Peer Review

Peer Review Instructions

The term “Peer Review” is applied to a process in which written work is shared with others in

order to gain suggestions for improvement. It is based on the concept that a larger and more

diverse group of people will usually find more strengths and weaknesses in a work than a single

person and will be able to make a more impartial evaluation of it than the person responsible for

creating it.

Most students report significant benefits when peer review is used prior to an assignment’s

grading deadline. Here’s what they gain:

· Insight on the strengths and weaknesses of their writing

· Aid in critically analyzing their writing and the writing of others

· Motivation for developing multiple drafts and conducting substantial revisions

· Feedback on the format, style, criteria, and expectations of their writing in relation to the

assignment

· Promotion of active learning

· Enhancement of classroom community

· Reflection of the interpersonal, interactive, and group problem-solving nature of most

workplace writing

When conducting your peer review for the Recommendation Report draft, consider the following questions:

Content

· Does the report clearly identify a problem or issue?

· Is there a clear and developed introduction?

· Is there a clear thesis statement that tells the reader the central idea of the report?

· Are various sections of the report included (table of contents, executive summary, etc.)?

· Are headings used to separate the various sections?

· Does the body section directly support the thesis?

· Are the ideas well-developed and clear?

· Are enough sources used in the report to support the ideas presented?

· Are exhibits used effectively to present data?

· Is there a clear conclusion that wraps up the report?

· Is the report persuasive and compelling?

· Has the writer met the minimum page requirement?

Organization

· Are sections and paragraphs used effectively to separate ideas?

· Are there transitions between paragraphs?

· Does the report “flow” well?

Mechanics

· Are the sentences well-constructed and clear?

· Are there spelling or grammar errors?

Formatting

· Is the paper properly formatted (margins, spacing, font, etc.)?

· Do the citations and references follow APA formatting?

Note that these are some of the things you should be thinking about when doing your review. You should not, however, use this as a checklist and simply answer “yes/no” for each of the questions—that would neither be a helpful nor successful review. Instead, use the comments feature in Word to make notes directly on the paper. Think about each of these questions, and apply them directly to your peer’s paper when you see one that is applicable (i.e. an area of the paper that needs improvement). And, of course, don’t forget to include positive comments about the areas of the report that you like!

Finally, it’s important to keep in mind that the goal of this exercise is to help each other improve your writing. So, don’t feel timid about pointing out things that might be improved—a review that contains nothing but positive comments isn’t really very helpful. Also, be sure not to take any feedback personally—after all, we are only evaluating the writing itself, not the person! Sometimes we do feel shy about giving or getting feedback when it comes to writing, but like anything, the only way to get better is to first understand what needs improving, and that’s where this sort of exercise can really help.