Assessment criteria for a contextual essay (checklist)

CONTENT

• Music is at the center of attention
• Analysis is a substantial part of the essay, including harmonic-contrapuntal aspects
• The treatment of the subject is contextual; relevant connections are made to extramusical domains
• The knowledgedomains of contextual studies are used: historical (general, musical, cultural) and aspects of harmony and counterpoint

PRODUCT

• There is a title page
• The title (and subtitle if present) refer to the chosen subject
• There is a correct table of contents with correct page numbers
• The table of contents and the used levels in the table of contents are meaningful and contribute to the orientation of the reader
• There is an introduction in which motivation for and choice of the subject, focus question and subquestions are presented in a clear way
• The essay concludes with a conlusion/discussion/resume and a critical reflection on the research
• There is a list of sources edited according to the APA system
• In the main text correct references are made to used sources according to the APA system
• Size: to write something substantial you will need at least 5000 words, but everybody knows it is perfectly possible to say absolutely nothing even with 10.000 words…

PROCESS

• The orientation on the subject is clearly documented
• The search for sources is clearly documented
• The choice of sources is motivated
• There has been contact with the teacher about content and process