Report Rubric

Below is information on my approach to reviewing and grading reports in my classes. My goal is to have all students be able to write professional reports that are ready for submittal for publication. Note that this does not mean the reports are photo-ready art. Having reports in MS-Word with one column of text and figures flowing from the top to the bottom is desired. The final copy editors will add columns.

I typically give 100 percent and then take off points for issues that would prevent the report from being published.

• Small errors such as font switching, capitalization, etc.: -1
• Medium errors such as miss-spellings: -2
• Errors in equations, logic, interpretation: -5
• Smallest missing section: -10

Note that I typically will only mark off on the first instance of a mistake. If these mistakes are not corrected in subsequent reports, I will take off more points and for each instance of the error.

Advice:

• The purpose of a report is to communicate your approach and results to someone else. Try to proof your reports from someone else's perspective and ask yourself, will they understand what I am saying.
• Before turning in a report:
  • Have someone else proofread it.
  • Read the entire report out loud to see if it reads well.
  • Go through all the criteria below to make sure the report is going to get the grade it deserves!

General

• All text and figures are legible (i.e. easy to read and understand).
• Define all acronyms on first use. The exception is the abstract.
• Define all acronyms that are not in common use (e.g. SCUBA is an acronym that now appears as a word in the dictionary, GIS is not in common use).
• Define all terms used specifically just in the study such as "MaxTemp" or "Ht" for height.
• Use the same font throughout the report.
• Use consistent capitalization, spacing, tense (typically, keep past tense), terms, and formatting.
• Insert all images into MS-Word using "In-line with text" option so the images flow as text edits are made.

Tables

• Table captions appear above the table and should describe the contents of the table.
• In natural resources, we only need to have enough digits to send the reader the message. This typically means 2-3 digits. Extra digits before the decimal are okay, those after the decimal should be limited.
• Redo tables in MS-Word so they look good and match the fonts of the report.

Figures

• All text in the figures should be easy to read.
• No titles in charts, the caption takes the place of the title.
• Replace axis labels with something readable (e.g. "s(MaxTemp)" replaced with "Effect of Maximum Temperature (C°)".
• Figure captions appear below the figure and describe the contents of the figure.
• All text should be updated with readable labels, (e.g. no underscores or other "techy" text in figures).

Maps

• Map elements (e.g. north arrows, scale bars, etc.) need a gap around them.
• All map elements need to be easy to read and interpret. This means adding boxes around them, halos, etc. as needed.
• All text needs to be complete and readable (i.e. don't use the backgrounds provided by Esri with all the tiny and cut-off text).
• Only add map elements when needed:
  • North arrows are only needed if north is not obvious or does not point north.
  • Scale bars are needed only if the scale is not obvious.
  • Legends are needed if there is more than one symbol being used.
• Use neat lines but make sure they are complete (ArcMap cuts off the right side so their maps must be fixed in another application).
• Add halos around text that conflicts with the background.
• Legends:
  • No title
  • No "Value" entries

Title Page

• Title of the report
• Full name
• Formal date
• The class name is not needed.

Abstract

• Has at least one sentence summarizing each of the major sections of the report (introduction, methods, results, discussion/conclusion).
• Best to write the abstract after the rest of the paper is completed.

Introduction

• Starts by defining the topic in general and then providing all the background required for the study.
• Describes the study area if background on the area is needed. Typically this would include a locator map.
• All categorical statements have citations.
• Citations formatted as (Graham, 2010) or (Graham et. al. 2010).
• All citations that appear in the text are defined in the Reference section.
• Ends with the goal(s), objective(s), and/or hypothesis.

Methods

• Provides step by step instructions on how the study was completed at enough detail for someone else "skilled in the art" to complete the study but not so detail as to be specific to one software package (i.e. "buffered the streams to 30 meters" rather than "selected the Buffer tool and entered 30 meters").
• Typically follows the following outline:
  • Site description with a map of the site and a locator map if needed.
  • Data sets uses and where they were obtained. For modeling reports, this would include the field or sample data with its response variable and then the covariates and predictor variables.
  • Methods used with the software and version used. This includes processing, analysis, and validation
  • Methods used for creating final products such as maps
  • If appropriate, how final data sets are to be distributed and archived.

Results

• Starts with prose that describe the results.
• Typically, a paragraph will describe a result, cite the figures (Figure 1) and tables (Table 1) that the text refers to and then the figures and tables will follow the paragraph. Then, another paragraph will describe the next set of figures and tables.
• Results do not include discussion or conclusions, just describe the results.

Discussion

• Describes the authors interpretation of the results including if the goals of the study were met. This includes issues that were found during the study and how they were addressed or might be addressed in the future.
• Compare the results with other related studies.

Conclusion

• Starts with a summary of the key findings of the study.
• Includes the next steps to address issues.

Acknowledgments

• Acknowledgments all those that helped in the study or provided tools and data not credited in the body of the report.

References

• All references follow APA or similar standard.
• All references have at least one associated citation in the text.

Appendix

• Includes anything you want to include that is not part of the body of the report. This is the place for content that does not look perfect including code and some figures.