Visual Design

Criteria	SD	D	A	SA	N/A
Graphics can be functional, aesthetic, or thematic, but they maintain the internal consistency of the magazine
Graphics are suitable for the audience in tone and content
The cover is interesting, attractive, and suitable for the publication
Graphic elements such as rules and screens have been used to add visual interest
Graphics are used effectively to make concepts, complex information, and new ideas easier to comprehend
Graphics are consistently well designed, legible, and neatly executed
Elements such as tables and charts are treated as graphics elements in themselves
Captions and callouts are effective for all illustrations, tables, photos, and other graphics
Color (if used) adds to the magazine’s appeal and usability and unifies its design
Comments:

Overall
Criteria	SD	D	A	SA	N/A
Fulfills the purpose for the intended audience
All elements well integrated
Evidence of creativity or originality
Appealing, interesting, and useful to the intended audience
Projects a professional image
Comments:

General Comments:

Use this space to note the entry's strengths as well as areas for improvement. (You may attach additional pages.)

Publications Evaluation Category 12: Newsletters Entry number _________ Entry title _________ Judge number _________

Guidelines	Newsletters are regularly scheduled publications with brief writings and a flexible format. They generally have lower budgets and fewer pages than magazines, and may or may not have photographs and illustrations. Newsletters are generally about a company's employees or products, and they may be intended for an internal or external audience. Their primary purpose is to deliver information that, at the same time, will interest the reader and promote the interests of the sponsor.
	SD =Strongly Disagree	D= Disagree	N/A = Not Applicable
SA = Strongly Agree	A = Agree

Content and Organization
Criteria	SD	D	A	SA	N/A
Covers a variety of topics that relate to employees, company, or products
Writing tone and style suit the purpose and audience
Vocabulary and reading level are appropriate to the audience
Articles reflect an orderly and logical development of their subject matter
Articles are interesting and original
Technical complexity handled effectively
Headings are usefully and appropriately descriptive
Concepts are presented clearly and effectively supported with clear, relevant, and meaningful information (such as examples, tables, charts, and illustrations)
Charts, tables, illustrations, and the like are appropriately placed relative to the text they support
Writing is free of unnecessary bias, for example, that of gender or ethnic group
The masthead includes the following information: · name of publication · name and address of organization · name and phone number of the editor · frequency of publication · subscription costs and ordering information (if applicable) · copyright information (if applicable)
Comments:

Copy Editing
Criteria	Weak	Present	Strong	N/A
Correct, consistent spelling, punctuation, grammar, capitalization
Consistent formatting and typography
Consistent writing tone and style
Consistent terminology
Acronyms and abbreviations spelled out and defined at their first occurrence
Consistent labeling, captions, and callouts for tables, illustrations, photos, and other support material
Comments:

Visual Design
Criteria	Weak	Present	Strong	N/A
Exhibits editorial control and a consistent overall aesthetic look
Navigational devices are consistent within and between issues in their form and placement
Layout of page elements contributes to readability and usability
Typography is used as an effective design element
Typography is easy to read
Consistent and accessible patterns for jumps and breaks are evident (if used)
Headings are hierarchical in typography and reflect organization of material
Headings are visually effective in helping readers find and follow information
Pull-quotes and other “graphical” treatment of text are used to focus and pull the reader into articles
Size and binding are appropriate for purpose and audience
Production materials are of appropriate durability and quality
Print quality supports the publication’s readability and usability
Graphics can be functional, aesthetic, or thematic, but they maintain the internal consistency of the publication
Graphics are suitable for the audience in tone and content
Graphics are used effectively to support the content
Graphic elements such as rules and screens have been used to add visual interest
Graphics are consistently well designed, legible, and neatly executed
Elements such as tables and charts are treated as graphic elements in themselves
Captions and callouts are effective for illustrations, tables, photos, and other graphics
Color (if used) adds to the publication’s appeal and usability and unifies its design
Comments:

Overall
Criteria	Weak	Present	Strong	N/A
Fulfills the purpose for the intended audience
All elements well integrated
Evidence of creativity or originality
Appealing, interesting, and useful to the intended audience
Serves the interests of the newsletter’s sponsor
Comments:

General Comments:

Use this space to note the entry's strengths as well as areas for improvement. (You may attach additional pages.)

