Beyond choosing a topic that is of interest and relevant to health policy, students need to demonstrate their understanding of major concepts learned in the course as well as the ability to integrate both scholarly literature (e.g., journal articles) and grey literature (e.g., government, nongovernmental, and/or technical reports) in their research essay. Marks will be awarded accordingly on the following basis: • Strength of main position (e.g., how strong is your thesis statement) • Analysis (e.g., the extent to which critical thinking is demonstrated) • Evidence (e.g., sources used to support your perspectives, which can be qualitative and/or quantitative) • Balance (e.g., ability to acknowledge and address both sides of an argument, including any counter-arguments) • Quality of writing (e.g., sound grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and clear expression/organization of thoughts)
