PEER REVIEW MAJOR PAPER #1
“Autoethnography”
Author’s name:
Reviewer’s name:
In order to construct a productive peer review session for this class, you will be reviewing
your peers’ papers using the following worksheet. The idea here is to utilize some of the
“rhetorical” and “critical” reading questions that we have been practicing to critique each
other’s writing. I would like you to treat this assignment as a type of argument, in that
you will gather evidence from your reading to support your own claims about the
effectiveness of your peer’s paper.
Step 1: Explain your paper to your partner. Briefly summarize your
Autoethnography. In that summary tell your partner
 Who the direct audience is:________________________________________
 What your “argument” is:_________________________________________
 What are you critiquing:___________________________________________
Step 2: Explain to your reader what you are struggling with most and then direct
them to a particular part/moment in the paper when they read it. Ex: “Jon, I’m
having a difficult time introducing Pratt, could you look at the section closely and
offer some suggestions.”
Reviewer, please pay close attention to…
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Step 3: Answer each of the following questions with a short paragraph and by
referring back to the outcomes. BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE! Be sure to
follow directions.
1. Does this paper/video employ the conventions that are appropriate to an
autoethnography? How? (If the author has incorporated pictures, vernacular
expressions, an imaginary dialogue, etc., then was it done effectively?) Point
to two or three moments in the text that support your answer to this question.
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2. Does this paper construct an intertextual engagement with the readings?
Where? How has the writer chosen to “use” the texts in this case? Point out
three places where this occurs (or could occur) to support your answer.
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3. If your peer could only revise ONE thing about this paper, what would you
suggest that they focus on? Why?
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4. Finally, compose a “reverse outline” of the paper. We are doing this to watch
for coherency between transitions, insuring that the paper develops and
maintains the line of inquiry that began with the introduction—thus, begin by
stating the writer’s line of inquiry (How is the introduction relevant to the rest
of the paper?). Then, write out each topic sentence for each paragraph, and
under that sentence, try to come to some kind of understanding of the
paragraph’s focus. The intent here is to check for coherency not only between
paragraphs, but also within the paragraphs themselves.
Line of Inquiry:
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Topic sentence paragraph #2 or #3:
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Main idea:
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Topic sentence paragraph #4:
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Main idea:
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Topic sentence paragraph #5:
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Main idea:
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Topic sentence paragraph #6:
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Main idea:
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Topic sentence paragraph #7:
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Main idea:
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Topic sentence paragraph #8:
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Main idea:
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Topic sentence paragraph #9:
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Main idea:
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Topic sentence paragraph #10:
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Main idea:
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Topic sentence paragraph #11:
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Main idea:
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Topic sentence paragraph #12:
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Main idea:
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Characteristics of an autoethnography:
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Written “from” a contact zone, that is at least two groups are mentioned (typically
one has more power than the other).
An individual that represents both that person (student in this case), and others
like him or her.
A work that is often addressed to “both metropolitan audiences and the speakers
own community.”
It typically involves more than one language.