Publications Evaluation Category 13: Technical Reports Entry number _________ Entry title _________ Judge number _________

Guidelines	A submission to this category is a report on a scientific or technical effort, usually aimed at the professional community or a contracting agency.
	SD = Strongly Disagree	D = Disagree	N/A = Not Applicable
SA = Strongly Agree	A = Agree

Content and Organization
Criteria	SD	D	A	SA	N/A
Begins with a definition of purpose, scope, audience, and organization
Clearly indicates why the information is important to the intended audience
For scientific or engineering research, report uses the following organization: · purpose of the research · review of previous research on the topic · method · results · discussion · conclusions
The author strongly grounds or anchors the work reported to work that has already been done, as applicable
The author describes or points to applications that can be made of the work reported or describes needed extensions and additions to the work
Uses complete and appropriate reference citations, so that a reader can obtain the reference without difficulty
Although the style depends largely on the audience, the author strives for a simple, coherent, and complete presentation of the material. · Writing is clear and describes the topic · Concepts are presented in an appropriate manner · Main points are properly stressed
The author uses examples and carefully chosen analogies to bring the information into perspective
Avoids overuse of jargon and specialized terminology; clarifies specialized terms that are needed for a meaningful description
The author avoids unnecessary detail
Headings are sufficient to aid in finding information, and they explain the text that follows
Relevant but peripheral material is provided as an appendix or citation

Copy Editing
Criteria	SD	D	A	SA	N/A
Correct, consistent spelling, punctuation, grammar, capitalization
Consistent formatting and typography
Consistent writing tone and style
Consistent treatment of wording in headings
Consistent terminology
Consistent labeling, captions, and callouts for tables, illustrations, photos, and other support material
Acronyms and abbreviations spelled out and defined at their first occurrence
Table of contents comprehensive, useful, accurate, well-edited
Index comprehensive, cross-referenced within, accurate, well-edited, with effective use of synonyms
Comments:

Visual Design
Criteria	SD	D	A	SA	N/A
Size and binding are appropriate for purpose and audience
Production materials are of appropriate durability and quality
Print quality supports the publication’s readability and usability
Layout of page elements contributes to readability and usability
Typography is used as an effective design element
Typography is easy to read
Headings are hierarchical in typography and reflect organization of material
Headings are visually effective in helping readers find and follow information
Headers and footers are effective navigational devices
Contains other navigational devices to help readers find and follow information
Graphics are suitable for the audience in tone and content
Graphics are used effectively to support the content
Graphics are consistently well designed, legible, and neatly executed
Elements such as tables and charts are treated as graphics element in themselves
Captions and callouts are effective for illustrations, tables, photos, and other graphics
Color (if used) adds to the publication’s appeal and usability and unifies its design
Comments:

Overall
Criteria	SD	D	A	SA	N/A
Fulfills the purpose for the intended audience
All elements well integrated
Informative, credible, and convincing
Evidence of creativity or originality
Projects a professional image
Comments:

General Comments:

Use this space to note the entry's strengths as well as areas for improvement. (You may attach additional pages.)

