Peer Review
PROCEDURE: Read the entire composition thoroughly. Then go back
through these questions and use them to respond to your peer's paper in
writing. I suggest copying and pasting this material into your reply,
and then answering these questions. The essay writer should then use
this information to revise their paper.
1. Is there a title? Suggest a creative one that represents, not just
describes, the essay’s topic.
2. Introduction: How well does
the essay relate the paper’s main points and goals? Point to any words
or phrases you think need to be specified. Is the topic of the essay
clear?
3. Thesis: What does this essay
attempt to accomplish? The 1- to 3-sentence response to this question
is called a thesis or controlling idea. Ideally, the point of a paper
is argumentative, meaning
that it poses a point of view which one defends. Is the thesis
argumentative? If so, you should be able to identify a reasonable
counter-argument. In other words, what is the OPPOSITE of the paper’s
argument?
4. Supporting paragraphs: Does
each paragraph introduce its topic clearly with a leading sentence?
List any examples of paragraphs that need to be combined, separated, or
maybe rearranged for clarity.
5. Analysis and Interpretation: How
valid is the support for the paper's argument? Suggest where more (or
better) evidence might be provided.
6. Citation: In what ways does
the writer distinguish between her opinions, and those of the author of
outside sources? I suggest using phrases such as “according to author
X,” “author X argues that/suggests that,” “this article makes the point
that/illustrates that,” etc.. Cite an example of where such phrases
occur or suggest where to employ them.
7. Conclusion: Is the
concluding paragraph conclusive without being repetitive? Does it
remind the reader why it was worth reading this paper?