Part 1: The story of why you need to research this topic. 
(20 points) _____ x 2=______

	An interesting hook
	A narrative which “shows” not “tells”
	Details are relevant to purpose
	A specific incident full of action verbs

Part 2: What you know, assume, and need to know? 
(10 points)    ________

	Complete articulation of what you knew before starting researh
	Detailed explanation of your assumptions and suppositions (guesses
	Three to five specific research questions you have formulated

Part 3: A reflection on your research process. 
 (10 points)  ________

	Specific examples of obstacles you faced and options you explore
	At least two specific examples of how you evaluated both credibility and bias of source
	A discussion of how you developed multiple perspectives or cross-referenced source
	A reflection on what you learned about researching (e.g., What advice do you have for next year’s I-Searchers or what did you learn about researching that you did not know before?)

Part 4: The  research and your final conclusion. 
(40 points) _____ x 4 = ______

	Abundant research presented from at least 3 sources (one must be an interview)
	Paragraphs organized by research question or another organizational strategy.
	Each idea  cited parenthetically.
	75 percent score earned on Safe Assignments (or other tool such as Turnitin.Com)
	Research synthesized into a satisfying conclusion

 Part 5: Overall writing quality.  (20 points)

	Voice expresses a commitment to your topic
	Smooth transitions connect parts 1, 2, 3 and 4.
	Word choice is vivid and precise
	Sentences vary in length and structure (reads aloud well)
	Essentially error free (spelling, grammar, MLA punctuation)
	Work cited page is complete, accurate, and formatted in MLA style