Peer review

​Peer Review

By: Brianna Ramjas​

​"Peer-review is the act of having another writer read what you have written and respond in terms of its effectiveness. This reader attempts to identify the writing's strengths and weaknesses, and then suggests strategies for revising it. The hope is that not only will the specific piece of writing be improved, but that future writing attempts will also be more successful."

​What is Peer Review

​What are the benefits?

• Can help you improve your work

• It gives the writer a readers point of view

• You will be exposed to new ideas

• Its an opportunity to develop you ability to give constructive criticism

• Showing off your strengths as a writer gives you confidence

​During a peer review, focus on:

• Understanding what the writer is trying to say before offering your suggestions.

• Making one comment that refers to several parts of the paper rather than commenting on the same thing repeatedly.

• Remembering that the goal of the review is to help the writer improve the effectiveness of his /her message, not for the writer and reviewer to share the same opinions on the topic.

​Do

• Justify your recommendation with concrete evidence and specific examples.

• Be specific so the authors know what they need to do to improve.

• Be professional and respectful

• Be thorough​

• ​Remember to say what you liked, balance your feedback

​Don't

• Agree or disagree with the writer

• Argue with the writer about points in the text

• Steal ideas

• Attack personally

• Share with others

• Be vague

• Be patronizing

​Some questions to ask yourself as a peer reviewer...

• As a reader, can I easily follow the writer's flow of ideas?

• Is there a clearly stated purpose/objective?

• At any point, do you feel lost or confused?

• I​s each main point/idea made by the writer clearly explained and supported?

• Does the writer use proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling?

• ​Are the topic and tone of the essay appropriate for the audience?

Multiple Choice

Is this a good peer review comment?

“The writing is so bad, it is practically unreadable. I could barely bring myself to finish it.”

• Yes

• NO

Open Ended

How can we fix this?

“The writing is so bad, it is practically unreadable. I could barely bring myself to finish it.”

​“While the writing appears to be valid the language is unclear, making it difficult to follow. I advise you authors work with a writing coach to improve the flow and readability of the text.”

​INSTEAD SAY...

Multiple Choice

Which is an example of a comment focused on the WORK and not the STUDENT?

• "I would suggest making the title bigger so it stands out more."

• "Your writing is sloppy, you should practice your spelling."

• "I don't like the topic you picked."

• "I'm not sure you understand what colors go well together."

Multiple Select

To avoid unintentional negative outcomes, you should?

• Always read the entire draft before making any comments

• Always re-read all comments and responses before making the review public

• Give a response when angry

• Assume the writer is being sincere when making claims even if the ideas seem strange

Multiple Choice

 

Which is NOT an example of balance in feedback?

• "You've got a clear title going on! Just don't forget to add a sentence about your topic."

• "That's a great graph you chose. It is a little hard to see, maybe you could shrink some of your text boxes so you'd have room to make it bigger."

• "There's just so much missing here, but I'll just say that everything is all over the place and not centered."

• "You chose a great template for your topic! If you want to make it match more, I think a dark blue font would be great for this theme."

Multiple Select

What are some ways you might present your comments in peer review?

• Shout your objections into their face

• Offer advice

• Present your understanding of the writing as you go

• Ask questions

Multiple Choice

What is an example of helpful peer feedback?

• You don't have to change anything! Your presentation was perfect!

• It was hard to follow your presentation.

• Nice job! I enjoyed watching your presentation.

• You had clear organization, but your presentation ended suddenly. Consider adding a conclusion that ties together your main points.

Multiple Choice

Come on! Sugar is not a serious problem. I eat lots of sugar, and I am healthy.

• Helpful

• Not helpful

Multiple Choice

Which best describes peer review What does it mean that peer review comments and feedback should be constructive?

• Getting comments from the teacher on your paper

• Getting constructive feedback from someone else on your writing

• Reading a paper again

• Writing a second draft of a paper