opic: Write a report of up to 1500 words (excluding references), consisting of three tasks

ECON7530 Country Trade Report Marking Rubric – Semester 2, 2023

(Marks for each part are given in parentheses, 30 marks in total)

Criteria 4 3 2 1 0

Task 1 – Clarity of

trade overview (4)

Clear and precise

overview, with proper

support from the

data/sources provided

Good overview,

though one trading

partner can be

improved, by clearer

explanation, and/or

support from

data/sources

Flawed overview in

either or both trading

partners, either

inaccurate or with

severe lack of support

by data/sources

Very flawed

overview in both

trading partners,

either very inaccurate

or not supported by

data/sources

No, or irrelevant

overview given

Task 2 – Use of trade theories, and clarity of explanation (4)

- Partner 1 –

Explanation (2)

Trade theory clearly

stated and defined,

and good

explanations, with

good use of research

to reflect the

arguments.

Trade theory stated

but may not be well

defined; or with

flawed explanation

and/or severe lack of

evidence.

No attempt shown

- Partner 2 –

Explanation (2)

Similar to above

Similar to above, or if

the same trade model

is used

Criteria 4 3 2 1 0

Task 3 – Evaluation of how well the model fits the trade relationship (8)

- Discussion on

Partner 1 (4)

Very clear and

insightful discussion.

The arguments are

valid, and both sides

of the argument

(including

shortcomings of the

model’s fit) are given,

and discussed in

detail, with excellent

evidence support, and

clear justification on

why the student chose

the model overall

Good discussion,

though some

arguments are flawed.

Both sides of the

argument are given

and discussed, with

good evidence

support. There is

clear justification on

why the student

chose the model

overall

Flawed discussion

overall, with some

irrelevant arguments,

or the student’s

conclusion is not

clear. Both sides of

the argument are

mentioned, with some

extent of evidence

support.

Very flawed

discussion, and not

all sides of the

argument are

discussed, or with

very limited evidence

support. It might not

be clear why the

student chose the

model overall

No attempt shown

- Discussion on

Partner 2 (4) Similar to above

No attempt shown, or

if the same trade

model is used

Evidence of research and use of relevant data (4)

Excellent evidence of

research and relevant

data are used,

arguments are

supported by highly

suitable and relevant

sources in all sections

Good evidence of

research and relevant

data provided and

explained, with most

arguments supported

by suitable and

relevant sources in

most sections

Flawed evidence of

research, with some

arguments in some

sections not

supported by suitable

and relevant sources

Either some key

arguments are not

supported by relevant

sources/data, or

sources/data are

provided but not

explained in detail,

reflecting a lack of

depth in reading

No, or very

inconsequential

evidence of research

and/or choice of

suitable sources

Criteria 4 3 2 1 0

Writing quality (5)

- Essay format (1) Clear, and relevant

introduction and

conclusion

No, or irrelevant

introduction or

conclusion given

- Writing style (1) Academic writing

style is used, with a

good flow between

paragraphs, sections,

or discussion points

Academic writing

style is not used, or

there is no essay flow

between paragraphs,

sections, or discussion

points

- Grammar,

Structural clarity

(3)

Both grammar and

spelling are faultless

throughout the essay

There are occasional

grammatical and/or

spelling errors but

these do not affect

readability of the

essay

Spelling and/or

grammar is

consistently incorrect,

hindering the report's

‘flow’ and readability.

The grammar and

spelling are too poor

to make sense of most

of the essay

Presentation (1)

The essay has a cover

page, detailing name,

student ID, and word

count

Not all details are

given, or the word

limit is not followed

Criteria 4 3 2 1 0

Reference (4)

- Reference style

(2)

Reference style,

including reference

list and in-text

citations, is consistent,

and the reference list

is alphabetically

ordered

Reference style,

including reference

list and in-text

citations, is mostly

consistent with some

errors, and the

reference list is

alphabetically ordered

Inconsistent, or

incorrect reference

style

Important note: even

if students use the

reference tools from

database such as UQ

Library or Google

Scholar, please

double check them

as they might be

incorrect

- Reference quality

(2)

Quality academic

and/or news sources

are chosen, which

greatly support the

arguments

Flawed/missing

reference list and/or

irrelevant/missing in-

text citations

Inconsequential, or no

reference given