Paper Evaluation Sheet

Your Name ________________________     Author’s Name _____________________

Complete this sheet with general comments – what does the writer consistently do well?  What trends do you see that need improvement? Make more specific notes on the paper itself.  (Note: I do not expect that you correct every instance of grammatical or other technical error – if the writer makes the same errors repeatedly, point it out to them.  They should be able to take that piece of advice and transfer it to the rest of their paper.)   

1. Technical Writing skills (does the author use proper spelling, punctuation, subject-verb agreement, consistent tense, word choice, etc.)

2. Organizational skills: (Does the author have a clear and supportable thesis? What is it?  Do the paragraphs have clear topic sentences that relate to the material found in the paragraph?)

3. Stylistic skills (Does the author adhere to formal writing style – is there first-person reference, use of slang, too many quotes, quotes that are not introduced [“quote stringing”], overly complex sentences, passive voice, overused words, etc.)

4. Scholarly forms (Does the author make use of primary and secondary sources? Does the author document sources when proper? Are the notes and bibliography done in proper form?)

5. Content/Argument skills (Is the thesis supported by evidence and specific examples?  Is there a solid conclusion that follows from the thesis and evidence? Is the language specific or vague? Is the material presented relevant to the author’s argument?)

6. Research skills (Does the author make use of a variety of sources – journals, monographs, essay collections, documents, images, etc?  Are the sources appropriate to the topic?)