Example Peer Review Guide
From UCSB English Department Knowledge Base
| Welcome to the English Department Knowledge Base at the University of California, Santa Barbara. |
|---|
Writer's Name/Reviewer's Name
Title of Paper
Read your classmate's paper carefully. Then answer the following questions, explaining your responses. (Keep in mind that it is more important to provide the writer with useful feedback that will help improve the paper than to avoid hurting her or his feelings.)
1. Does the first paragraph of the paper act as a brief summary of the entire essay? If not, tell that what is missing.
2. Does the introduction (the first few paragraphs) of the paper tell us what argument the writer is making about epistemic shifts -- changes in thinking -- that occurred as a result of the events they are describing, and the impact on Coming of Age in the Americas? If not, tell the author how they might get this information into the first few paragraphs of the paper, or restructure the entire paper.
3. Does the writer include information from a variety of reliable sources? Does he or she properly introduce, cite, and analyze, summarize, or paraphrase each source? If not, help them do this.
4. Do the transitions in the paper take us from one event or thought to the next in a graceful manner? If not help the writer bring themes and ideas together coherently.
6. Overall, is the entire paper subjective ? Does the writer give his or her own opinion in the form of an argument that they back up with evidence and examples? If there is no argument evident, help the writer develop one.
7. To what extent is the paper well-written ? Mark unclear or awkward sentences.
8. Circle, but do not correct any grammatical or spelling errors. In particular, be alert for the following problems:
CS comma splice
frag sentence fragment
agr lack of agreement between subject and verb (e.g., singular subject, plural verb form), noun and pronoun
DM dangling modifier
SP spelling error
9. What are the paper's strengths ? What do you like about it? What do you think is well done?
10. What should the writer do to improve the paper?
/ 5: Unity The TOPIC of the essay is clear and appears AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PAPER. EVERYTHING IN THE ESSAY EXPLAINS THE TOPIC, not some other point.
/ 5: Coherence/Organization EACH PARAGRAPH BEGINS WITHA TOPIC OR TRANSITION SENTENCE. Paragraphs in the essay are in the right order, and sentences within each paragraph are also in the right order. TRANSITIONS and transitional devices between sentences and paragraphs are adequate.
/ 5: Development EVERYTHING IS FULLY EXPLAINED; the writer has told you everything you feel you need to know to understand the topic of the essay.
/ 5: Style The writer's views are expressed clearly and as simply as possible, in PLAIN ENGLISH, with no apparent effort to impress by using big words, excessively long sentences, pretentious forms of expression. THE WRITER TENDS TO USE HUMAN SUBJECTS, STRONG VERBS, AND ACTIVE (NOT PASSIVE) SENTENCES.
/ 5: Mechanics The essay is well prepared, expressed in standard written English with generally accepted SPELLING, GRAMMAR, and PUNCTUATION. --MarthineSatris 16:06, 7 August 2007 (PDT)
