- The article summary should tell what the article argues, what evidence is used to back up the argument, and how it relates to other academic discussion on this topic.
- Your conclusion can summarise what you think are the key contributions, if any, of the article.
- You should also ask one leading question in at the end of summary to encourage debate.
- Listing your references – a minimum of 2-3 academic sources from the suggested material attached in the files.
Assessment will be based on your:
- Quality and appropriateness of literature chosen
- Ability to accurately identify and summarise the key argument/s the author/s make
- Capacity to apply, relevant knowledge and concepts
- Logical structure
- Coherence and depth of argument/conclusions/ question
- Recognition of relevant ethical, social and cultural implications
- Ability to communicate and debate ideas
- Clarity of written expression
- Ability to summarise in your own words, without excessive quoted material
- Referencing prowess i.e using the Harvard referencing system consistently and accurately
Assignment rubrics
Rubric for article summary
| Needs major/some improvement to pass | Satisfactory but some problems | Good | Very good to excellent | |
| Literature | Application and/or comprehension of literature not demonstrated. | Use of literature is adequate but could be improved. | Use of literature demonstrates effort and understanding. | Literature chosen well and crafted insightfully. |
| Structure – oral Logical structure and coherence of argument/conclusions | The argument does not flow very well. | The argument is clear. | The argument is well structured and integrated. | Superior argument, clearly articulated. |
| Structure – written Logical structure and coherence of argument/conclusions | The argument does not flow very well. | The argument is clear. | The argument is well structured and integrated. | Superior argument, clearly articulated. |
| Expression – oral Clarity of communication | The presentation is unclear and makes it difficult to ascertain meaning. | The presentation is generally fine, but with some communication problems. | The presentation was easy to follow. | Clear and sophisticated presentation. |
| Expression – written Clarity of communication | The expression is unclear and makes it difficult to ascertain meaning. | The expression is generally fine, but with some errors. | The expression is easy to follow. | Clearly written and sophisticated summary. |
| Originality of work | The work borrows too much from sources/excessive use of quotes etc. | The work is a mixture of original and unoriginal passages. | The work synthesises the findings of a range of sources into an original argument. | A sophisticated synthesis of an impressive literature with original insights. |
| Recognition of relevant ethical, social and cultural implications | The work does not show recognition of these issues. | The work shows partial recognition of these issues. | The work shows significant recognition of these issues. | The work shows highly significant recognition of these issues. |
| Referencing – written | Absent or poor referencing. You can lose marks for this because it affects the veracity of all other criteria. | Referencing generally OK, but some mistakes. | Flawless referencing. |