Analytical and Rhetorical Writing Matt Barton The Peer Review Analytical and Rhetorical Writing Matt Barton

One Minute Prompt What kind of peer review would make a writer want to revise and improve a document?

What is a Peer Review? A formal review of a document, usually written by a fellow scholar in the same academic field. A description of a document’s strengths and weaknesses. Advice for improving the document.

What’s the point? Journal or book editors may not know enough to evaluate a work. Reviewers who are active members of their field can tell whether a work is well-researched, timely, and accurate. Receiving the support of one’s peers and colleagues helps a scholar establish credibility (ethos).

Why should students write peer reviews? Writing students must learn not only how to edit their own work, but also the work of other writers. Students can greatly benefit from reading other essays and identifying their strengths and weaknesses. Peer reviews offer students the benefit of seeing how their writing affects a variety of readers. Peer reviews let students learn collaboratively.

Good Peer Reviewing An effective peer review has A clear set of criteria General comments balanced by specifics Descriptions of what is effective and ineffective about a document Specific and helpful advice about how the weak areas of a paper can be improved

Effective Peer Reviews are Polite, Specific, and Helpful “I really enjoyed reading your essay. I hope you will find my comments useful.”

Bad Peer Reviews are Insulting and Ineffective “How did you get into college? I’ve never read such crap. Did you graduate high school? This is the worst writing I’ve ever read!!!”

One Minute Writing #2 What is the difference between “constructive criticism” and “destructive criticism”?

What are good criteria? All writing can be assessed using five criteria: Focus Development Organization Style Conventions

Focus Does the document fulfill the requisites established by the writing assignment? Is the writer’s topic too broad or too narrow for the length of the document? Does the writer “stay on topic,” or drift off on unhelpful tangents?

Development Does the writer provide enough specific details and concrete descriptions to balance abstractions and generalizations? Has the writer attempted to defend arguments and justify assertions? Has the writer explained terms or concepts that might confuse the audience?

Organization Organization covers three basic areas: Titles Introductions Transitions Conclusions Let’s talk about each in turn.

Titles The title of an essay should Bad titles: Better title: Catch the reader’s attention Clearly indicate what the essay is about Bad titles: “Project #1”, “Ideal Learning Experience” Better title: “I Saw the Sine: Fun in Geometry”

Introduction The introduction of an essay should State the issue Establish your position Explain how paper is organized Identify the scope Provide an interesting “human angle” to engage the reader’s attention

Transitions Transitions are words, phrases, or sentences used to connect ideas. A paper that lacks good transition will seem “choppy” or “jumpy” to a reader. Use words and phrases like, “However,” “Another point to consider,” “Despite these facts,” and so on. Transitions give readers a “heads up” about what’s coming next in a paper

Conclusion A good conclusion Some conclusions also Summarizes the issue, points, and arguments raised in the document. Some conclusions also Ask the reader to perform an action Suggest additional reading materials Identify aspects of the paper or the subject that need additional research Bring closure to a “human interest story” raised in the introduction

Organization Does the introduction identify the document’s subject, scope, purpose, and organizational scheme? Are transitions between sentences and paragraphs smooth or jagged? Does the conclusion bring a sense of closure to the document and summarize its main points?

Style Style refers to how easy and enjoyable it will be for an intended audience to read a document. Word Choices: Are they appropriate for the target audience? Sentence Construction: Are sentences clear, direct, graceful, and unambiguous? Tone: Has the writer maintained a consistent and appropriate tone towards the audience and the subject matter?

Conventions Conventions refers to grammar, mechanics, citation methods, and all other matters involving “rules” or expectations regarding form. A paper that strays widely from its discourse conventions may not be taken seriously by an audience.

Conventions Has the writer used correct grammar and usage? Is the citation method correct? Does the document conform to the formatting guidelines specified by the assignment?

Responding to Essays A student peer review consists of A brief paragraph that describes the document and identifies its strengths and weaknesses A series of “in-text” comments that indicate specific parts of the document An invitation to discuss the comments and discussion with the writer via email

Microsoft Word’s Comment Microsoft Word offers a very helpful tool called “Comments” on its “Reviewing” Tool Bar.

Instructions for Comment Make sure “Reviewing” has a check mark beside it! Activate reviewing toolbar by clicking on view, then toolbars, on Word’s Menu Bar.

Word Comments Highlight parts of the text that you want to comment on, then hit the button that resembles a Yellow Post-It Note. This will Add a New Comment.

Comments Place an F, D, S, O, or C in front of your comment so the reader will know which criteria it falls under:

Frequently Asked Questions Q. What if the paper is so good it doesn’t need any changes? I’ve yet to see such a paper. Look a little harder at it and try to find something that can be improved! Don’t be lazy; remember, your peer needs your help!

Frequently Asked Questions Q. What if I get bad advice in a peer review? Do I have to follow it? Don’t be silly. It’s up to you whether or not you want to follow your peers’ advice. You will get a chance to critique your peer reviewers when you upload your final draft.

Frequently Asked Questions Q. What if my peer reviewers don’t do a good job? Unfortunately, there’s not a lot I can do about this situation. Not all students have the same work ethic or skill. Just try to do the best you can, and remember that they will not receive a good grade for poor peer reviews.

Frequently Asked Questions Q. What if my peer reviewers never submit a peer review? A. Don’t sweat. You won’t be penalized, but they will receive an F for their review grade.

Five Tips for Better Peer Reviews: Always point out specific parts of the paper that need improvement. Ask the writer questions about parts of the paper you don’t understand. Spend as much time identifying strengths as you do identifying weaknesses. Be polite and always direct your comments at the document, not the writer. Try to identify patterns of error and offer the writer advice about correcting them.

One-Minute Writing #3 What have you learned about peer reviewing today?