Publications Evaluation Category 14: Trade/News Articles Entry number _________ Entry title _________ Judge number _________

Guidelines	A submission to this category is a single article appearing in a trade journal or general interest periodical that is not an original contribution of knowledge. Authors of these articles have no control over their documents after they are submitted. For this reason, production, design, and typography aspects are not included for evaluation in this category. For all aspects that are included, evaluate the article only for those elements you believe the author could control.
	SD = Strongly Disagree	D = Disagree	N/A = Not Applicable
SA = Strongly Agree	A = Agree

Copy Editing
Criteria	SD	D	A	SA	N/A
Correct, consistent spelling, punctuation, grammar, capitalization
Consistent writing tone and style
Consistent treatment of wording in headings
Consistent terminology
Consistent treatment of elements (lists, examples, tables, etc.)
Acronyms and abbreviations spelled out and defined at their first occurrence
Consistent labeling, captions, and callouts for tables, illustrations, photos, and other support material
Comments:

Content and Organization
Criteria	SD	D	A	SA	N/A
Generates interest and holds the reader’s attention
Clearly indicates the purpose and audience
Writing tone and style suite the purpose and audience
Writing is free of unnecessary bias, for example, that of gender or ethnic group
Organization is appropriate for the purpose
The author makes the article readable and understandable despite the difficulty of technical information · Writing is clear and describes the topic · Concepts are presented in an appropriate manner · Main points are properly stressed · Difficult concepts are effectively supported with illustrations or examples
Appropriate references are cited to give credit to the prior work of others and to establish continuity; each citation is sufficiently complete that a reader can obtain or retrieve the reference without difficulty
The author uses examples and carefully chosen analogies to bring the information into perspective
The author avoids overuse of jargon and specialized terminology but clarifies any specialized terms that are needed for a meaningful description of the work
The author avoids unnecessary detail (for example, of mathematical derivations, instrument calibration data, and statistical data), while maintaining sufficient technical integrity to ensure that experiments are reproducible and conclusions are justified
Rather than cluttering the body of the article, the author has handled relevant but peripheral material as an appendix or by citation of appropriate references
Headings are sufficient to aid in finding information, and they explain the text that follows
Support information is appropriately placed relative to the text it supports
The author has provided human interest
Comments:

Graphics
Criteria	SD	D	A	SA	N/A
Interest-catching headings, subheadings, pull-quotes, and topic sentences convey a highly technical topic in an engaging manner
Graphics are used effectively to support the content
Graphics are consistently well designed
Captions and callouts are effective for illustrations, tables, photos, and other graphics
Comments:

Overall
Criteria	SD	D	A	SA	N/A
Fulfills its purpose for the intended audience
Informative, credible, and convincing
Evidence of creativity and originality
Comments:

General Comments:

Use this space to note the entry's strengths as well as areas for improvement. (You may attach additional pages.)

Publications Evaluation Category 15: Scholarly/Professional Articles Entry number _________ Entry title _________ Judge number _________

Guidelines	A submission to this category is a single article appearing in an academic or professional journal or a scholarly book as an original contribution of knowledge. Authors of these articles have no control over their documents after they are submitted. For this reason, production, design, and typography aspects are not included for evaluation in this category. For all aspects that are included, evaluate the article only for those elements you believe the author could control.
	SD = Strongly Disagree	D = Disagree	N/A = Not Applicable
SA = Strongly Agree	A = Agree

Content and Organization
Criteria	SD	D	A	SA	N/A
Generates interest and holds the reader’s attention
Begins with a definition of purpose, scope, audience, and organization
If the article reports on scientific or engineering research, the following organization is used: · purpose of the research · review of previous research on the topic · method · results · discussion · conclusions
The author strongly grounds or anchors the work reported to work that has already been done, as applicable
The author describes or points to applications that can be made of the work reported or describes needed extensions and additions to the work
Appropriate references are cited to give credit to the prior work of others and to establish continuity; each citation is sufficiently complete that a reader can obtain or retrieve the reference without difficulty
The author presents strong, logical, and well stated conclusions separately from the results
Although the style depends largely on the audience, the author strives for a simple, coherent, and complete presentation of the material · Writing is clear and describes the topic · Concepts are presented in an appropriate manner · Main points are properly stressed · Difficult concepts are effectively supported with illustrations or examples
The author avoids overuse of jargon and specialized terminology but clarifies any specialized terms that are needed for a meaningful description of the work
The author uses examples and carefully chosen analogies to bring the information into perspective
The author avoids unnecessary detail (for example, of mathematical derivations, instrument calibration data, and statistical data), while maintaining sufficient technical integrity to ensure that experiments are reproducible and conclusions are justified
When detail must be presented, a concise summary also appears
Rather than cluttering the body of the article, the author has handled relevant but peripheral material as an appendix or by citation of appropriate references
Headings are sufficient to aid in finding information, and they explain the text that follows
Comments:

