Over the last six modules, you built toward this culminating moment: the submission of your final project. This week you will be drafting a research paper of 6-7 pages (approximately 1500-1750 words) that builds on your previous Milestone work. Use the

Final Project Template

for an example of how to create and format your final paper.

Begin by reading pages 7.8-7.13 in the webtext before beginning this assignment.

Step 1: Reflect on Previous Milestone Feedback and Make Adjustments

Each week after you submitted a Milestone assignment, your instructor provided you with feedback, often including suggestions for improvement. Take stock of that feedback and incorporate it. This might mean adjusting the wording of your thesis statement, replacing a source, fixing errors in your APA formatting, rewriting your introduction, or rethinking your organization of paragraphs. In addition to your instructor’s feedback, make sure to use your peer’s feedback on Milestone 5 as well – what suggestions did they have to improve your introduction and outline? Did they understand your argument and if not, how can you communicate it more clearly?

Step 2: Use Your Outline to Draft Your Paper

Using your Milestone 5 outline, begin to flesh out each of your body paragraphs by adding evidence from your sources that support your thesis (along with proper in-text citations for ideas or quotes from your sources). Make sure to include transitions between paragraphs and wrap up your paper with a conclusion paragraph that reiterates your thesis argument and offers some concluding thoughts.

Step 3: Review and Edit Your Work

Once you have a full draft written, make sure to re-read it carefully with an eye on the details like spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence clarity, and word choice. Go back to the Writing Refresher section of the course for help with any weak areas of your writing. Try reading it aloud to catch errors you might otherwise miss in print.

Step 4: Submit to the Canvas and Review Your

Turnitin

Report. Make Changes If Needed and Resubmit.

As you learned in Module 4, Excelsior uses Turnitin in the Canvas dropbox as a learning tool for students. Plan to submit to the dropbox a few days early if you can so you have time to review your Turnitin report and similarity score. If your score comes back high, revise your content to make sure you are using original writing, citing ideas from others, and properly putting the exact words of others in quotation marks.

IND301Course Project – Final Project Grading Rubric
Criteria A+ (100) A (95) B (85) C (75) D (65) F (55) F (0)

Possible Points: 15 15 14.25 12.75 11.25 9.75 8.25 0

Thesis Statement:
The work includes a
concise, specific,
one sentence thesis
statement relevant
to the student’s
topic, located in the
introduction and
reiterated in the
conclusion.

The thesis
statement is
clear, concise,
and specific to
the topic,
including a
unique
perspective that
is broad enough
to make a case,
but narrow
enough so that
the case can be
made feasibly.
Located in the
introduction
paragraph and
reiterated in the
conclusion.

The thesis
statement is
clear, concise,
and specific to
the topic, and is
broad enough to
make a case, but
narrow enough
so that the case
can be made
feasibly. Located
in the
introduction
paragraph and
reiterated in the
conclusion.

The thesis
statement is
specific and
appropriate to the
topic but may be
either so narrow
that there is little
room to make a
case, or so broad
that the case
cannot be feasibly
made within the
scope of the
paper. Located in
the introduction
paragraph and
somewhat
reiterated in the
conclusion.

The thesis
statement is
provided, but
the connection
with the topic is
unclear. The
statement is too
broad or too
narrow to make
a case. May not
be clearly
located in the
introduction
paragraph or
reiterated in the
conclusion.

The thesis
statement is too
broad or too
narrow and is
irrelevant or
inappropriate to
the topic. Not
located in the
introduction
paragraph or
reiterated in the
conclusion.

The thesis
statement is
vague, unclear,
and difficult to
locate.

No
submission.

Possible Points: 30 30 28.5 25.5 22.5 19.5 16.5 0

Analysis,
Argument, and
Discussion: The
body paragraphs of
the paper
demonstrate
original and
effective argument
analysis and

The argument is
analyzed and
discussed
critically in each
body paragraph,
using multiple
perspectives,
with significant
evidence from

The argument is
analyzed and
discussed
critically in most
body paragraphs,
using evidence.
Supporting
details and
evidence to

The argument is
analyzed and
discussed critically
in some body
paragraphs using
some evidence.
Supporting details
and evidence to
justify claims are

The argument is
adequately
analyzed and
discussed in
some body
paragraphs,
with some
evidence that
may be weak or

The argument is
rarely analyzed
or discussed in
the body
paragraphs, and
evidence is
rarely present or
relevant.
Supporting

No coherent
argument,
analysis, and
discussion
present in the
body paragraphs.

No
submission.

discussion using
evidence and are
related to the
thesis statement.

the different
perspectives.
Supporting
details and
evidence to
justify claims are
relevant,
accurate, and
specific to the
thesis.

justify claims are
relevant,
accurate, and
specific to the
thesis.

mostly relevant,
accurate, and
specific to the
thesis.

unclear.
Supporting
details and
evidence to
justify claims are
sometimes
irrelevant to the
thesis,
inaccurate, or
missing
specificity.

details and
evidence are
often missing,
inaccurate, or
tangential to the
argument.

