PEER REVIEW ARTICLE GUIDELINES

Purpose
The purpose of a review of a work (book or article) is generally to let readers know what the work is about and what its merits are so that readers can decide whether they want to read the work. Because the readers of a review probably have not read the work under discussion, you must describe the work as well as evaluate it.

Choosing a Work
I will provide for you a variety of articles from which to choose. Do Not Choose Any Other Article.

Content of the Review
All reviews should (1) identify the work and the author, (2) include a summary of the work, and (3) include an evaluation. Other elements are the following:
1. An abstract, summary, or synopsis to summarize the essential contents and main ideas;
2. A thorough discussion of the author’s theme (main underlying idea), purpose, and methods of development;
4. A discussion of the relationship among the work being reviewed and other works in the field;
5. Evaluation of the work, clearly presented and well-supported;
6. Selected short quotations from the work that are representative of the theme, tone, and style.
Organization
The following structure is a recommendation. Many reviewers successfully interweave the elements of the body paragraphs.

Title
Your title is not the same as the title of the work under discussion but may include the work’s title. Do not underline or write quotation marks around your own title; however, do underline the titles of books and periodicals and place quotation marks around article titles.

Introduction/Opening Paragraph
1. Clearly and accurately present full bibliographical information about the work: titles, publishing information for books, dates and pages for articles.
a. You may incorporate bibliographical information into the text of your paper.

Body/Supporting Paragraphs
The number of body paragraphs varies according to the nature of the assignment and the extent of what you have to say. In general there will be at least one paragraph of summary and at least one paragraph of evaluation.
1. In your summary, include all the significant points of the work, including the points the author emphasizes.
2. Explain the purpose of the work and, if appropriate, the author’s background and methodology (often found in the preface, foreword, or introduction).
3. Present your critical evaluation, discussing both positive and negative features. Support all your judgments with evidence from the other peer review articles on the same topic, paraphrasing and quoting excerpts. (Don’t forget to notate sources using the APA style.) Is the work thorough? fair? clear? convincing? significant? How does the work relate to other works in the field or to your general understanding of the subject?

Conclusion/Ending Paragraph
Give an overall evaluation as the conclusion of what you have said so far. Make a recommendation about the type of reader likely to enjoy or benefit from the work.