
research studies as support.
a) Summarize major themes: What major or recurring themes emerged during the review of the literature? Where is there consensus among
multiple research studies? Where is there disagreement or differing results and/or conclusions?
b) Analyze gaps: Where are there gaps in the research? What questions remain unaddressed? Why are those questions important? How will
answering them contribute to solving or deepening our understanding of the problem?
c) Develop a stance or argument on at least one of the themes: Where there are differing results, should we accept one or another perspective?
Why or why not?

IV. Written Communication: Employ principles of effective written communication throughout your paper.
a) Be sure that the presentation of ideas is well developed, thoroughly explored, and supported by examples, details, and evidence. Additionally,
be sure that the submission is organized in a clear, logically sequenced manner that is easy to follow and comprehend and includes an effective
introduction and conclusion.
b) Be sure that the submission uses clear, concise language appropriate to an academic setting. Additionally, be sure that the submission is
generally free of mechanical errors (e.g., grammar, punctuation, and syntax) that impede the meaning and effective communication of ideas.
 Milestones
Milestone One: Topic Identification Paper
In Module Four, you will review resources for their consistency (or inconsistency) in formatting and approach to research within your profession. You will then
use this information to guide you in your topic selection that will help you in your final research topic proposal. This milestone is graded with the Final Project
Milestone One Rubric.

Milestone Two: Analysis Report 1—Research Questions and Methodologies

In Module Six, you will evaluate a resource for its research questions and methodologies. This milestone is graded with the Final Project Milestone Two Rubric.

Milestone Three: Analysis Report 2—Results and Conclusions

In Module Seven, you will evaluate a resource for its presentation of results and conclusions. This milestone is graded with the Final Project Milestone Three
Rubric.

Final Submission: Final Research Topic Proposal

In Module Nine, you will submit your final research topic proposal that includes an analysis of a selection of research surrounding your chosen topic. In your final
submission, you will have examined two scholarly articles and drawn conclusions based on your analysis. Your final submission will be graded with the Final
Project Rubric, located below.

Deliverables
Milestone Deliverables Module Due Grading
1 Topic Identification Paper Four Graded separately; Final Project Milestone One Rubric
2 Analysis Report 1 Six Graded separately; Final Project Milestone Two Rubric
3 Analysis Report 2 Seven Graded separately; Final Project Milestone Three Rubric
Final Research Topic Proposal Nine Graded separately; Final Project Rubric

Guidelines for Submission: The submission should take the form of a doubled-spaced, 5–7-page written essay formatted according to the citation standards of
your program or discipline.
Critical Elements Exemplary (100%)
Introduction: Problem Meet “Proficient” criteria, and
description employs particularly
compelling details or powerful
illustrations in defense of topic’s
importance or controversial
nature
Introduction: Meet “Proficient” criteria, and
Relevance employs particularly compelling
details or powerful illustrations in
defense of topic’s relevance
Analysis: Research Meet “Proficient” criteria, and
Questions analysis reflects keen insight or
in-depth reflection into
appropriate research methods
Analysis: Meet “Proficient” criteria, and
Methodology analysis reflects keen insight or
in-depth reflection into
appropriate research methods
Final Project Guidelines and Rubric
Proficient (90%)
Describes a problem or issue for
which substantial research exists
and defends its importance or
explains its controversial nature
Logically defends the relevance
of the selected topic with respect
to the discipline, profession, or
society using specific examples
Analyzes at least two scholarly
articles (published in the last 10
years) by evaluating their
research questions for their
coherence, logic, and relevance,
using specific evidence
Analyzes at least two scholarly
articles (published in the last 10
years) by determining the
methodologies and assessing
their appropriateness using
specific evidence
Needs Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Describes a problem or issue for Does not describe a problem or 9
which substantial research exists, issue for which substantial
but does not appropriately research exists
defend its importance or explain
its controversial nature
Describes the relevance of the Does not describe the relevance 9
selected topic, but does not of the selected topic
connect to either the discipline,
profession, or society or does not
use specific examples
Analyzes fewer than two Does not analyze the articles with 9.25
scholarly articles (published in regard to their research
the last 10 years) or does not questions
evaluate their research questions
for their coherence, logic, and
relevance, using specific evidence
Analyzes fewer than two Does not analyze the articles with 9.25
scholarly articles (published in regard to their methodologies
the last 10 years) or does not
determine the methodologies or
does not assess their
appropriateness using specific
evidence
 Analysis: Results Meet “Proficient” criteria, and
analysis reflects keen insight or
in-depth reflection into
appropriate research methods
Analysis: Conclusions Meet “Proficient” criteria, and
analysis reflects keen insight or
in-depth reflection into
appropriate research methods
Conclusions: Major Meet “Proficient” criteria and
Themes demonstrates a nuanced
interpretation of the major
themes
Conclusions: Gaps Meet “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates a nuanced
understanding of the gaps in the
research
Conclusions: Meet “Proficient” criteria and
Argument employs particularly compelling
details or powerful illustrations in
defense of argument
Written Meets “Proficient” criteria, and
Communication: the central ideas are presented in clear, consistent, and well-
Presentation of Ideas an especially compelling,
memorable, and strongly
supported manner
Analyzes at least two scholarly
articles (published in the last 10
years) by determining the results
and assessing the validity and
reliability of those results using
specific evidence
Analyzes at least two scholarly
articles (published in the last 10
years) by evaluating the
conclusions in terms of their
support, their reach, and their
implications to further research
using specific evidence
Synthesizes information across
the articles to identify major
themes, areas of consensus, and
contradictions using specific
examples
Analyzes the gaps in the research
to determine what questions
remain open and defends their
importance and relevance to
deepening understanding of the
problem
Develops an argument on at least
one of the themes by logically
defending their own perspective
with specific evidence from the
literature
Central ideas are presented in a Central ideas are apparent but
not well developed, supported,
organized manner with effective or clearly communicated
supporting material
Analyzes fewer than two Does not analyze the articles with 9.25
scholarly articles (published in regard to their results
the last 10 years) or does not
determine the results or does not
assess the validity and reliability
of those results using specific
evidence
Analyzes fewer than two Does not analyze the articles with 9.25
scholarly articles (published in regard to their conclusions
the last 10 years) or does not
evaluate the conclusions in terms
of their support, their reach, or
implications to further research
using specific evidence
Summarizes information from Does not address the major 9
the articles, but there are gaps in themes, areas of consensus, or
identifying the major themes, contradictions present in the
areas of consensus, or literature
contradictions
Discusses the gaps in the Does not discuss the gaps in the 9
research, but either does not research
determine what questions
remain open or does not defend
their importance and relevance
to deepening understanding of
the problem
Develops an argument, but does Does not develop an argument 9
not logically defend their on at least one of the themes
perspective with specific
evidence from the literature
No central message is apparent 9
in the submission
 Written Meets “Proficient” criteria, and
Communication: demonstrates an advanced
Academic Language command of the written
and Mechanics language that artfully conveys
meaning to readers with clarity,
fluency, and sophistication
Word choice and phrasing are
appropriate to an academic
setting and the submission is
generally free of grammar,
punctuation, and syntax errors
that impede the meaning and
effective communication of ideas
Either the word choice and Inappropriate phrasing or 9
phrasing are not appropriate to mechanical errors prevent the
an academic setting or the submission from being
submission includes numerous understood
mechanical errors that impede
the meaning and effective
communication of ideas
Earned Total 100%