Using+GoogleDocs

Set up your Account

 * Go to []
 * If you have a Gmail account already, you can continue to use that. Otherwise, you will need to sign up for a Google account. It's free and easy--just follow the instructions (the video below is helpful).
 * Note: If you create a new account, please use your first initial and last name (followed by a number, if necessary) as your login ID. If I try to find your paper and it's filed under a login such as "soxluvr2008" I won't be able to find it and you will receive an F for the paper.

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Using GoogleDocs

 * You may compose your documents directly in GoogleDocs (highly recommended), or in any other word processor you like. If you use MSWord, you may import your paper directly into GoogleDocs; if you use any other word processor, you may copy and paste your text into a new GoogleDocs document. You don't need to worry about saving your document as you go along--GoogleDocs has an autosave feature that saves your document very frequently.
 * IMPORTANT: Be sure your paper includes the paper number and your real name as the very first line of text. That is, the first line of your paper must be, for example, **Assignment 2** **Joe Smith, Mary Jones, and David Ortiz** . If your paper does not include these two items as the very first line, I won't be able to find your paper or identify it and thus you will get a 0.
 * When your paper is ready for review, share it (as editors) with the instructor (ebranscomb@gmail.com) and the other people assigned to be in your peer-review group. **Once a paper is shared, don't share it again. Make all your revisions on the same document.**
 * This short video shows you how to share your document:

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Commenting in GoogleDocs

 * When the other members of your peer-review group have sent you invitations to collaborate on their documents, those documents will appear in your inbox when you log into your GoogleDocs account.
 * Click on each one and read it. You may want to click on the "Insert" tab to put GoogleDocs into insert mode. You will then have a toolbar of items you may insert, one of which is "Comment."
 * When you want to make a comment on a particular word or line or place in the document, click in the document where you want to place your comment and click on "Comment" in the Insert Toolbar or press Control-M. Type in your comment. Keep doing this until you have finished the paper. For commenting criteria, see the "Grading" page.
 * In general, as a commenter you should NOT rewrite any part of the paper; instead, just comment and let the writer decide what to do with your comment.
 * Do the same for each draft from your peer-review group.

Revising in GoogleDocs

 * When you are ready to begin your revisions, go back to your draft and review the comments that have been made.
 * As with all revisions, you need to decide what changes, if any, you will make on the basis of each comment you received.
 * Make your changes based on the feedback you receive in GoogleDocs. **Do not make your revisions in your word processed document and upload or copy/paste a revised document**--this will cause all records of comments and changes to be lost. Your instructor needs those to gauge the quality of feedback you have received and the depth of significant revisions you have made.
 * For Final Drafts to be graded, remove all collaborators (editors) except the instructor. I am forbidden by law to place any kind of evaluation or grade on papers that may be seen by other members of the class.