Elements of a Research Paper

In general, the research paper is graded on what a student demonstrates about his/her:

research skills,
ability to think critically about a topic and the sources necessary to study and limit that topic,
ability to combine information and ideas into a focused, organized, supported argument,
ability to write a grammatical, stylistic, mechanically correct essay, and
ability to document and list sources accurately and usefully.

Specially, the research paper is graded on:

title page (clarity, usefulness, accuracy)
title (usefulness, accuracy)
introduction (specificity, clarity, appeal)
thesis (clarity, initial presentation, use throughout paper, thoughtfulness, accuracy)
arguments/evidence (breadth, logic, quality, use)
organization (clarity, logic, consistency, within paragrahs, in overall paper)
focus
mechanics
sentence structure
punctuation (usage, spacing)
voice (avoidance of passive)
person (avoidance of first and second)
tense (logic, consistency)
spelling
proofreading
page numbering (in text, in notes, and in bibliography)
use of Turabian, (chapters 2-6)
research (depth, breadth)
xploitation of sources (in notes, in text)
documentation (giving credit for ideas, facts, words)
documentation style
reference notes (first citations, subsequent citations)
content/explanatory notes (usefulness, accuracy, form)
format (full page [endnotes]; end of page [footnotes])
appendices (if applicable)
quotations (appropriateness, logic, ellipses and brackets, identification of authors,
punctuation, transition into text)
conclusion (thoughtfulness, appeal, appropriateness, usefulness)
Honor Pledge (on title page, last page of text, or blank page at end of paper)

Resources for Writing Papers