VIBS 310

Project #4: Research Poster Abstract (RPA) (150 Points Total)

What You Should Gain By the End of This Project

• This project is preparation for going to professional/graduate school. Abstracts are often required for scholarship/grant/endowment applications.

• Research posters are often part of graduate/professional curricula. This prepares you for the most difficult part of the poster.

• This project is an exercise in learning to communicate to people with an educational background different from your own.

• This is an exercise to practice incorporating all nine required elements into the short word limit of an abstract

• The formatting rules are not arbitrary

o These formatting rules are standard for abstracts

VIBS 310 Research Poster Abstract Rubric by Micah J. Waltz is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0
International License.
 VIBS 310
Project #5: Research Poster Abstract

Criteria Excellent Good Revision Needed Major Revisions Rewrite Require

(A quality work) (B quality work) (C quality work) (D quality work) (F quality work)
Content (45 points possible) 45 points 33 points 22 points 12 points 0 points
Project is Project contains Project contains Project is Project is not
Project is 200-500 words complete and most of required some of the missing most of covering correct
contains all information, required required research
The abstract must be written for the research requested some elements information, information.
poster provided in the project 5 folder. information. are missing or elements are Plagiarized
underdeveloped. missing.
Relevance of the research is emphasized (What
is the big picture? Why do people care?).

Methods are only BRIEFLY described (be sure

to understand the words you use!).

Clearly and accurately summarize the results

and conclusions. Include all major data trends,
including negative one

There are no quotes in the abstract.

Organization (15 points possible) 15 points 11 points 7.5 points 3 points 0 points
Formatting Project is double Project is double Project is double Project is double Project isn’t double
• Project body is double-spaced. spaced spaced spaced spaced spaced
• Project has left-justified single-spaced
header on the first page: Header is Header is mostly Header is missing Header is Header is missing all
[Project number and title] complete complete two elements missing three elements
[Audience: Scientists and students] elements
[Word Count] Plagiarized
[Date]

VIBS 310 Research Poster Abstract Rubric by Micah J. Waltz is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0
International License.
 Style (45 points possible) 45 points 33 points 22 points 12 points 0 points
• The language clear and concise Project is clear Project is mostly Project is Project inconcise Project is unclear
and concise. concise somewhat clear
• Information is paraphrased, NOT Quotes are Quotes are used
QUOTED No quotes are No quotes are No quotes are present extensively
present present present
• Is all jargon clearly defined the first time it jargon is Plagiarism
is used? jargon is limited, jargon is jargon is excessive,
appropriate, and limited, somewhat inappropriate, jargon is excessive
• There is not excessive jargon (avoid the defined appropriate, and defined and and undefined and undefined
wall of acronyms) mostly defined limited
Plagiarism

Audience (30 points possible) 30 points 22.5 points 15 points 7.5 points 0 points
• Is the writing appropriate for a population writing is writing is mostly writing is writing is writing is
with a general scientific background but appropriate for appropriate for somewhat somewhat inappropriate for
not a field-specific background professional professional appropriate for appropriate for professional
audience audience professional professional audience
audience audience
Plagiarism
Mechanics and Usage (15 points possible) 15 points 11 points 7.5 points 3 points 0 points
Is Project free of common errors, including, but Project is free of Project is mostly Project is Project is has a Project is has
not limited to: common free of common somewhat free of lot of mechanics overwhelming
• Punctuation mechanics and mechanics and common and usage errors mechanics/errors.
• Spelling usage errors usage errors mechanics and
• Tense errors usage errors Single Spaced Single Spaced
• Verb-noun agreement Double spaced Double Spaced
• Noun-pronoun agreement Double spaced Plagiarism

** The point allocation in the columns are examples. Grading for each section is done on a scale from 0 – maximum point value (0.1, 2.5, 3.7).
** Any errors in final version that were commented on in draft feedback will be graded twice as harshly

VIBS 310 Research Poster Abstract Rubric by Micah J. Waltz is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0
International License.