– Does the essay have a clearly stated thesis?
– Is the thesis challenging (something not everyone would agree with)?
– Is the thesis stated in the abstract and introduction?
– Does the essay generally stay on the topic of the thesis?
Exegesis
– Does the essay lay out a discussion in the scholarly literature?
– Does it clearly present important issues and ideas in that discussion?
– Are some of the reasons why various participants hold their views explained?
– Is the exegesis relevant to the thesis?
– Are proper scholarly sources provided for the exegesis?
Argument
– Does the essay present an argument for the thesis being defended?
– Is the argument based on plausible premises?
– Are the inferences in the argument strong?
– Is the argument novel, in the sense that it is not just a presentation of the views of other
people?
Writing
– Is the spelling and grammar in the essay good?
– Are paragraphs used when appropriate, and do they stay on topic?
– Does the essay have a structure which makes sense, or does it seem to jump randomly from
topic to topic?
– Is the writing concise, or does it appear that there is significant repetition, irrelevant asides, or
other fluff?
– Does the essay conform to the basic formatting requirements (e.g., being between 2000 and
2500 words excluding bibliography)?
– Are quotations used sparingly, and explained when used? Or are long block quotes used, with
little evidence that the student understands the content?
