Guidelines for Successful Peer Review
English 1301
G. Coogan
A peer review session is your opportunity as a writer to have multiple readers offer feedback on your
draft. Just as important, however, the session is your opportunity to sharpen your critical review skills as you react
to the drafts of your peers. Done well, a peer review session is time productively spent.
As future professionals, be assured that group work will form the centerpiece of workplace productivity.
Learn now to do it well by taking ownership of your share in the dynamics of this exercise. Consider it an
obligation to your peers to take an interest in their work and to participate thoughtfully and actively. A successful
peer is one who contributes to the task at hand and encourages others to feel comfortable particpating as well.
The goal is to leave the session with a clearer idea of how to proceed with revisions on your draft. We
will have two-day peer review sessions based on drafts for each of the three out-of-class assignments.
The procedure for a peer review in this class is the following:
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Bring a typed hard copy of your draft. If you do not bring a serious draft, you are not prepared to
participate and will be asked to leave. You will receive a 10-point penalty on the final draft for each day of
peer review that you miss. Be there, and be on time.
Groups should have 3-4 persons. Smaller groups offer too few readers; larger groups take too long for
one class session.
Read, quietly and alone, all drafts in your group. Take notes on your own sheet of paper about strengths,
weaknesses, or general commentary you will want to bring up later during the group discussion. Don’t
belabor the note-taking. Jot down just enough to recall the points you want to emphasize later in the
group discussion of each draft. No one is going to check your notes; they are yours for your own
reference.
Again, the room should be silent as you read all drafts in your group, quietly and without comment—one
by one. Simply take short notes.
When everyone in your group has read everyone else’s draft, the discussions should begin. Proceed
efficiently, student by student. Everyone should participate with meaningful commentary.
So what are you looking for when you read a draft?
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Does the draft answer the assignment and stay on task?
Is the draft organized? Clear? Developed? Supported?
Does it entertain or engage you? By what means?
Are there issues of usage and grammar that the student must address? If so, you do not need to edit
anyone’s draft as you read. Simply mention that errors impede your reading and that they should be
addressed.
Share positive observations of the draft. Offer suggestions for improvement.
Remember: No one’s feelings can be hurt when commentary is offered in a positive, helpful spirit.