Peer Critique: Trend Analysis

For the peer papers you distributed and read in groups, please write out answers to the following questions, marking the papers as you see fit. You will want to make a copy of your answers for your own records. On Thursday, hand your peer critique back to the author of the essay.

•     Evaluate the paper’s introduction, which may include the first paragraph or more. Does it provide a sense of orientation? Does this introduction make a commitment to its readers? If so, what? If not, what kind of commitment, in light of the rest of the essay, should it make?

•     Is there a “point” to the essay? Does the writer guide you to a coherent point of view on a particular subject, and is the entire essay, including paragraphs, structured to reinforce this point of view? Where do you see the essay losing focus or coherence?

•     Does the paper explain some kind of trend, a clear pattern of change over time? If so, what is it? If not, where might the writer expand the research to focus on a trend? Does the paper explain causes for its trend? Are they plausible?

•     Can you follow the use of numbers or data? Are there assertions you wish were better supported with specific data? Has the author explained any charts or graphs in the text so you know what they represent and what they are meant to support? Do you see any math errors or errors in interpretation of the data? Does the data presented here all relate to a thesis, or to a central set of concerns, or to a coherent argumentative assertion that organizes this paper’s insights?

•     Find three sentence-level problems (no more): grammar errors, wordiness, awkward sounding phrases, or something of the sort, and suggest an editorial change. (In other words, rewrite the sentence, just as a suggestion.) Point out the section of the handbook that addresses this problem in each case.