Peer review

Purpose: Peer review is an integral part of the writing process for students and professional academics. Through the peer review process we receive valuable feedback on our writing that helps us get distance and perspective on our work. Peer review also helps us learn discourse and genre conventions by reading the work of others.

Task:

1. Start a new discussion thread below. Post a copy of your rough draft in the text box (please do not post as an attachment) by Friday, 11:59 p.m. PT. You will be forgiven for any formatting issues this creates. 

2. Write three, 200-word-minimum critiques to your classmates. Your first two critiques may be to anyone you like, but the third must be to whichever student has the fewest number of critiques on the discussion board at the time you are posting. As you write your critiques, focus mostly on global comments instead of specific concerns. Here is a description of each:

Global Comments (your peer review should focus on these)

·

· What is the paper’s thesis?

· Do you agree with the paper’s main points? Are there some sources the author could have used to support his or her points more?

· Do you disagree with any part of the paper? Could you play devil’s advocate? If so, what sources would you quote to counter the paper’s argument?

· Do you feel like the paper was misreading the points of any of the authors or taking them too much out of context?

· Did the author adequately set up the debate? Did the author leave out any voices he or she might want to address?

· Did you feel lost in the paper at any time? If so, what did you find confusing?

· Are there any questions about the paper’s argument that popped into your mind that you thought the paper could address?

· Did the paper feel organized? Did you feel guided through the paper or like you had to figure out where it was going?

· What parts of the argument did you feel were the strongest?

· Do the introduction and conclusion do the job they are supposed to do?

Specific Concerns (comment on these sparingly)

·

· Is the paper using its chosen citation style correctly?

· Are there patterns of grammar or spelling mistakes?

· Is the tone and language of the paper formal enough for academic writing?

IMPORTANT NOTE: YOU MUST ALSO POST YOUR ROUGH DRAFT IN THE ASSIGNMENT DROP BOX ON THE WEEK 3 BUTTON FOR YOUR INSTRUCTOR. IT MUST BE POSTED IN BOTH PLACES.

Criteria for Success:

Successful critiques will be thoughtful and constructive, focusing mostly on global comments over specific concerns.