El Camino College Research Fair

Criteria

Expert (5)

Intermediate (3-4)

Emerging (1-2)

Novice (0)

Research Topic & Content

A well-formulated research topic is present and easily identifiable, along with relevant findings and analysis.

Research topic, findings, and analysis are present.

Research topic, findings and analysis are present, but need some work.

Topic needs refining.

Structure & Flow

Information is well-structured and flows well.

Structure and flow of information is somewhat intuitive.

Structure and flow of information is not intuitive, but could be improved with minor changes.

Structure and flow of information needs improvement.

Credible Sources

Sources are diverse in type and support the topic; strong skill in locating and identifying credible sources.

Majority of sources are diverse and support topic.

Some sources support topic; adding another source or two could improve small gaps.

Source selection can be improved.

Works Cited

Citations are provided, and are correctly done.

Citations are provided, and are mostly correct.

Citations are provided, but need work.

No citations presented.

Criteria

Expert (5)

Intermediate (3-4)

Emerging (1-2)

Novice (0)

Relevance to the Community

Strong, clear connection to a well-defined community issue; thoroughly researched & community-centered.

Topic is relevant and moderately connected to a community issue. 

Some relevance to the community; connection could be stronger.

Minimal or unclear connection to community concerns.

Community Involvement

Active, meaningful partnerships with, or input from, community members and/or organizations.

Some engagement with local stakeholders or minor collaboration.

Limited engagement; mostly one-directional or informal.

No evidence of community involvement.

Accessibility & Communication

Research is clear, jargon-free, and visually or verbally accessible to all audiences.

Mostly clear and understandable; some technical language used.

Generally understandable but lacks clarity or engaging presentation.

Difficult to understand; poor communication or presentation.

Educational Value & Student Involvement 

Strong student leadership and learning; inclusive approach to the research.

Good student involvement and demonstration of learning.

Moderate student role or unclear learning outcomes.

Limited student involvement or educational value.

Criteria

Expert (5)

Intermediate (3-4)

Emerging (1-2)

Novice (0)

Audience Interaction

Commands audience’s interest during interaction; is responsive and enthusiastic about topic.

Maintains audience’s interest during interaction; is responsive and enthusiastic about topic.

Attempts to maintain audience’s interest during interaction; is responsive about topic.

Little to no interaction with audience.

Discussion of Topic

Students articulate their research with both confidence and demonstration of deep knowledge of topic.

Student is confident and/or shows ability to talk about their research.

Student demonstrates some grasp of the topic when asked questions.

Student attempts to articulate their research.

Creativity & Innovation

Highly original or inventive approach to presenting research.

Some creative or unique aspects present.

Few creative elements.

Little to no innovation or creativity.

Visual Communication

All content is logically and concisely displayed; text and figures are readable and relevant to the topic.

Most content is logically and concisely displayed; text and figures are readable and relevant to the topic.

Some content is logically and concisely displayed; text and figures are readable and somewhat relevant to the topic.

Arrangement and/or choice of content is confusing and hard to follow.