Report Marking Criteria (/25

Failing Standard Fail Pass Credit Distinction

High 

Distinction

Professional Standard MARK

Title and Abstract

 -  No title, or title is irrelevant to topic; 

 -  No abstract, or missing important aspects of the study

0 - 4 5 - 6 7 8 9-10

 -  Title concise and appropriate;

 -  Abstract presented all appropriate information concisely

/10

Introduction 

 -  Broad introductory statement not provided (is too specific) 

or is irrelevant to the topic; 

 -  Concepts not defined or incorrectly defined

 -  Lacks empirical justification for behaviour modification

 -  Lacks theoretical basis for behavioural intervention, or 

theories are irrelevant to the current study; 

 -  Fails to comment upon the existing reinforcement 

contingencies that impact on the behaviour to be modified. 

 -  Aims/hypotheses not present, or irrelevant

 -  Poorly written, poor grammar or poor spelling

0 -9 10-12 13-14 15-16 17-20

 -  Outline of the topic begins broadly and explains the 

importance of the topic; 

 -  Integrated definitions of terms and concepts; 

 -  Clear justification for behavioural modification based on 

empirical research. 

 -  Theories underpinning the behavioural intervention are

clearly articulated and related to the aims of the study; 

 -  Identifies existing reinforcement contingencies that impact 

on behaviour that is to be modified; 

 -  Clear and accurate aims and hypotheses; 

 -  Written concisely and clearly, good grammar and spelling

/20

Method 

 -  Participants subsection is missing or lacks detail; 

 -  Information about how the behaviour was measured is

lacking, incoherent or imprecise; 

 -  Procedural information about the intervention employed is 

missing, is incoherent or imprecise; 

0-7 8-9 10 11-12 13-15

 -  Participants subsection has appropriate detail; 

 -  Information about how the behaviour was measured is 

appropriate, clear and concise; 

 -  Procedure is in chronological order, is concise but has 

sufficient detail so it could be reproduced from description;

Failing Standard Fail Pass Credit Distinction

High 

Distinction

Professional Standard 

MARK

Results

 -  Figures/tables and/or data, presented incorrectly, or are 

very difficult to interpret 

 -  Data are not verbally described and not related to 

hypotheses,

 -  Poorly written, poor grammar and/or spelling

0 -9 10-12 13-14 15-16 17-20

 -  Correct figure or table (but not both) which is easy to 

interpret.

 -  Data are clearly related to hypotheses in verbal description 

of results 

 -  Written concisely and clearly, with good grammar and 

spelling

/20

Discussion 

 -  Results not interpreted or are inaccurately interpreted or 

are not linked to the hypotheses. 

 -  No attempt to interpret how the behavioural 

intervention impacted on the existing reinforcement 

contingencies identified in the Introduction.

 -  Overemphasis on methodological or other limitations of 

the study.

 -  No attempt to identify implications of the results for 

future interventions or for others or implications stated 

with no justification for them. 

 -  Poorly written, poor grammar and/or spelling.

0 -12 13-15 16-18 19-20 21-25

 -  Results accurately interpreted in relation to the 

hypotheses, 

 -  Discusses how the behavioural intervention impacted on 

the existing reinforcement contingencies indentified in 

the Introduction 

 -  Appropriate acknowledgement of methodological or 

other limitations of the study, and suggested 

improvements. 

 -  Implications of behaviour intervention going into the future 

and whether it would generalise to others are well 

described and justified. 

 -  Written concisely and clearly, with good grammar and 

spelling.

/25

References 

 -  No references, referencing from unreliable sources or 

plagiarised references; 

 -  Lacks in-text referencing or is incorrect; 

 -  Heavy use of direct quotes;

 -  Direct quotes are not appropriately referenced if used.

 -  Absent or inaccurate reference list

 -  In-text referencing and reference list not in APA style.

0 - 4 5 - 6 7 8 9-10

 -  Adequate referencing to support arguments, 

 -  References from reliable sources; 

 -  Ideas expressed in own words; 

 -  Minimal use of direct quotes, which are properly 

referenced if used;

 -  Complete reference list

 -  Correct APA style for in-text referencing and reference 

list.

/10