Being a True and Dedicated Colleague: Guided Formal Peer Review of Argument Research Essay Drafts
Initial Post Instructions
To that end, this week in our discussion area, we will be sharing our full argument research essay drafts in a class peer review. In order to make this process run smoothly, please be sure to follow these instructions:
- This may be the draft you submitted to your instructor in Week 5, or you may have made changes since then and will wish to post your most updated copy (remember the “good” to “great” portion of the Lesson!)
- In your post, also compose a good paragraph offering information about your draft in which you address at least three of your major revision goals. Do not list mechanical items like grammar and APA because it is a given that you’ll edit and proofread for those items. Instead, note at least three content-related goals, such as stronger support for one point, connecting sources to your logic more powerfully, and unifying your points to align well with your thesis. These are just examples; please write a paragraph that notes your own goals and explains the “why” and “how” of those. Be sure to ask your professor if you have any questions about the peer review process.
- See attachment for my essay
Peer Review (Follow-Up Post) Instructions
- read their attached essay and any notes they left to accompany the draft.
- Download the Peer Review Sheet and complete the form.
- Return your completed Peer Review Sheet as an attachment in a response post to your peer. Peer reviews must be completed and posted as a reply to your classmate no later than Friday night. The reason your peer review is due earlier in the week than other discussion replies is that your classmate must have enough time to utilize your feedback.
Required Peer Review Sheet
Week 6 Peer Review Worksheet
Use the table below as you conduct the Week 6 Peer Review. Your grade for this discussion will
be derived from your work on the peer review you perform. You may not begin performing your
peer review until you have made your own main post (your draft and your goals). Once you
have completed the peer review, reply to your classmate’s main posts by attaching this
completed peer review sheet, along with any comments you would like to make.
Use the table below as you conduct the Week 6 Peer Review. Your grade for this discussion will
be derived from your work on the peer review you perform. You may not begin performing your
peer review until you have made your own main post (your draft and your goals). Once you
have completed the peer review, reply to your classmate’s main posts by attaching this
completed peer review sheet, along with any comments you would like to make.
Element Comments or Suggestions for Improvement
Please compose at least three full sentences for each
element (many elements will likely be longer once you
begin explaining and offering feedback). Be specific, adding
examples and suggestions where needed.
Structure and Unity: Is the thesis
statement narrow and clearly arguable?
Do the points in the body and the
content of the conclusion clearly support
the thesis statement? Please be specific
and offer reasons, suggestions and
examples.
Organization: Look at the ordering of
body paragraphs and at the ordering of
sentences within the introduction, body
paragraphs, and conclusion. Is
everything arranged in the most effective
order for you, as a reader? Please be
specific and offer suggestions, reasons,
and examples.
Voice: Is the writer’s voice the driving
force of the essay? Is each paragraph
written with the writer’s voice from the
first to the last sentence? Is the writer
using voice to connect and explain the
evidence used? Could the writer do
more to expand on the evidence, to
argue for the value or meaning of the
evidence? Please be specific and offer
suggestions, reasons, and examples.
Flow: Does each sentence flow
smoothly from one to the next for the
reader? Does each paragraph? As the
reader, do you feel guided by the writer’s
Please compose at least three full sentences for each
element (many elements will likely be longer once you
begin explaining and offering feedback). Be specific, adding
examples and suggestions where needed.
Structure and Unity: Is the thesis
statement narrow and clearly arguable?
Do the points in the body and the
content of the conclusion clearly support
the thesis statement? Please be specific
and offer reasons, suggestions and
examples.
Organization: Look at the ordering of
body paragraphs and at the ordering of
sentences within the introduction, body
paragraphs, and conclusion. Is
everything arranged in the most effective
order for you, as a reader? Please be
specific and offer suggestions, reasons,
and examples.
Voice: Is the writer’s voice the driving
force of the essay? Is each paragraph
written with the writer’s voice from the
first to the last sentence? Is the writer
using voice to connect and explain the
evidence used? Could the writer do
more to expand on the evidence, to
argue for the value or meaning of the
evidence? Please be specific and offer
suggestions, reasons, and examples.
Flow: Does each sentence flow
smoothly from one to the next for the
reader? Does each paragraph? As the
reader, do you feel guided by the writer’s
words? Do you sense any missing
connective elements that would make
the essay more reader-friendly? Please
be specific and offer suggestions,
reasons, and examples.
Introduction and Conclusion: Has the
writer employed the most effective
methods for writing this introduction and
conclusion? Consider the techniques we
have studied, pointing out what works
well and why and what could be done
better and why/how. Please be specific
and offer suggestions, reasons, and
examples.
Source Use: Do the sources work well to
support the points in which they are
used? Run a quick source evaluation,
using the CRAAP test. Then, are
sources integrated smoothly, and does
the writer make the connections
between the sources and the writer’s
arguments clearly? Please be specific
and offer suggestions, reasons, and
examples.
Argument Technique: Comment on the
effectiveness of the argument
techniques you see in the essay, such
as logos, ethos, pathos, kairos, and
elements of the Toulmin model. Also,
comment on any logical fallacies you
see. Finally, comment on the argument
genres you notice and on how well the
writer has employed those. Please be
specific and offer suggestions, reasons,
and examples.
Please note any errors in grammar,
spelling, APA document format, APA in-
text citation, and APA Referencing.
Do you have any other suggestions for
improving this paper?
connective elements that would make
the essay more reader-friendly? Please
be specific and offer suggestions,
reasons, and examples.
Introduction and Conclusion: Has the
writer employed the most effective
methods for writing this introduction and
conclusion? Consider the techniques we
have studied, pointing out what works
well and why and what could be done
better and why/how. Please be specific
and offer suggestions, reasons, and
examples.
Source Use: Do the sources work well to
support the points in which they are
used? Run a quick source evaluation,
using the CRAAP test. Then, are
sources integrated smoothly, and does
the writer make the connections
between the sources and the writer’s
arguments clearly? Please be specific
and offer suggestions, reasons, and
examples.
Argument Technique: Comment on the
effectiveness of the argument
techniques you see in the essay, such
as logos, ethos, pathos, kairos, and
elements of the Toulmin model. Also,
comment on any logical fallacies you
see. Finally, comment on the argument
genres you notice and on how well the
writer has employed those. Please be
specific and offer suggestions, reasons,
and examples.
Please note any errors in grammar,
spelling, APA document format, APA in-
text citation, and APA Referencing.
Do you have any other suggestions for
improving this paper?