Peer Review

Created by Laura Guertin, Pennsylvania State University Brandywine

What is peer review - students providing each other feedback on paper and/or online

Introductory-level courses can integrate the process of having students review and comment on materials written by their peers. Traditional peer-review exercises can also be modified with the addition of technological tools to facilitate the process. Students can write and review the writings of their peers online.
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Why use peer review - students improve science communication skills

Peer review is useful for instructors of large introductory-level courses that want to challenge their students to think critically, synthesize information, and communicate science in nontechnical language. Through use of technological tools, electronic peer review provides the option of not restricting the peer-review process to a particular location and/or time, while the grading load is lessened on an instructor.
More on the benefits of peer review to instructors and students

How to use peer review - teach your students to evaluate each other's work

Peer review assignments can be developed for individual communication exchanges or collaborative team projects. Electronic tools can facilitate the peer review process.
Tips on using peer review

Examples of electronic peer review for geoscience courses

Examples of using electronic peer review for each geoscience discipline: Atmosphere, Biosphere, Climate System, Earth History and Time, Earth Surface, Energy and Cycles, Human Dimensions, Hydrosphere and Cryosphere, Oceans, Solar System, Solid Earth.
Geoscience peer review examples

References on peer review

A listing of references used to construct this website, as well as additional resources for further reading on peer review, is provided.
Peer review References