Peer Edit of Research Paper
***This sheet must accompany your final draft***
Peer evaluator ______Writer being evaluated ______
After the reading the entire paper, you will follow the checklist below. Please mark corrections on the paper directly and also indicate them here.
General Formatting:
Double-spaced heading in upper left corner (on front page only):
Student’s first and last name
Teacher’s name (Mrs. Huynh-Duc)
Class name (AP English Language and Composition)
Due date (29February 2016)
Last name and page numbers in upper right corner on every page
Double-spaced throughout
Extra spaces between paragraphs are removedPLEASE MAKE CERTAIN OF THIS!
Times New Roman font, size 12
1-inch margins on all sides
Title that is centered but NOTenlarged, NOT underlined, NOT in italics, NOT in bold, etc. (Only the title of the novel should be italicized.) **Also, is the title good or is it crappy?
Suggestions for Improvement:______
Introduction:
Author’s full name and title of work(italics) mentioned in first paragraph (with each subsequent mention last-name only)
Brief summary of the important aspects of the novel relevant to the paper’s thesis
Body-paragraph material, such as concrete textual evidence/quotes, avoided in the introduction
ESCHEW THE “YOU” (i.e., I, me, my, you, our, we is avoided)
Is there a clear, concise thesis statement as the final line of the introduction?
Suggestions for Improvement:______
Plot Summary Paragraph:
A brief summary of the novel that doesn’t overly give away every detail
Parenthetical citations (page numbers) provided for every quote from the novel
Parenthetical citations (author’s last name and page number) for every quote taken from research material
Quotations are integrated smoothly into text of the paper (NO quotes can stand alone)
Quotations that exceed four lines of prose are set aside as a “block” quote and indented 1” from the left
- Check the formatting of all block quotes—they follow different rules than in-text quotes
The quotations are fully elaborated/explained
ESCHEW THE “YOU” (i.e., I, me, my, you, our, we is avoided)
No “this” without nouns to follow (WRONG: This allows…. This causes….This shows that)
All events in the novel are discussed in the present-tense
Suggestions for Improvement:______
Author Biography Paragraph
A thorough background of the author and the time period he/she wrote is provided
Events discussing the author are in the past tense (these events already happened)
ANY fact taken from research is immediately cited parenthetically (research author’s last name and page number)
Quotes are integrated smoothly into text of the paper
ESCHEW THE “YOU” (i.e., I, me, my, you, our, we is avoided)
No “this” without nouns to follow (WRONG: This allows…. This causes….This shows that)
Suggestions for Improvement:______
Critical Arguments Paragraphs:
There are a minimum of three paragraphs that critically support the thesis statement
Each paragraph is clear in its focus
Each paragraph is thoroughly supported by research
ANY fact taken from research is immediately cited parenthetically (research author’s last name and page number)
Transitions are smooth and logical between each paragraph
Each critical argument paragraph provides insight into how the author’s life and time period influenced the themes found in his/her work studied.
Frequent connections are drawn between the author’s life and the novel studied.
Any event from the novel is in the present tense; any event from the author’s life is in the past tense
Suggestions for Improvement:______
Conclusion
The conclusion restates the title and full name of the author
The conclusion summarizes the paper’s main points without being overly redundant
The conclusion is at least five sentences in length
ESCHEW THE “YOU” (i.e., I, me, my, you, our, we is avoided). The temptation of talking to the reader is avoided, especially at the end
The conclusion answers the question So what? Why should anybody care? (Ways to enhance the conclusion may be to connect to the literary work’s significance to a general modern life—broaden the analysis to include a meaning that is universal.)
Suggestions for Improvement:______
Paper as a Whole
Even though the paper is segmented into parts, make sure it flows together well. Indicate where transitions need to be smoother.
Did the writer overly use one source more than another? Make sure that the reliance on sources is even and thorough.
Proofread the Works Cited Page. Is it alphabetized by author’s last name? Does it follow M.L.A. style? This needs to be PERFECT.
Grammar/Mechanics Checklist:
Here’s where it gets REAL!
- Read through the entire paper and look at all of the words that end with –s. Check and make sure the writer uses apostrophes CORRECTLY (and avoids their incorrect use).
- Read through the entire paper and look for any sentence that begins with the following words: when, because, since, if, although, after, even though, while, in order that. First, make sure these sentences are not fragments. Second, make sure there is a comma after the dependent clause.
- Check for sentences beginning with the word “So.” Get rid of the word. It probably isn’t needed. Thus+ comma may be a good substitution! (Avoid thusly, though.)
- Read through the entire paper again and make sure that all words are spelled correctly. Circle words that are questionable. Check for common misspelled words: then, than, effect, affect, its, it’s, their, there, they’re, to, too, two.
- Check all quotes. Make sure that they are not by themselves and that they have page numbers and last name of author, if needed. Make sure that the sentences are punctuated correctly. Period goes after the citation, except in a block-quote. And make sure the page numbers are done correctly (no “p.” or “page”; no comma between author’s last name and page number).
- Read through the entire paper and check every time the writer uses the word that. Make sure it shouldn’t be who.
- Check every comma in the paper, and make sure that they are NOT bringing together two complete, independent sentences.
- Check all of the following words: and, but, so, for, or. Make sure that there isn’t a comma needed. Review the “Fanboy” Rule of Commas if you’re not sure.
- Anytime you see a colon (:) or a semi-colon (;), make sure it is being used correctly. Same with hyphens (-) and dashes (--).
- Read the paper one last time and make sure that there are no other mistakes that you can identify. Check for transitions, subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement, and so on. Eliminate contractions. This paper is the pinnacle of our writing and corresponds with the conclusion of our grammar/punctuation study. It should be darn close to perfect!