Case Analysis Paper/Grading Criteria
ENGL 354 Public Relations Writing/Dr. Tracey Schwarze
Christopher Newport University

I will evaluate your work based on the following criteria:
Sufficiency of Content-70%
Readability-15%
Assignment Specifications and Professional Image-15%

An excellent paper will:
· Clearly and accurately present significant facts and issues involved in the case, as well as important features of the organization's response
· Carefully and insightfully analyze the organization's response, indicating what publics were appealed to with what messages and the reasons for the (in?)effectiveness of these messages.
· Offer clear and relevant comparisons (either positive or negative) to specific and pertinent 'lessons learned' from the Tylenol/Johnson & Johnson case.
· Make lucid and logical recommendations for future avoidance of similar scenarios
· Use language with clarity and precision
· Display a clear organizational pattern that makes evident the connections both between and within sections
· Correctly employs grammar and punctuation, in-text documentation style, and includes 8-10 required sources

An above average paper will do all of the above, but with slightly less insight, clarity, or aplomb.

An average paper will:
· Present facts, issues, and responses, but these may not always be the most important pieces of information relevant to the case. This paper may include too much extraneous detail, or too little important information.
· Offer analysis that appears superficial or hasty in that it does not clearly identify publics, messages, or causes for (in)effectiveness.
· Make less clear or less-than-relevant connections to Tylenol/Johnson & Johnson case
· Offer recommendations that are not clearly connected to the analysis or that do not seem to proceed logically from it
· Use language with less clarity and precision-sentences may be wordy or confusing
· Display an organizational pattern in which connections between and within sections are implied, though they may not be fully discernible to a reader
· Grammar, punctuation, and in-text documentation style are mostly correct and any errors do not impede reader's progress through the paper. Includes fewer than the required number of sources

A below average paper will do what an average paper does, but will leave out significant pieces of information, make statements unsupported by analysis or evidence, forget to make connections to the Tylenol/Johnson & Johnson case, and/or make inadvisable recommendations. Language will be more difficult to understand, sources may not be evident, and grammar/punctuation/documentation errors may impede reader's progress.

A failing paper forgets to address significant components described above, or does so with little or no awareness of the class content. Plagiarism is also grounds for a zero in the assignment, and a possible F in the course.

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