The following are some basic issues/questions you should consider while reading your colleagues’ papers. These questions can then become the basis for a wrangle. The list is by no means complete. Use your judgment.

1) What is the author’s thesis? What is he/she trying to argue?

2) What is the author’s method of attack? How is he/she approaching the subject and the thesis?

3) What types of source material is the author using? Are there sources you would like to have seen used to better effect? Remember, part of the point of the wrangle is to help the author improve the paper for the final draft.

4) Is the author persuasive? Why? Why not?

5) Does the writer presume/assume anything? Is that bad?

6) Is the documentation convincing?

7) Are there other works of art you would like to see addressed here? Suggestions?

8) Is the writing clear?

9) Is the paper helpful to you overall in understanding the author’s topic?

10) Is the paper convincing?

In more general terms, you might consider the following four items (which I will use to evaluate your work):

–accuracy and precision of scholarship

–clarity of presentation

–contribution to the seminar’s understanding of the topic

–creativity, critical judgment, and imagination