7.5: Peer Review Checklist

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Each essay is made up of multiple parts. In order to have a strong essay each part must be logical and effective. In many cases essays will be written with a strong thesis, but the rest of the paper will be lacking; making the paper ineffective. An essay is only as strong as its weakest point.

One of the most important steps for creating a strong essay is to have others review it. By completing a peer review you will be able to create a better thesis statement and supporting arguments.

Comprehensive Peer Editing Checklist for College-Level Essays in MLA Format

General Structure and Content

1. Thesis Statement: The thesis statement should clearly present the main argument or central idea of the essay.
   • Needs Work Example: "Social media is bad."
   • Skillful Example: "The rise of social media has significantly impacted interpersonal communication by promoting instant gratification, reducing face-to-face interactions, and increasing the spread of misinformation."
2. Introduction: The introduction should engage the reader, provide background information, and lead smoothly to the thesis statement.
   • Needs Work Example: "Social media is everywhere. This essay will talk about its effects."
   • Skillful Example: "In recent years, social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have revolutionized the way people communicate. However, while these platforms offer numerous benefits, they also pose significant challenges. This essay explores how social media has affected interpersonal communication, focusing on instant gratification, the decline in face-to-face interactions, and the proliferation of misinformation."
3. Body Paragraphs: Each body paragraph should have a clear topic sentence, logical organization, support the thesis, and include evidence and explanations.
   • Needs Work Example:
     • Topic Sentence: "Social media has many effects."
     • Support and Evidence: "It’s interesting how people use it."
     • Transition: "Next."
   • Skillful Example:
     • Topic Sentence: "One major impact of social media is the promotion of instant gratification."
     • Support and Evidence: "Studies show that social media users are accustomed to receiving immediate responses to their posts, which can lead to decreased patience and attention spans (Smith, 2020)."
     • Transition: "Furthermore, the preference for online communication can lead to a decline in face-to-face interactions."
4. Conclusion: The conclusion should summarize the main points, restate the thesis in a new way, and provide a final thought or call to action.
   • Needs Work Example: "In conclusion, social media is bad."
   • Skillful Example: "In conclusion, while social media offers new avenues for connection, it also promotes instant gratification, reduces face-to-face interactions, and facilitates the spread of misinformation. By understanding these impacts, individuals can make more informed choices about their social media use and work towards fostering more meaningful connections both online and offline."

Content and Development

1. Relevance: All content should be relevant to the thesis and topic.
   • Needs Work Example: "I also think that social media can be fun."
   • Skillful Example: "To understand the full impact of social media, it is important to consider its effect on mental health. Research indicates a strong correlation between heavy social media use and increased levels of anxiety and depression (Jones, 2021)."
2. Depth of Analysis: Ideas should be analyzed thoroughly, showing critical thinking and insight.
   • Needs Work Example: "People like getting likes on their posts."
   • Skillful Example: "The concept of instant gratification is deeply ingrained in social media culture. Unlike traditional communication methods, social media provides immediate feedback, which can alter users' expectations and behavior over time. For instance, the dopamine release associated with receiving 'likes' and comments can create an addictive cycle, making users crave continuous engagement (Brown, 2019)."
3. Evidence and Support: Claims should be supported by sufficient, credible evidence.
   • Needs Work Example: "Teens often feel overwhelmed by social media."
   • Skillful Example: "According to a 2020 study by the Pew Research Center, 45% of teens report feeling overwhelmed by the drama on social media, which affects their mental well-being (Pew Research Center, 2020)."

Language and Style

1. Clarity and Precision: The writing should be clear and precise.
   • Needs Work Example: "Social media has changed communication a lot."
   • Skillful Example: "Social media platforms have dramatically altered the landscape of interpersonal communication, fostering both positive and negative changes."
2. Tone and Formality: The tone should be appropriate for an academic essay, and the language should be formal and objective.
   • Needs Work Example: "You gotta learn how to use social media right."
   • Skillful Example: "The research underscores the necessity of developing digital literacy skills to navigate the complexities of online interactions."
3. Variety: There should be a variety of sentence structures and vocabulary.
   • Needs Work Example: "Social media is good and bad. Social media connects people. Social media affects interactions."
   • Skillful Example: "While social media encourages global connectivity, it simultaneously diminishes the quality of personal interactions. This dichotomy is evident in the way individuals prioritize online relationships over real-life conversations."

Grammar and Mechanics

1. Sentence Structure: Sentences should be complete and free of run-ons and fragments.
   • Needs Work Example: "Social media has benefits it also has challenges like mental health and social skills."
   • Skillful Example: "Despite its many benefits, social media has introduced significant challenges, particularly in terms of mental health and social skills."
2. Grammar and Punctuation: The essay should be free of grammatical errors and use correct punctuation.
   • Needs Work Example: "Researchers have found that heavy social media use is linked to increased levels of anxiety, and depression (Smith 2020)"
   • Skillful Example: "Researchers have found that heavy social media use is linked to increased levels of anxiety and depression (Smith, 2020)."
3. Spelling: The essay should be free of spelling mistakes.
   • Needs Work Example: "Social media can exascerbate feelings of loneliness and isolation."
   • Skillful Example: "Social media can exacerbate feelings of loneliness and isolation."

MLA Formatting

1. General Formatting: The essay should follow MLA formatting guidelines, including font, spacing, and margins.
   • Needs Work Example: Essay is typed in 11-point Arial font, single-spaced, with 1.5-inch margins.
   • Skillful Example: Essay is typed in 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins.
2. In-Text Citations: In-text citations should be correctly formatted according to MLA guidelines.
   • Needs Work Example: "According to Smith, social media users experience higher levels of anxiety (45)."
   • Skillful Example: "According to Smith, social media users experience higher levels of anxiety (Smith 45)."
3. Works Cited Page: The Works Cited page should list all sources cited in the essay and be correctly formatted according to MLA guidelines.
   • Needs Work Example: "Works Cited Brown, Jane. 'The Effects of Social Media on Mental Health.' Journal of Social Media Studies. 2019."
   • Skillful Example: "Works Cited Brown, Jane. 'The Effects of Social Media on Mental Health.' Journal of Social Media Studies, vol. 10, no. 2, 2019, pp. 123-145."
4. Headings and Title: The heading and title should follow MLA guidelines and include all required information.
   • Needs Work Example: "Caroline Scott 1 August 2024 The Impact of Social Media on Interpersonal Communication"
   • Skillful Example: "Caroline Scott Professor Smith English 101 1 August 2024 The Impact of Social Media on Interpersonal Communication"

Final Checks

1. Title and Heading: The title should be informative and engaging, and the heading should include all required information.
   • Needs Work Example: "Essay 1"
   • Skillful Example: "The Impact of Social Media on Interpersonal Communication"
2. Overall Flow: The essay should read smoothly from beginning to end with logical transitions between paragraphs.
   • Needs Work Example: The essay has abrupt transitions and disjointed paragraphs.
   • Skillful Example: The essay reads smoothly from introduction to conclusion, with each paragraph logically following the previous one.
3. Length: The essay should meet the required length as specified by the assignment.
   • Needs Work Example: Essay is only 900 words.
   • Skillful Example: Essay is 1,500 words as required.
4. Assignment Requirements: The essay should fulfill all specific requirements of the assignment prompt.
   • Needs Work Example: Essay only addresses the impacts of social media without meeting the source requirement or proper formatting.
   • Skillful Example: Essay fulfills all requirements of the assignment prompt, including addressing the impacts of social media on communication, using at least five scholarly sources, and following MLA format.