Critical Thinking Rubric Criteria

Issue Identification

• Has a clear sense of scope, context and implications of issues
• Displays an understanding of the concepts involved
• Identifies assumptions
• Provides clear thesis/claim

Research/Evidence

• Selects sufficient resources
• Presents arguments from various perspectives (if appropriate)
  • Explains opposing points of view
• Uses relevant, quality sources
  • Have non-biased information
  • Written by experts in their fields
• Provides APA or MLA style textual citations and Works Cited page (if required)

Analysis and Evaluation

• Accurately interprets evidence, statements, graphics, questions, etc.
• Thoughtfully analyzes and evaluates major alternative points of view
• Selects sufficient, appropriate evidence for the claim
• Coherently integrates evidence
  • Sources used for support and illustration
• Explains ideas sufficiently
  • Information is thorough and clear
• Uses ideas to support thesis
  • Information is consistently focused on developing thesis idea

Synthesizes and clearly presents results

• Synthesizes sufficient and appropriate evidence
  • Provides coherent argument
  • Draws relevant conclusions
• Presents ideas logically
• Justifies results and procedures
  • Draws non-fallacious conclusions