Peer Evaluation Instructions

You need to do two peer evaluations. Your performance on these evaluations is worth 10% of your grade.

1. Read through the term paper. Use the marking key below to make suggestions. You should pay particular attention to clarity. If you don't understand something, be sure to indicate it.

2. Write a summary of the essay. This should be no longer than a single page (double spaced, normal margin widths, etc.). Write the summary as if you were the author of the original paper. In other words, if the term paper says "Blah blah blah x blah blah y blah z," where x, y, and z are the crucial points, you don't need to write: "So-and-so says first that X, and then that Y and then that Z." You only need to write: "X, Y, Z."

3. The deadline for this assignment is extremely important because your peers need your feedback in order to complete their final drafts. There is a late penalty for this assignment: %2 of your final grade per day.

4. When you get your own peer evaluations back, you should take them into consideration when you work on your final drafts. (I will take them into consideration when I mark your final drafts.) Here's how to use the summaries of your term paper: The summaries should give you an idea of how what you have written is likely to be understood (or misunderstood, as the case may be). Ask yourself: Is this what I meant to say? How could I avoid being misunderstood in my final draft?

5. Please hand in your peer evaluations with your final drafts.

Marking Key

? = I had to read this twice (or more!) before I understood this

?? = I don't understand this

Awk = This strikes me as awkward or inelegant

! = This seems like a good point.

Cite = You should cite the author here.