Exchange drafts with another student. Read the paper from start to finish. Jot down any initial impressions or ideas.
Now answer a couple of questions. In providing feedback, we want to start our comments with notes on what worked about the paper. Make positive comments first, then make constructive comments to help the writer develop their ideas and organization to improve their paper.
- What did you appreciate about this paper? Note where the writer grabbed your interest, any interesting phrases or insights, strong introductions, etc
- Is there anything you did not understand while reading this paper? Use lines or arrows to indicate which section, and note what you found confusing
Read the paper again to answer the following questions—and write down your responses on a separate sheet of paper. You will hand this back to your partner, so be generous in your reading, and thorough.
- What is the main argument of this paper?
- Does the paper make any other claims?
- What evidence does the paper use to support its claims?
- Did you find the evidence used convincing? Why or why not?
- What did you learn or take away from reading this paper?