Possible Points: 15 15 14.25 12.75 11.25 9.75 8.25 0

Writing Skills:
Grammar, spelling,
and syntax are
appropriate for
college writing.

The work
contains no
errors in spelling
or grammar;
choice of words
demonstrates a
deep
understanding of
the topic, always
using relevant
key terms
appropriately.

The work
contains no
errors in spelling
or grammar;
choice of words
demonstrates a
good
understanding of
the topic, using
relevant terms
appropriately.

The work contains
a few spelling
and/or grammatical
errors; choice of
words
demonstrates
proficiency on the
topic using relevant
terms for the most
part.

The work
contains a few
minor
spelling and
grammatical
errors; choice of
words
demonstrates
basic
understanding
of the topic,
sometimes
using relevant
and appropriate
terms.

The work
exhibits
consistently poor
spelling and
grammar; choice
of words
demonstrates a
lack of
understanding of
the topic, often
using irrelevant
or inappropriate
terms.

The work
exhibits extremely
poor writing skills;
incorrect spelling
and grammar
limits the reader’s
ability to follow
ideas or thoughts.
Choice of words
demonstrates a
lack of
understanding of
the topic, with
many irrelevant
or inappropriate
terms.

No
submission.

Possible points: 10 10 9.5 8.5 7.5 6.5 5.5 0

Structure and
Organization: The
work has a well-
crafted structure

The work is built
around a clearly
identifiable
structure and

The work follows
an easily
identifiable
structure and

The work is well
structured and
organized, with an
adequate

The work shows
an acceptable
structure and
organization,

The work shows
a basic attempt
to organize the
material,

The work shows
no obvious
organization,
lacking a clear

No
submission.

and organization,
including
introduction, body,
and conclusion
paragraphs that
reinforce and build
upon the thesis.
Each paragraph
contains effective
transitions. Length
of the submission is
appropriate.

organization,
which brings a
better
understanding for
the reader with a
fully articulated
introduction,
body, and
conclusion.
Transitions are
smooth and fully
support the
theme/thesis.
Meets length
requirements.

organization,
with a clearly
articulated
introduction,
body, and
conclusion.
Transitions are
appropriate and
all link to the
theme/thesis.
Meets length
requirements.

introduction, body,
and conclusion.
Transitions often
link to the
theme/thesis.
Meets length
requirements.

with an
identifiable
introduction,
body, and
conclusion.
Transitions are
somewhat
related to the
theme/thesis.
Meets length
requirements.

struggling to
differentiate the
introduction,
body, and
conclusion.
Transitions often
show little or no
relationship to
the
theme/thesis.
May not meet
length
requirements.

introduction,
body, and
conclusion. Does
not meet length
requirements.

Possible points: 20 20 14.25 12.75 11.25 9.75 8.25 0

Use of Sources and
APA Citations: The
work demonstrates
the selection and
use of high-quality,
relevant, and
credible academic
sources as evidence
in support of the
analysis and
argument. In-text
citations and
reference list are
formatted
appropriately in
APA style.

The work uses
high-quality,
relevant, and
credible
academic sources
effectively as
evidence in all
paragraphs.
There are no
errors in in-text
citations or
reference list
formatting.

The work uses
relevant and
credible
academic
sources
effectively as
evidence in all
paragraphs.
There are only a
few, minor
errors in the in-
text citations or
reference list
formatting.

The work uses
relevant and
credible academic
sources mostly
effectively as
evidence in almost
all paragraphs.
There are minor
errors in the in-text
citations or

reference list
formatting.

The work uses
academic
sources
adequately as
evidence in
most
paragraphs.
Sources may not
be the most
credible,
relevant, and
high-quality
options
available. There
are some
significant
errors in the in-

The work uses
sources,
however these
sources are too
few, mostly not
academic, high-
quality, credible,
or relevant.
Sources are not
used effectively
as evidence in
most
paragraphs.
There are many
significant errors
in in-text
citations or

The work does
not use sources as
evidence or
contains entirely
inappropriate
sources. In-text
citations and
reference list are
not attempted in
APA format or not
present.

No
submission.

text citations or
reference list
formatting.

reference list
formatting.

Possible Points: 10 10 9.5 8.5 7.5 6.5 5.5 0

Incorporation of
Feedback: The
student integrated
feedback from the
instructor on
previous
Milestones to
revise their work
for the final paper.

Feedback was
effectively
integrated from
previous
Milestones. The
revisions greatly
enhanced the
final paper and
showed
substantial
growth over the
term.

Feedback was
integrated from
previous
Milestones. The
revisions
enhanced the
final paper.