Copy Editing
Criteria	SD	D	A	SA	N/A
Correct, consistent spelling, punctuation, grammar, capitalization
Consistent writing tone and style
Consistent treatment of wording in headings
Consistent terminology
Acronyms and abbreviations spelled out and defined at their first occurrence
Consistent labeling, captions, and callouts for tables, illustrations, photos, and other support material
Comments:

Graphics
Criteria	SD	D	A	SA	N/A
Graphics are suitable for the audience in tone and content
Graphics are used effectively to support the content
Graphics are consistently well designed
Captions and callouts are effective for all illustrations, tables, photos, and other graphics
Comments:

Overall
Criteria	SD	D	A	SA	N/A
Fulfills its purpose for the intended audience
Informative, credible, and convincing
Provides concise, easy-to-find information
Evidence of creativity and originality
Comments:

General Comments:

Use this space to note the entry's strengths as well as areas for improvement. (You may attach additional pages.)

Publications Evaluation Category 16: Scholarly/Professional Journals Entry number _________ Entry title _________ Judge number _________

Guidelines	A scholarly/professional journal appears as a serial publication that is covered and bound. It has features and regular columns in an established format that people recognize. Advertising may or may not be included. It is controlled by an identifiable publisher and served by an editorial staff. Writing style may tend to be relatively formal, and design creativity may be limited, in keeping with standards defined by expectations of the profession. Journals are usually targeted for a limited and specialized audience and typically contain information about research and developments in a particular discipline or profession.
	SD = Strongly Disagree	D = Disagree	N/A = Not Applicable
SA = Strongly Agree	A = Agree

Content and Organization
Criteria	SD	D	A	SA	N/A
Content meets the practical needs of the audience
Writing tone and style suit the purpose and audience
Vocabulary and reading level are appropriate to the audience
Writing is free of unnecessary bias, for example, that of gender or ethnic group
The table of contents is easily accessible and comprehensive
Primary content consists of by-lined, peer-reviewed articles reporting scholarly, scientific, or technical work; articles are usually original contributions to knowledge; review or tutorial articles may appear as occasional exceptions but do not dominate the publication
Collateral material (such as correspondence, book reviews, editorial commentary), if present, is noncommercial and relevant to the publication's purpose
Primary articles meet the same criteria as for individual scholarly/professional articles · Generates interest and holds the reader’s attention · Begins with a definition of purpose, scope, audience, and organization · If the article reports on scientific or engineering research, the following organization is used: · purpose of the research · review of previous research on the topic · method · results · discussion · conclusions · The author strongly grounds or anchors the work reported to work that has already been done, as applicable · The author describes or points to applications that can be made of the work reported, or describes needed extensions and additions to the work · Appropriate references are cited to give credit to the prior work of others and to establish continuity; each citation is sufficiently complete that a reader can obtain or retrieve the reference without difficulty · The author presents strong, logical, and well-stated conclusions separately from the results · Although the style depends largely on the audience, the author strives for a simple, coherent, and complete presentation of the material · Writing is clear and describes the topic · Concepts are presented in an appropriate manner · Main points are properly stressed · Difficult concepts are effectively supported with illustrations or examples · The author avoids overuse of jargon and specialized terminology but clarifies any specialized terms that are needed for a meaningful description of the work · The author uses examples and carefully chosen analogies to bring the information into perspective · The author avoids unnecessary detail (for example, of mathematical derivations, instrument calibration data, and statistical data), while maintaining sufficient technical integrity to ensure that experiments are reproducible and conclusions are justified · When detail must be presented, a concise summary also appears · Rather than cluttering the body of the article, the author has handled relevant but peripheral material as an appendix or by citation of appropriate references
Headings are sufficient to aid in finding information, and they explain the text that follows
The masthead includes the following information: · name of publication · name and address of organization · name and phone number of the editor · frequency of publication · subscription costs and ordering information (if applicable) · copyright information (if applicable)

