Class - Feb. 16, 2011

1. Roll

2. Questions on Literature Review?

3. Reflect on Draft 1.1

4. Guidelines for Peer Review – Editing Tips, Ch. 6 – E-Handbook

5. Assignment

Reading

Textbook: Examples of peer critiques pp. 62-73

Assignment: Critique 1.1a and 1.1b

Objective: To demonstrate your ability to critique a text (in this case, a literature review) and articulate your critique to the text’s author.

Description: After you have read the draft provided, please respond to each of the following prompts as specifically as possible, using detailed examples and selected passages from the draft you have read to illustrate your points and validate claims about that draft. The minimum length of the critique (excluding questions should you choose a Q&A format) is 300-500 words. You will critique TWO literature reviews.

1.What is the author’s thesis statement, which helps to guide the reader for the purpose of the literature review? Is the purpose of the review clear from reading the first paragraph? In other words, can you tell if the review shows what research has been done on a given topic? Or has the author chosen to compose the literature review to explain to readers why certain ideas or theories concerning a topic are being challenged or re-examined by researchers? If the author does not give a clear purpose, what does the purpose seem to be?

2.How has the author chosen to organize the research that he or she is reviewing? How well does this structure work? Does the author synthesize the research, showing how various researchers fit together, rather than just summarizing sources? Is there another way to organize the information?

3.Examine the use of the source material. Discuss whether the sources are relevant and reliable, as well as whether they are used appropriately and effectively integrated. Explain to the writer how selecting or integrating sources in a different way might improve the review, providing examples of revised versions of introducing, integrating, and commenting on source materials.