Writing Effective Reaction Papers

Students are often asked to write reaction papers in response to class materials (such as a film or a documentary) or to out-of-class presentations (such as a guest speaker). Reaction papers are slightly different than reviews, because they usually don't require you to suggest improvements or alterations. Instead, they ask for a detailed overview of an experience combined with your opinion of that experience.

For instance, if you attended an on-campus program, you might be asked to write a reaction paper about your experiences. Such a reaction paper might involve the following details:

• Who spoke/sang/danced/etc. at the presentation? What are this person's qualifications? Is he/she well known in his/her field?
  
• What was discussed? Does this discussion have any connection to your coursework? If so, what?
  
• What is your reaction to both the presentation itself and the ideas being discussed? Did your opinion change during the course of the presentation? If so, what convinced you and why? If not, what stuck out as problematic or unconvincing?
  
• Did you learn anything from the presentation? Did anything surprise you? If so, what?

These are not the only possible questions that could be used for a reaction paper, and some professors have their own specific requirements, but they are some good general rules of thumb to think about in preparation for a reaction paper assignment.