Overview
This rubric outlines the evaluation criteria for the Islands Research Project.
Evaluation Structure
| Final Project |
40% |
| Interim Assignments (Complete/Detailed) |
30% |
| Poster Presentation |
10% |
| Individual Reflection |
15% |
| Group Assessment |
5% |
Rubric for Grading the Final Project
Introduction — 10 Points Total
| Background and significance are clear, logically organized, and move from general to specific. |
0–4 |
| Objective or research question is stated clearly; final paragraph defines hypothesis/goals. |
0–4 |
| Consideration of ethical or practical implications (e.g., usefulness, harm). |
0–2 |
Methods — 20 Points Total
| Study design: provides enough information for replication. |
0–4 |
| Sampling and eligibility: well described and justified. |
0–4 |
| Variable descriptions: includes definitions, levels, and any transformations. |
0–1 |
| Sample size justification and power analysis are clearly explained. |
0–6 |
| Statistical methods are appropriate, logical, and motivated by the research question. |
0–5 |
Results — 25 Points Total
| Baseline variables summarized and demographic balance addressed. |
0–5 |
| Results of interest explained, summarized, and visualized appropriately. |
0–10 |
| Each table is described (no “naked” tables). |
0–3 |
| Each figure is described (no “naked” figures). |
0–3 |
| Technical assumptions assessed and documented. |
0–4 |
Discussion and Conclusions — 10 Points Total
| Restates objectives and key results clearly. |
0–2 |
| States whether results support or reject the hypothesis. |
0–3 |
| Cites specific analyses and results to support interpretations; discusses limitations. |
0–3 |
| Suggests ideas for future work based on current findings. |
0–2 |
Limitations — 10 Points Total
| Sampling limitations and generalizability described and evaluated. |
0–4 |
| Randomization limitations and causal inference discussed. |
0–4 |
| Other study constraints (sample size, missing variables, etc.) acknowledged. |
0–2 |
Coverage and Clarity — 25 Points Total
| Descriptive and appropriate title. |
0–1 |
| Names of all group members included. |
0–1 |
| Dataset complete, tidy (rows = observations, columns = variables). |
0–2 |
| Organization and labeled sections clear and professional. |
0–4 |
| Edited and proofread (minimal grammar/spelling issues). |
0–4 |
| Tables and figures labeled, with captions and readable axes. |
0–5 |
| Work reproducible; instructor can run notebook with no edits. |
0–4 |
| Code interspersed with text for clarity. |
0–4 |
Total Points
100 Possible Points
| Introduction |
10 |
| Methods |
20 |
| Results |
25 |
| Discussion / Conclusions |
10 |
| Limitations |
10 |
| Coverage / Clarity |
25 |
| Total |
100 |