Labs Marking Criteria

The following criteria are used to mark the lab reports.

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Introduction:

Levels	Aspect 1	Aspect 2	Aspect 3
Levels	Defining the problem and selecting variables	Formulating an hypothesis	Describes the method for collection of data
Complete	Formulates a focused problem/research question and identifies the relevant variables.	Formulates a quantitative hypothesis justified by theory.	Describes the method concisely but with all important details.
Partial	Formulates a problem/research question that is incomplete or identifies only some relevant variables.	Formulates an hypothesis but is not quantitative or justified by theory.	Describes the method, but omits one important detail, or is too long.
Not at all	Does not identify a problem/research question and does not identify any relevant variables.	Does not formulate a valid hypothesis.	Does not describe the method, or omit more than one important detail, or the description is in point form.

Data collection and processing:

Levels	Aspect 1	Aspect 2	Aspect 3
Levels	Recording raw data	Processing raw data	Presenting processed data
Complete	Records appropriate quantitative and associated qualitative raw data, including units and uncertainties where relevant.	Processes the quantitative raw data correctly.	Presents processed data appropriately and, where relevant, includes errors and uncertainties.
Partial	Records appropriate quantitative and associated qualitative raw data, but with some mistakes or omissions.	Processes quantitative raw data, but with some mistakes and/or omissions.	Presents processed data appropriately, but with some mistakes and/or omissions.
Not at all	Does not record any appropriate quantitative raw data or raw data is incomprehensible.	No processing of quantitative raw data is carried out or major mistakes are made in processing.	Presents processed data inappropriately or incomprehensibly.

Conclusion and evaluation:

Levels	Aspect 1	Aspect 2	Aspect 3
Levels	Concluding	Evaluating procedure(s)	Improving the investigation
Complete	States a conclusion, with justification, based on a reasonable interpretation of the data.	Evaluates weaknesses and limitations.	Suggests realistic improvements in respect of identified weaknesses and limitations.
Partial	States a conclusion based on a reasonable interpretation of the data.	Identifies some weaknesses and limitations, but the evaluation is weak or missing.	Suggests only superficial improvements.
Not at all	States no conclusion or the conclusion is based on an unreasonable interpretation of the data.	Identifies irrelevant weaknesses and limitations.	Suggests unrealistic improvements.