Fall 2013 - URI Department of Chemistry

Report Preparation and Grading Rubric
There is a lab report template located on the course website. You can also access it through Sakai. You
are expected to download the template and follow the instructions for each lab report. The word template
is designed to let you delete the text that explains each section and to insert your own wording, thus
maintaining the general format of the report. If you cannot download the word file, a pdf file containing
the same template is also given. If necessary, you can recreate your own template using the pdf file as a
guide as long as the same format is followed. Hand-written reports will not be accepted.
At the end of the template is a grading checklist that must be included as the last page of each lab report.
Review both the checklist and the template before writing your lab report and then after the lab report is
written, check to see that you have included all elements that are listed. The breakdown of the grading of
each lab report is shown below
Format 5pts No partial credit (0/5)
Purpose 5pts Full/half/no credit (0/5)
Procedure 5pts No partial credit (0/5)
Calculations 20pts Variable credit (0 -20 sliding)
Results 10pts Full/half/no credit (0/ 5/10)
Conclusions 10pts Full/half/no credit (0/5/10)
Discussion Questions 30pts Variable credit (6pts each) X 5pts per question
Original Data 15pts Variable credit (0 -15 sliding)
A description of what is required for each section is given in the on-line template. In addition, there are a
series of deductions to watch for as well. These deductions are taken off after the lab report is graded
based on the elements given above. The final 20 point deduction listed as “Other” is for infractions that do
not fit the previous criteria, but are serious enough to warrant a lower grade.
10pts
5pts
5pts
5pts
5pt/incident
50pts
50pts
100pts
10pts
20pts
20pts
20pts
Checklist missing
Incorrect significant figures
Incorrect or missing units
Incomplete sentences or wording that makes no sense
Portions of the lab report other than calculations and data that are hand written or out of order
Original data sheet is missing or not signed by TA
Calculations have not been performed with data from data sheet:
Plagiarism (copying from another source) See plagiarism policy in the lab manual
Lab area left unclean
Improper waste disposal
Disruptive behavior (At TAs discretion)
Other: (At TAs discretion, but must be explained to the student at the time of the incident)
Your TA must follow this checklist when grading your lab report. A written explanation or a check mark
on the checklist must be present for any deduction taken on the report. If you have any questions
on the grading of your lab report, you must contact your TA immediately to get it explained. Your TA
should be able to tell you exactly why each point was deducted. If after talking to your TA you still have
questions, then see the faculty member in charge of the course. Any problems must be brought to the
attention of the faculty member within 1 week of receiving the graded lab report or no changes of the
grade will be recorded.
There can be up to 20 different TAs teaching the same course, so there will always be variation between
TAs in the grading. As long as a TAs grades consistently across the sections and following the checklist,
no changes will be made to individual grades based on the severity of a TAs grading. At the end of the
semester, the course supervisor reviews all of the grades and allows TAs that grade more severely to add
a scale to their grades so that fair grades are achieved across the course.
the course.