PDFs:

Group 1: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vSt7Gbslj_9dQ2dLZHizYHj5QkXiH6z2/view?usp=sharing

Group 2: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VMK0clVgfT96CQOlvi-vg2M52uphIfb4/view?usp=sharing

Group 4: https://drive.google.com/file/d/11ucT9E9MFFpDkhSZ2v3KLSnlmfs92T8Y/view?usp=sharing

Group 5: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XfI6KjvxO9HjmvGNSPQ2wMZzwtQwGHEE/view?usp=sharing

Group 6: https://drive.google.com/file/d/182e9O31FMkEP2u7XjL4_mAgXEJ9p8ulB/view?usp=sharing

Reviews:

Group 1: Shayla, Anne, Emily, Jason

I think this is a good paper with a few minor issues to work out. The abstract is very well-written and I would suggest leaving it as is. As for the figures, I like the ones you decided to use, although I recommend making some improvements to the captions, such as adding more detail and information (this can also be a good way to explain your figure without wasting words in the paper as not to exceed the word count as well). Additionally, some figures, most notably figures 1 and 4, should have some more visual reference information if possible, such as a scale bar and a legend or key. Figure 5 is very good; Easy to read, visually attractive, provides useful information, and it is cited relevantly within the paper. Overall, I would say the paper is informative and displays a good amount of relevant data and facts. In the revisions, I would aim to add more analysis from the writers’ points of view to reflect the data acquired from cited sources (though the conclusion does do a good job of summing up the key points in that way). As the paper is near the maximum word count limit, some trimming must be done to accomplish this but it should only take a few extra sentences to allow for the paper to flow better, and become more captivating to the reader.

Group 2: Mark, Kat, Grant, Emma

This paper contains a lot of valuable information, but it exceeds the word count requirement by a large amount. Additionally, the abstract is not long enough to meet the word count requirement. I think the abstract is well-written in terms of content, though in order to bring up the word count it could use additional explanation of the key points being made in the paragraph. A lot of the figures, while good choices, generally require more detail in the captions. Citations and sources for all of the figures are also required (with the exception of figure 8 if that was a photo taken by one of the team members). My main recommendation to reduce the word count of this paper is to evaluate each paragraph and identify any portions that contain unnecessary “filler” information, and then in some cases (specifically the paragraph at the beginning of page 5), the remaining information can be added in as a part of a previously existing paragraph. Additionally, some of the trimmed material, granted it is more on the general side and not too data-heavy, can be added to the abstract to add to the word count there. I think this is a good paper that just needs considerable trimming and addition of sources and references for both figures and information displayed throughout the paragraphs.

Group 4: Liviya, Elijah, Skylar, Ryan S

I really like this paper. It flows well and includes a good amount of relevant information. One of my only suggestions would be to add a few extra sentences to the abstract in order to fill out the word count requirement, and I would recommend briefly describing some of the mitigation strategies that should be put in place after mentioning it near the end of the paragraph. I would also fix a few formatting errors such as moving the word count from the bottom of the paper to the top, and adding a word count for the abstract as well. Additionally, some figures (figures 2, 4, and 5) need citations to be added in their captions, as well as a date for figure 2. Figures 6 and 7 are very useful, but I would suggest the addition of a north arrow and a scale bar to be able to visualize the distance and direction being shown in these figures in order to give them a spatial scale, as well as a legend to allow the reader to determine what the colors on the figures represent. To conclude, the last paragraph was very well-written and did a good job summing up the key reasons why landslides occur, while at the same time describing what needs to be done to prevent them going forward.

Group 5: Brenda, Adam, Freddy, Reshma

This paper is very good, excellently written with good figures and key data and information. I have a few suggestions on how to further improve it. First off, I would recommend adding a few more sentences that implement in-text citations from your sources. Additionally, I would add a word count, both to your abstract and your main paper. I really like the titles of each subheading, they do a good job generating interest in the reader and are a good name for the contents of each paragraph. There are a few factual errors and grammar mistakes but these can be easily corrected. I think your figures are very nice, with a few fixes that can be made. Figure 3 is excellent, using google earth to make a visually attractive map of Riverside Avenue and utilizing a scale bar and a north arrow to give it a spatial scale. All that is needed for that is to add your source or citation (most likely Google Earth) to your caption beneath the figure. I think the final paragraph was very good as well. I love the idea that Burlington should invest in public education about these environmental hazards to raise awareness and encourage safer habits.

Group 6: Ben, Julia, Derek, Luc

While the paper has a lot of good portions, a large amount of it needs to be trimmed down, as it exceeded the maximum word count by almost 700 words. There is a lot that I would recommend to trim from the paper, including the section of the introduction where all the previous landslides are listed (you can instead use a timeline from the Riverside Avenue Topography lab webpage to show this without using up words). Additionally, the “Background on Landslides” section is very interesting but in my opinion it somewhat goes into too much detail about material that isn’t necessarily the point of this paper. I like the figures that were used- I would say the few improvements needed to them are the additions of scales, north arrows, and more detailed descriptions. Most of the paragraphs are very well-written and contain good use of references and information, but they are simply too long. Try and find ways to leave only the most relevant pieces of the paragraphs in once editing and trimming is finished. Lastly, I would say the conclusion needs to be revised and reworded. I get what is trying to be said but the use of “there’s” and “what’s” in the first sentence, although it seems minor, is not really the correct thing to do in formal scientific writing.