Is my Korean research paper rubric missing key citation requirements?

Yes, your rubric is definitely missing some critical citation requirements, and you shouldn't just guess what the professor wants. When a rubric leaves out the specific citation style and the minimum source count, it's usually an oversight rather than an invitation to wing it. In Korean studies and literature, academic expectations can vary wildly. Some instructors prefer Chicago Style because it handles non-English characters and transliteration beautifully, while others might default to APA or MLA. If you just guess, you risk losing major points for formatting or for not having enough academic depth in your bibliography. Imagine you are writing your paper on modern Korean poetry and decide to use MLA style with four sources you found online. You submit it, but your professor actually expected Chicago Style with footnotes and at least eight peer-reviewed sources, including some primary Korean texts. Even if your analysis is brilliant, your grade will take a massive hit because you didn't meet these unwritten expectations. To avoid this, your best move right now is to email your professor directly to ask for clarification on the preferred style guide and the minimum number of sources. When you write this email, suggest a couple of options to show you are proactive, perhaps asking if they prefer Chicago or MLA. You can also check the syllabus from the beginning of the semester, as instructors sometimes bury general writing guidelines there instead of repeating them in every single assignment rubric. Finally, once you get those details, draft a quick sample bibliography page with just two of your sources and ask your TA to look it over during office hours to ensure your formatting is spot-on before you write the whole paper.