Peer Review Criteria

As you review your classmate's draft, be sure that your comments address all of these questions in some way. You don't need to provide a separate document answering these questions; simply address them as part of your comments within the body of your classmate's paper and/or in your end comment.

1. Organization
a. Is the material easy to follow, logical, and well ordered?
b. If subheads are used, are they relevant to the text?
c. Is there anything missing from the essay's different sections, or is the information adequate?
d. Could the flow of the paper be improved in any specific ways that you can think of?

2. Citations
a. Is there any incorrect APA formatting?
b. Did the writer cite his/her sources appropriately?
c. Are there any discrepancies with the citations?
d. Are all sources used also listed on the reference page at the end of the paper?

3. Introduction
a. Does the introduction fit the overall paper?
b. Could there be an alternative way to begin the essay that you think might work better?
c. Is there any other background information that should be included in the introduction?
d. Does the writer clearly express the major claim or thesis of the paper?

4. Body
a. Is each paragraph focused on a single point?
b. Are the main points clear, and are they fully supported by evidence and explanation?
c. How are the evidence and explanation linked to the main point of the paper?
d. Is there any information that could be omitted, that is unnecessary or inconclusive to the overall theme of the paper and main points?

5. Conclusion
a. Does the conclusion make clear what the reader should have learned by reading the paper?
b. Has your understanding of the initial thesis or claim changed after reading the entire paper?
c. Has the writer adequately studied and expressed the main ideas? Does an alternative conclusion occur to you?
d. Is anything lacking that might have persuaded you to reach the writer's conclusion yourself?

6. Other Matters of Interest
a. Is there anything confusing in the paper?
b. Does the title express the paper's theme, thesis and content?
c. Does the writer contribute her own thoughts to the paper as well as evidence from sources?