Feedback was
somewhat
integrated from a
few of the previous
Milestones. The
revisions
adequately
enhanced the
paper from
previous work.
Some additional
detail and clarity
needed.

Attempt was
made to
integrate the
feedback from
previous
Milestones but
did not
effectively
enhance the
paper overall
from previous
work. More
details and
clarity of
concepts are
needed to
effectively
enhance the
paper.

Minor changes
made based on
the feedback
from previous
Milestones
without success,
more extensive
changes
expected based
on the feedback.

Little to no
attempt was
made to improve
upon the
submission based
on prior feedback.

No
submission.

[Title—up to 12 words on 1–2 lines]

[Author Names—First M. Last; omit titles and degrees]

[Institutional Affiliation(s)]

[Title—up to 12 words on 1–2 lines]

[Indent all paragraphs; use double-spaced, 12-point font. An abstract is not required for this assignment.]

[Introduction: The introduction paragraph should include a “hook” to grab the reader, some contextual information about your topic, and your thesis statement as the last sentence of the paragraph. The wording in red is an example of an introduction; delete the red text and all of the information in brackets before beginning your assignment.] In the year 2016, Americans purchased approximately 17.5 million vehicles; less than 1% of these sales were electric or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Meanwhile, other nations, like China and Norway, have eclipsed the United States in electric vehicle market share (Sperling, 2018). These is no doubt from the international scientific community that carbon emissions from traditional internal combustion engine vehicles contribute significantly to climate change, and that electric vehicles represent a viable strategy to curb the automotive industry’s negative impact on the environment. Why then do electric vehicle (EV) sales still lag in the United States and what can be done to increase sales? The US government should increase the incentives for the production and consumption of electric cars because the United States is falling behind other nations in market share of electric cars, they are still too expensive for most consumers, and research demonstrates that electric cars are effective at reducing carbon emissions, which contribute to climate change. 

[Transition sentence from thesis. Body paragraph 1 should include the first component of your argument and paraphrased or quoted evidence from your sources to support it with in-text citations after any information that comes from a source (last name, year). The wording in red is an example of a body paragraph; delete the red text and all of the information in brackets before beginning your assignment.] The United States, once a world leader in automotive innovation, is quickly falling behind other nations in electric vehicle market share. While US consumers purchase one-fifth of the world’s EVs, that represents just a tiny fraction of the American vehicle market. The largest EV market is China, with more than half of world’s EV sales. Many countries in Europe are likewise adopting EVs at much higher rates per capita, including Norway, where EVs represent 30% of vehicle sales (Sperling, 2018). The European Parliament and European Union have paved the way for greater EV consumption by setting 2020 targets for EVs and charging stations in all EU member states (Noori & Tatari, 2016). In addition, Japan’s government and private sector have also displayed a commitment to the shift toward EVs, by committing to adding 6,000 new fast chargers across the country by 2016 (Sperling, 2018). In comparison to these nations, the United States’ public and private commitment to the shift to electric vehicles has flagged. The US auto market is much larger and more diverse, with a complicated history of automakers, the oil and gasoline industry, and lobbyists impacting the public’s perception of different types of vehicles. However, in considering the United States’ long history as a global leader in the auto industry, it is problematic that the United States is becoming a follower rather than a leader in the newest shift in the industry. Electric vehicles are ultimately the direction that the automobile market will shift, so the United States should take additional steps to keep up with its global peers.

[Transition sentence from paragraph above. You may have more than one body paragraph on each of the 3 components for your argument. Each body paragraph should include the paraphrased or quoted evidence from your sources to support your argument with in-text citations after any information that comes from a source (last name, year).]

[etc.]

[Transition sentence from paragraph above. Your final body paragraph should include opposing perspectives on your topic and paraphrased or quoted evidence from your sources to refute it with in-text citations after any information that comes from a source (last name, year).]

[Conclusion: The concluding paragraph should provide a short review of the main ideas presented in the body and make a connection back to the thesis statement. It should also offer some concluding thoughts related to the topic and the future.] The evidence from experts is clear: Electric vehicles are not only beneficial to the fight against climate change, but they are the future of the auto industry. However, the price of electric vehicles still puts them out of reach for most American consumers, resulting in the US falling behind its international peers in electric vehicle adoption per capita. The United States government must take steps today and tomorrow to pave the way forward for American electric vehicle consumption through increased incentives provided to both consumers and producers. Climate change is not a problem we can tackle alone; only through concerted efforts in specific areas can the United States, and the world, combat global warming. Shifting from gasoline-powered to electric vehicles is an important part of that fight, and we must take steps to assure it.

References

Noori, M., & Tatari, O. (2016). Development of an agent-based model for regional market penetration projections of electric vehicles in the United States. Energy, 96, 215–230. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2015.12.018

Sperling, D. (2018). Electric vehicles: Approaching the tipping point. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 74(1), 11–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/00963402.2017.1413055