LIS 7410 - Digital Libraries
Spring 2012 -- Section 01
Professional Track Paper Grading Guidelines

• A Paper: The paper does not just fulfill the assignment, it also has something original and important to say and the points it makes are supported well. It is organized effectively, develops smoothly, and it is written clearly. It is based on data or a review of the literature clearly related to the points it has to make. Proven familiarity with the literature of the field is required for papers which earn this grade. It could, for instance, demonstrate familiarity with significant elements of the software, beyond those specified in the minimum requirements. Note that quantity of work is not the determining factor, it is quality.

  As an example, a case study paper is expected to cover the following aspects of a digital library (DL) to earn an "A/A+" grade:

  • Possible existing literature on the DL (is there anybody who has studied the DL? What did they say about the DL?)
  • Thorough description of searching and exploring of the DL, including the metadata scheme and controlled vocabulary (if any) used to describe the digital objects in the DL,
  • Meaningful comparisons with other DLs (well-known, in similar scale and type)
  • Strengths and weaknesses of the DL.
  • Architecture or infrastructure of the DL (what digital content management software is the DL built on?)
  • Formats of digital objects (e.g., image formats, text formats, multimedia formats).
  • Clear writing, well-annotated screenshots, clear section headings, standard citation format.

• B Paper: The paper fulfills the assignment well. Its general idea is clear and it is effectively presented. It handles its sources well, with no serious errors of fact or interpretation. The content may not be very original, agreeing with accepted views but not adding anything new, or it may be original but fail to offer sufficient support for the points made. It is based on adequate and appropriate data or literature and refers to it when points need support. Typically, a "B" paper does not do meaningful, thorough comparisons with other well-known DLs in a similar type and scale, or lack a thorough analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the digital library.

  A technical exercise or case study which meets the minimum requirements earns a "B" grade.

• C Paper: The paper is adequate to fulfill the assignment and its general idea is clear. Its content may be repetitive or oversimplified, refusing to acknowledge complexity or failing to cover important points. Points may be hard to follow and the paper may be poorly organized (e.g., unbroken narrative with no headings or clear relationships; literature reviews that summarize sources in sequence instead of making general points supported by reference to a selection of sources). There may be a serious error of fact or interpretation. Sources or data may be poorly chosen -- insufficient in number, of inappropriate types, too old, lacking in authority, etc.

  A technical exercise or case study which fails to meet the minimum requirements, or which demonstrates lack of familiarity with the software, will normally earn a "C" grade.

• F Paper: The paper does not fulfill the assignment, and may not do what was required. It may fail to focus on a single topic or subject. It may omit large amounts of data or material lying within its declared scope or make repeated errors of fact or interpretation.

Typical numeric scores for letter grades:

• A++: 97-100
• A+ : 95-96
• A/A+: 94
• A:   92-93
• A/A-: 91
• A-: 90
• B+/A-: 88-89
• B+: 86-87
• B/B+: 84-85
• B:   82-83
• B-: 80
• C+: 77
• C:   74
• C-: 70
• F: 50-60

Typical reasons of losing points (in the order of descending importance):

1. Major problems:
   • no analysis of strengths and weaknesses,
   • no comparison with a similar digital library.
2. Medium problems:
   • no analysis of the infrastructure of the DL.
3. Minor problems:
   • no references, or incorrect reference style,
   • no section headers.

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