Comments:

Copy Editing
Criteria	SD	D	A	SA	N/A
Correct, consistent spelling, punctuation, grammar, capitalization
Consistent formatting and typography
Consistent writing tone and style
Consistent terminology
Acronyms and abbreviations spelled out and defined at their first occurrence
Consistent labeling, captions, and callouts for tables, illustrations, photos, and other support material
Comments:

Design and Typography
Criteria	SD	D	A	SA	N/A
Exhibits editorial control and a consistent overall aesthetic look
Navigational devices are consistent within and between issues in their form and placement
Consistent and accessible patterns for jumps and breaks are evident (if used)
Articles are not fragmented by advertisements (if present); any advertising that is not intrinsically obvious is clearly labeled
Layout of page elements contributes to readability and usability
Typography is used as an effective design element
Typography is easy to read
Headings are hierarchical in typography and reflect organization of material
Headings are visually effective in helping readers find and follow information
Comments:

Production
Criteria	SD	D	A	SA	N/A
Size and binding are appropriate for purpose and audience
Production materials are of appropriate durability and quality
Print quality supports the publication’s readability and usability
Comments:

Graphics
Criteria	SD	D	A	SA	N/A
Cover art is not required (many journals simply reproduce all or part of the table of contents on the cover); if present, it is creative, interesting, and relevant to the subject matter of the issue
Graphics can be functional, aesthetic, or thematic, but they must maintain the internal consistency of the publication
Graphics are suitable for the audience in tone and content
Graphics are used effectively to support the content
Graphics are consistently well designed, legible, and neatly executed
Elements such as tables and charts are treated as graphic elements in themselves
Captions and callouts are effective for all illustrations, tables, photos, and other graphics
Color (if used) adds to the journal’s appeal and usability and unifies its design
Comments:

Overall
Criteria	SD	D	A	SA	N/A
Fulfills the purpose for the intended audience
All elements well integrated
Evidence of creativity or originality
Primary articles are informative, credible, and convincing
Projects a professional image
Comments:

General Comments:

Use this space to note the entry's strengths as well as areas for improvement. (You may attach additional pages.)

Publications Evaluation Category 17: Books Entry number _________ Entry title _________ Judge number _________

Guidelines	For this competition, a book is defined as a lengthy document covering one technical subject that is intended for sale to the public.
	SD = Strongly Disagree	D= Disagree	N/A = Not Applicable
SA = Strongly Agree	A = Agree

Content and Organization
Criteria	SD	D	A	SA	N/A
Writing tone and style suit the purpose and audience
Vocabulary and reading level are appropriate to the audience
Writing is free of unnecessary bias, for example, that of gender or ethnic group
Organization and conventions used in the book are either inherently understandable or are explained
Overall strategy for organizing information suits the subject matter (for example, reference information is in alphabetical order, procedural information is task oriented and presented as steps)
There is an orderly and logical development of subject matter
Technical complexity handled effectively
Headings are usefully and appropriately descriptive
Level of detail is appropriate for user and task
Concepts are presented clearly and effectively supported with clear, relevant, and meaningful information (such as examples, tables, charts, and illustrations)
Charts, tables, illustrations, and other support information are appropriately placed relative to the text they support
Notes, cautions, and warnings are clearly identified, appropriately placed, and follow conventions for their meaning
Terminology is defined in an effective place (in sidebars, in the text, at the beginning of a chapter or section, in a glossary, etc.)
Similar kinds of information are presented in consistent ways
Aids such as quick-start procedures, tutorial, glossaries, or reference sections are included when they would be helpful and appropriate
Comments: