Short of the Mark
Before I get back to the marking, let me just observe that it’s really frustrating to read papers that fall short of the mark in so many ways. Some are too short and it’s not a virtue of concision, simply insufficient material. Others are short on sources and while they may fill the page count, do so on one leg and with a lot of generalizations. A few are also short on ideas: a major paper that lacks any sense of a thesis or argument is just not going to cut the mustard.
Fortunately, there are enough good papers to keep my spirits up, but I’m sure to find a few more that are heavier on the shortcomings as I dive back into the (decreasing!) pile.