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Capella Writing Feedback Tool

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The Writing Feedback Tool (WFT) is not a grading rubric. Rather, it is a guide to Capella writing resources that your instructor may recommend. Your instructor may or may not use this tool to provide feedback on your writing assignment; however, you are always encouraged to view the WFT and to use the writing resources as needed.

Criteria Needs Work Satisfactory Exceptional CapellaCoach Instructor Comments

1. Critical Reading

  • Follows the assignment.
  • Selects and interprets sources appropriately.
 		     

Capella Writing Center
The Writing Process: Overview. Full-text PDF, pages 11–16: Critical Reading of Primary and Secondary Sources.

Capella Library
Sources: What Can You Use for Your Research?

Presentation: Peer-reviewed Articles and How to Find Them.
or
Libguide: What Is Peer Review?

  

2. Abstract and Executive Summary

  • Summarizes the main idea(s) of the paper.
  • Evaluates scholarship related to those idea(s).
  • Expresses writer's unique perspective.
 		     

Capella Writing Center
Writing a Course Paper, Sections tab, slide 2: "Abstract or Executive Summary."

The Writing Process: Overview. Full-text PDF, pages 7–11: Critical Thinking and Writing.

Business and Technical Writing.

Business and Technical Writing Presentation.

The Writing Center: Strategies for Writing from Secondary Sources.

The Writing Center: Developing a Scholarly Voice.

Capella Library
Evaluating Sources.

Library Research Handbook: What Did You Find? Evaluating.

  

3. Introduction

  • Forecasts the scope and structure of the paper.
  • States the purpose of main idea(s) of the paper.
  • Demonstrates critical thinking by providing the writer's unique perspective on the main idea(s).
 		     

Capella Writing Center
The Writing Process: Drafting. Full-text PDF, page 22: Introductions.

The Writing Process: Drafting. Full-text PDF, page 20: Main Ideas.

Writing a Course Paper, Sections tab, slide 5: "Position Statement, Thesis, or Hypothesis."

Developing a Thesis Statement.

Writing a Course Paper, Ideas tab, slides 4–8: "Critical Thinking."

The Writing Process: Overview. Full-text PDF, pages 7–11: Critical Thinking and Writing.

  

4. Body: Organization

  • Demonstrates critical thinking by organizing ideas in logical order to support the main idea(s) of the paper.
  • Presents paragraphs with
    1. Main idea (ex. topic sentence).
    2. Evidence to support the main idea (ex. cited facts).
    3. Analysis of evidence (ex. interpretation of what those facts mean in terms of the main idea(s)).
    4. Link to next paragraph or section (ex. transitions).
 		     

Capella Writing Center
The Writing Process: Overview. Full-text PDF, pages 7–11: Critical Thinking and Writing.

The Writing Process: Drafting. Full-text PDF, pages 20–27.

Grammar Handbook: Paragraph Structure. Full-text PDF, pages 25–34.

Creative Inquiry.

Writing a Course Paper, Sections tab, slide 3: "Headings."

APA Style and Formatting module.

APA Style and Format: Headings and Subheadings.

MEAL Plan.

Reverse Outlining.

  

5. Body: Evidence

  • Demonstrates critical thinking by integrating reputable outside sources with
    1. Summaries.
    2. Paraphrases.
    3. Quotes.
 		     

Capella Writing Center
The Writing Process: Overview. Full-text PDF, pages 7–11: Critical Thinking and Writing.

The Writing Process: Drafting. Full-text PDF, page 23: Using Sources.

Academic Honesty.

APA Style and Format. In-Text Citations.

Writing a Course Paper, Sections tab, slide 6: "Supporting Evidence."

Writing a Course Paper, Fundamentals tab, slide 1: "Maintaining Academic Integrity."

The Writing Center: Strategies for Writing from Secondary Sources.

Using Paraphrases.

Writing Your Own Academic Conversation: Who Said What to Whom.

Plagiarism.

Academic Integrity.

Capella Library
Guides by School and Specification.

Anatomy of a Scholarly Article.

Presentation: Peer-reviewed Articles and How to Find Them.
or
Libguide: What Is Peer Review?

Library Research Handbook: What Did You Find? Evaluating.

  

6. Body: Analysis

  • Demonstrates critical thinking by reflecting on, explaining, or refuting outside sources.
 		     

Capella Writing Center
The Writing Process: Overview. Full-text PDF, pages 7–11: Critical Thinking and Writing.

The Writing Process: Revising. Full-text PDF, pages 27–34.

The Writing Center: Writing for an Academic Audience.

The Writing Center: Revising for Results.

What Is the Literature Review Mini-site.

  

7. Conclusion

  • Reiterates the main idea(s) of purpose of the paper.
  • Reiterates the writer's unique perspective on the main idea(s).
  • Demonstrates critical thinking by offering ideas for future research or inquiry.
 		     

Capella Writing Center
The Writing Process: Drafting. Full-text PDF, page 26: Conclusions.

Writing a Course Paper, Sections tab, slide 7: "Conclusion."

  

8. Documentation Style

  • Follows specified documentation style.
  • Uses headings and subheadings to create logical organization pattern.
  • Incorporates internal citations correctly.
  • Presents external citations correctly (ex. references in APA).
 		     

Capella Writing Center
APA Style and Format.

APA: Finding Answers.

What's Behind APA Guidelines?

FAQs on Academic Writing.

Plagiarism.

Academic Integrity.

  

9. Voice (3rd Person)

  • Uses appropriate tone for the assignment.
  • Uses concrete language.
  • Uses signal phrases to separate self from sources (ex. according to the author noted).
 		     

Capella Writing Center
The Writing Process: Overview. Full-text PDF, pages 4–7: Scholarly Writing.

The Writing Process: Drafting. Full-text PDF, pages 25–26: Coherence and Transitions.

The Writing Process: Revising. Full-text PDF, pages 31–32: Voice.

The Writing Center: Developing a Scholarly Voice.

Writing in Third Person.

Writing Your Own Academic Conversation: Who Said What to Whom.

Voice, Style, and Tone.

Wordiness.

  

10. Grammar

  • Uses active voice.
  • Presents sentences with subject-verb agreement.
  • Evidences proofreading through lack of errors in sentence structure and spelling.
 		     

Capella Writing Center
The Writing Process: Polishing. Full-text PDF, pages 35–43: How to Edit and How to Proofread.

Grammar Handbook: Sentence Structure. Full-text PDF, pages 4–35.

Grammar Handbook: Word Choice. Full-text PDF, pages 34–37.

Active and Passive Voice.

Style: Sentence Simplicity.

Past and Present Tense.

  

11. Punctuation

  • Uses standard American punctuation and the punctuation rules of the citation style.
 		     

Capella Writing Center
Grammar Handbook: Punctuation. Full-text PDF, pages 47–69.

Grammar Handbook: Mechanics. Full-text PDF, pages 69–73.

Basic Comma Rules.

Punctuating Complete Thoughts.