EWRT1A - Science Paper Peer Review

• Is the abstract longer than ½ page? If so, write "shorten" next to it.
• Write an "I" next to the 1-2 sentences that summarize the Introduction.
• Write a "M" next to the 1-2 sentences that summarize the Methods.
• Write an "R" next to the 1-2 sentences that summarize the Results.
• Write a "D" next to the 1-2 sentences that summarize the Discussion.
• Write a "C" next to the 1-2 sentences that summarize the Conclusion.
• If any of these is missing, write a comment that it needs to be included.

• Does the Introduction provide background information about the object?
• Does the Introduction mention previous claims or experiments?
• Does the Introduction include a specific hypothesis.

• Does the section mention all equipment and materials used in the experiment?
• Does the section mention what attempts were made to isolate the variables in the experiment and to eliminate extraneous factors?
• Could the experiment be re-created exactly with the information given in this section?
• Is the section specific whenever necessary?
• Does the section stay consistent in point of view (i.e. either past tense, "I did this…" or "Do this…") rather than jumping back and forth?

• Are precise measurements used whenever possible?
• Is there any analysis (interpretation) of the data? If so, write "move to discussion section" where appropriate.
• Are the results stated in sentence/paragraph form rather than just a table?
• Is the margin of error mentioned if applicable?

• Does the section mention what patterns emerged?
• Does the section mention whether the results confirmed the hypothesis or not?
• Does the section mention if there were any anomalies?
• Does the section mention why the writer thinks the results turned out the way they did?
• Does the section mention any extraneous factors that weren't possible to eliminate?

• Does the conclusion discuss wider implications (i.e. what someone else might be able to do with this information)?

• Sections - Title each section with an underlined heading (e.g. Abstract, Introduction, etc.)
• Table/Figure – Is at least one table or figure included?
• Are there paragraph breaks within the section rather than just one long paragraph for each section?

• Check for sentence variety. All four types of sentences should be used throughout the paper.
• Check for run-ons, comma splices, and fused sentences.
• Check for fragments.
• Check for spelling and punctuation errors.
• Make sure that all personal bias is eliminated. Precise and factual language should be used at all times.
• Make sure that there is only interpretation in the paper rather than personal opinion.