Now you are going to write the first draft of your research paper! In this topic, you learned how to outline your information, organize your writing, and format your paper. It is time for you to put together your rough draft. You will want to set aside enough time to write a solid draft. Your paper should be at least four pages in length. Format your paper using MLA guidelines. Once you have completed your rough draft, you will submit it to your instructor, who will then distribute it to your peers for a peer review. You will also receive a peer’s rough draft so that you, too, can read and give comments on that person’s research paper.

When you give comments, make sure that they are constructive in nature. That means you can tell them what the strong points and the weak points are in the paper, but you must also offer suggestions for improving the paper. For example, you can say,

“The introduction has a really good hook that makes me want to read the rest of the paper. The thesis, though, does not tell me what your specific opinion is on the subject. Consider taking a firm stance on the topic and writing that into your thesis.”

Do you see how that comment offers a compliment as well as a suggestion as to how to fix a part of the paper?

Before you begin, review The Rough Draft Checklist to make sure you have included all necessary items in your rough draft. Also use the checklist as a guide in making comments on your peer’s rough draft.

First, complete and submit your rough draft to the dropbox. Once you have done that, your instructor will notify you as to how you will receive your peer’s rough draft. After making comments on your peer’s rough draft, save it and submit it to the dropbox.