PFTSTA

RUBRIC: MLA Format and Works Cited/Research Project

Below Basic
Quantity/Variety of
Information Sources

Below Basic

MLA Format

Advanced

Proficient

Advanced

- print and GVRL sources

are used.

- print, GVRL, magazine

and Internet sources are
used.

- Sources are varied and

present various aspects
of the topic such as
print, GVRL, magazine
and academic journal,
Internet and multi-media
sources

Below Basic

Basic

Proficient

Advanced

- Sources are unreliable.

- Information is
irrelevant to topic.

- Reliability of sources is
questionable.
- Some information is
relevant to topic.
-One type of source
used.
-Sources provide only
one aspect of the topic.

- Sources are mostly

reliable.
- Most information is
relevant to topic.
-Two to three types of
sources with at least two
aspects of the topic.

Below Basic

Basic

Proficient

-Paper does not use

proper MLA format.
-Sources are not
properly cited in the
body of the paper as
parenthetical citations.

MLA Works Cited Page

Number of Sources
Citation Format

Proficient

Basic

- Only one kind of

information source is
used.

Quality of Information
Sources

Basic

Below Basic
- Fewer than 3 sources
are cited.
- MLA citation format is
attempted with
numerous errors in:
Alphabetical Order
Hanging Indention
Spacing
Punctuation
Elements of Each
Citation

-Most of the MLA format

rules were met with 3 or
more errors in heading,
margins, font, font size,
spacing, or page
numbers.

-Almost all MLA format

rules were met with 1-2
minor errors in heading,
margins, font, font size,
spacing, or page
numbers.

Basic

Proficient

- 4 or more sources are

cited.
- MLA citation format is
attempted with 3 errors
in:
Alphabetical Order
Hanging Indention
Spacing
Punctuation
Elements of Each
Citation

- 6 or more sources are

cited.
- MLA citation format is
used with 1-2 minor
errors in:
Alphabetical Order
Hanging Indention
Spacing
Punctuation
Elements of Each
Citation

- All sources are

accurate and reliable.
- All information is
relevant to topic.
-

Advanced
-Paper always uses
proper MLA format (i.e.
heading, margins, font,
font size, spacing, page
numbers)

Advanced
- More than 6 sources
are cited.
- MLA citation format is
used with 0 errors in:
Alphabetical Order
Hanging Indention
Spacing
Punctuation
Elements of Each
Citation

Parenthetical/In-text
Citations

Below Basic
- No attempt to include
parenthetical citations.
-Quotations are not cited
and no explanation is
given relating to the
topic.

Basic
- Consistently makes
errors in the formatting
of parenthetical
citations.
-No distinction between
what should be cited
and what doesnt need
to be cited.
-Quotations are cited
with no explanation
relating to the topic
included.

Proficient

Advanced

-1 or 2 mistakes in
format.
- 1 or 2 more in-text
citations than necessary.
-1 to 2 in-text citations
less than necessary.
- Quotations are cited
but explanation does not
relate the quotation to
the thesis.

- All parenthetical
citations are in correct
format following MLA
rules for each type of
source.
- All sources cited at the
end of the paper have at
least one in-text citation
in the body of the paper.
-All sources cited in the
body of the paper are
listed in the works cited
page at the end.
- All quotations are
properly cited and
include sufficient
explanation relating the
quotation to the topic.