ENG 123 11.2: Peer Review Workshop #1

Today’s Plan:

  • Resources for Surveys
  • Peer Review Sheet
  • Homework

Resources for Designing a Survey

Since a number of you are working on designing surveys or questionnaires, I wanted to spend a bit of time in class discussing them. Let’s take a look at Survey Monkey’s Best Practices page as a starting point.

Peer Review Sheet

Over the next few classes I will be developing and sharing the grading rubric for the final papers as we are reviewing paper progress in class. For our first session, I want to pay attention to two primary areas of the final rubric: argumentation and evidence.

Argument and Paragraphs

  • Every paragraph makes a claim and
  • Has a topic sentence (i.e., there is one sentence that tells a reader why they are reading that paragraph)
  • Every claim has some support or evidence backing it up and it is clear when that evidence is from a source (see below) or is the writer’s own argument (or anecdote)
  • Every paragraph ends with a sentence that connects back to the opening topic sentence (and that paragraphs don’t end on quotations)
  • Evidence and Sources

    • Sources are introduced (author, time, publication venue) and cited correctly in text (whether direct quotation or paraphrase)
    • Source material is integrated into the discussion and not just dropped into place because…
    • The writer provides sufficient context regarding a source that a reader understands its purpose and significance
    • The writer differentiates between what sources are saying and why they think that those sources are significant, important, or wrong

    Additionally, I see peer review as a way for you informing an author where you were head nodding (easily following along/agreeing with the argument) and where you had some dissonance–whether it is disagreement (in which case the author might need to consider different viewpoints/anticipate disagreement) or confusion (where you were having a hard time understanding what the author was trying to say).

    So, as you read today, please:

    • Underline topic sentences/claims in every paragraph. Be on the lookout for why you are reading a paragraph–what it wants to prove, what it has to offer. If you can’t find one, or think that a paragraph has more than one claim/topic/issue, then let the writer know.
    • Place checkmarks in the margins where sources are adequately introduced.
    • Place question marks in the margins where you have some questions about a source and/or need more information to judge it (ethos) or understand what evidence it is offering (logos).
    • Place an asterisk at the end of a paragraph that either ends with a quote or doesn’t touch back on the topic sentence–make sure the writer is “finishing off ideas” and not expecting a reader to do that work for her.

    Homework

    Draft another five pages of your essay for peer review on Tuesday. Again bring 3 copies of your paper to class. In addition to paying attention to argument and evidence, make sure you have formatted your paper and your citations in a research format (MLA, APA, etc).

    If you are planning on using a survey or a questionnaire, make sure you have a draft of all the questions by Tuesday (include it somehow with your draft material–perhaps in the write up for your methods section).

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