What's So Good About Peer Review?
When you read your peers' papers you can...
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Understand the assignment better
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See how other writers responded to the assignment
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Pick up writing strategies from other writers
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Get to know someone better through their writing
When another student reads your paper you can…
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Bounce your ideas off another person before they go to the teacher for grading
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Step outside yourself to see your own strengths and weaknesses as a writer
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Write for an audience larger than just the teacher
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Hear where you need to clarify or develop your ideas
TIPS for Achieving a Successful Peer Review:
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Respond in pencil—you may need to erase.
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Ask the writer what he/she would like feedback on: a section they had trouble with, the introduction, conclusion, etc. Tell your reviewer the same.
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Read the paper through once without a pencil in your hand, just to get the big picture. Then read it again.
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Identify what was done well, what you liked about the paper, not just the problems. If you see a great sentence or idea, say so!
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Ask yourself, “What two things would improve this paper most?” Then suggest them to the writer.
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Remember that being too nice is not helpful, nor is being too harsh. You can be honest, but always be kind.
Group Peer Review from Hell:
A face to face group peer review can be a challenge. Here are some possible difficulties that can arise and means for troubleshooting them:
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You can’t make sense of the paper.
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Try making an outline of it to help you see how the ideas are (or aren’t) connected.
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The student who read your paper merely edited it by marking up grammar, spelling and punctuation.
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Tell your reviewer that you aren’t concerned with the surface stuff—you can fix that later. You want help with the larger picture: organization, transitions, content.
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You forgot the suggestions your group made.
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Take notes while they comment on your paper.
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You hate peer review—that’s all there is to it.
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Be fair to your classmates; go in with a positive attitude. Your comments could really help someone become a better writer.
Realize that giving feedback on writing is part of many careers. You need practice.