Instructors use a check list or guidelines similar to the following to assess essays and other written work. It will be useful for you to self-assess your essay against this guideline before submitting it, and to review/revise your work in line with your assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of your essay.

Content:

• Background reading
• Understanding of topic
• Understanding of theoretical issues
• Relevance of answer to question
• Strong Introduction
• Clear argument
• Use of appropriate evidence
• Analysis and evaluation
• Appropriate Conclusion

Presentation

• Legible, well presented, neat
• Well structured
• Accurate spelling
• Cohesive (flow, links between stages of argument)
• Paragraph structure (length, organisation)
• Appropriate use of terminology
• Author’s names spelled correctly
• References and bibliography
• Strengths of this piece of work
• Weaknesses of this piece of work
• How this essay could be improved

Essay Checklist

• Have I answered the question?
• Have I covered all of the main aspects?
• Have I covered aspects in enough depth?
• Is the content relevant?
• Is the content accurate?
• Have I arranged the material logically?
• Does the essay flow from one section to the next, and paragraph to paragraph?
• Have I used enough sources and references?
• Have I referenced all the sources correctly?
• Does the essay meet the word count?
• Have I written clearly?
• Is the grammar, punctuation and spelling accurate?
• Is the essay presented in line with guidelines?
• Have I read the essay/is it coherent?
• Have I presented a convincing case?

Further Study

www.open.ac.uk/skillsforstudy

www.chompchomp.com