1860-1930s: American Auribus Teneo Lupum, Peer Review.

You’ll select one paper* then write a 3 page (double-spaced) analysis in which you: a. Summarize the paper’s topic and basic argument. Is the argument equal to the topic? Or does the argument not quite measure up? Demonstrate your expertise on the matter. After all, you are something of an expert: you too (like the author of the paper you’re reviewing) submitted a paper for the Essay 2 assignment in this course. b. Relate whether or not you found the paper to be persuasive and why or why not. This step might include enumerating the paper’s strengths, then highlighting weaknesses, while finally measuring the balance. Presumably a persuasive paper has more strengths than weaknesses. c. Provide suggestions–especially regarding logic of argument and use of evidence–that would strengthen the author’s argument. Unless the paper is perfect, there’s room for improvement. The objective of a persuasive and effective review is to highlight just how much room…a task that obviously requires the reviewer to know what he or she is talking about. So show that you do. These points are especially true concerning evidence. Did the author use all the evidence provided? All the evidence required? d. Finally, analyze the paper in light of one additional consideration. That consideration will be specified in the email to be distributed prior to our scheduled class time. (But a hint: it likely will ask you to assess how well the author of your selected paper engaged the topic of the relevant essay prompt in both letter and spirit. Did the author answer the question(s)? In full? Or did the author dodge and write about instead what he or she wished?)