Peer Review REVIEW!

PLUSES
I think the most helpful part of the peer review was getting feedback on whether the connections I was trying to make were apparent to the reader. Sometimes I am so focused on what I 'know' I am trying to say that I assume I am making it clear for the reader as well, which is not always the case.

It was also really helpful when my group members pointed out places that I could expand on certain points to make a stronger or more comprehensible argument. Once again, I think it's really common for a lot of writers to forget that readers don't approach your paper with the same preconceptions, so it can be really helpful to get outside feedback on your paper's clarity.

MINUSES
It could be a good idea to have everybody post comments about their drafts for their group members to read prior to reviewing. That way, the writer can let people know ahead of time what particular questions/concerns they have that they'd really like feedback on, but can also make disclaimers if there are unpolished parts of the draft that the writer is already aware of. As I was reviewing, I felt on the fence about mentioning certain things, because I felt that the writer was probably aware of it (like a rough flow with the sentences, or missteps with MLA citations). It is a 'first draft' after all - I know for me, each sentence can be a huge challenge to churn out, so my focus for my first draft is just to get all my ideas on the page, knowing that I'll be able to do a lot of cleaning up for the final draft. I felt uneasy about potentially coming off as condescending, but at the same time, I felt I owed it to people to mention things "just in case" they hadn't noticed.