Peer Review: Philosophy Writing Project

Start Here! Flip to the back page of your draft. Now write 2-3 questions for your reviewer. Trade papers with a peer. Be ready for (constructive) feedback!

Step One: Read the paper once Once you get to the end, write your dominant impression of the work. Indicate what you believe to be: The main idea The connection to philosophy Your initial responses to those questions.

Step Two: Evaluate the organization First, look at the intro paragraph. Does it introduce the piece in an interesting manner? Does it frame the philosophical issue skillfully and clearly? Does it immediately establish the piece’s focus? Write a note evaluating the intro paragraph. Beside each paragraph, write a sentence that indicates the purpose of that paragraph. Consider how that paragraph advances the paper to the dominant impression you gained at the end. If your person wrote a film comparison or a personal manifesto, make sure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and a clear clincher. The paragraphs should be in an order that make sense. If there is a problem with the structure, make an “!” at the top and indicate what you believe should be improved.

Step Three: Looking at the language Now read through each sentence. Underline the verb in each sentence. Is there a variety of clear, specific, active verbs? Or are most of the verbs “to be” verbs (is, was, are, etc.). It’s okay to have some “to be” verbs, but writers should work for more specific verbs. Are there clear transitions between paragraphs, sentences, and even within sentences? Circle all transitions. Now evaluate the quality of the verb choice and the transitions. If you have concerns about either, put a “!” at the top of the piece and a sentence or two expressing your suggestion.

Step Four: Looking at the philosophy Draw a box around anything dealing with philosophy. (This may be difficult for a short story!) Is the philosophy described clearly? If so, draw a smiley face next to the paragraph. Is the philosophy described accurately? If so, draw a brain next to the paragraph. Is the philosophy connected meaningfully to the piece? If so, draw Socrates next to the title. If you have any concerns about the philosophy of the piece, put a “!” at the top of the piece and a sentence or two expressing your suggestion.

Step Five: Conflict Evaluate the conflict of your piece. If your piece is a personal manifesto, the conflict is the relationship between the personal belief and other philosophers. If your piece is a short story, the conflict is the tension that drives the story. If your piece is a film comparison, the conflict is evaluating which film better explores the philosophical issue. The conflict should be explored in a balanced, natural manner. Both sides of the conflict should be clear. If you have concerns about the clarity of the conflict, put a “!” at the top of the piece and a sentence or two expressing your suggestion. If you’re satisfied with the conflict, locate the sentence that most clearly expresses the conflict and write “Good conflict!” next to it.

Step 6: Descriptions Locate any descriptive paragraphs in the piece. If your piece is a manifesto, the description will be of the philosophies of the author and other philosophers. The descriptions should be clear and accurate. If the piece is short story, descriptive paragraphs will be any paragraph with imagery. The imagery should appeal to the senses and be vivid and interesting. If the piece is a film comparison, the description will be of the films. The descriptions should give a clear sense of the films’ plot and philosophical significance. All descriptions should be vivid and meaningful. If you have concerns about the descriptions, put a “!” at the top of the piece and a sentence or two expressing your suggestion.

Step 7: Mechanics Go through the piece and edit the following: Misspellings Comma misplacement Missing punctuation Unintended sentence fragments Weak word choice (things, stuff, etc.) Capitalization Quotation blending Undocumented sources Take your time on this! It may take 10 minutes!

Step 8: Final Analysis On the last page, create a “T” chart. In one column, write three things the author has done well in this draft. In the second column, write three suggestions you have for the author’s revision. Now write something nice about the person! And sign your name!