Discussion questions for peer review
  Thinking about your writing

Who is the audience for this paper?

What am I trying to do in this assignment? Interpret? Explain? Analyze? Compare and contrast? Am I writing a term paper that reflects everything I learned during the semester? Am I writing a paper that applies a single principle studied during class? Am I writing a research paper that demonstrates my ability to identify and interpret leading work in the field?

What effect am I trying to produce in those who read my paper? Am I writing as an insider or an outsider? Do I want to show the audience that I understand the topic? Do I want the audience to understand the topic better? Do I want the audience to accept my point of view?

What point or message do I want to convey?

How should I begin?

Where will I get information about my topic? Through library research? Through experience? Through background reading?

When explaining a point in the paper, what kind of examples should I use? How will the examples work to make my paper more readable, informative, or convincing?

If I make a claim in the paper, how do I support it? On the basis of experience? By citing authorities? On the basis of reason? On the basis of emotion?

What’s the most effective way to organize the paper, to make sure that the various parts fit together well?

What should the conclusion do?