Writing is one of the most important skills that you can develop in your academic career. Whether you are writing essays, reports, research papers, or personal statements, you need to be able to communicate your ideas clearly and effectively. However, writing is not a skill that you can master overnight. It takes practice, feedback, and revision to improve your writing.
One of the best ways to improve your writing is by engaging in peer review. Peer review is a process where you exchange your draft with another student and provide constructive feedback on each other’s work. Peer review can help you improve your writing in several ways:
- It can help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of your writing
- It can help you learn from other students’ perspectives and approaches
- It can help you develop critical thinking and analytical skills
- It can help you gain confidence and motivation in your writing
Here, we explain what peer review is, how it can help you both as a reviewee and as a reviewer, and how to conduct peer review effectively.
What is Peer Review?
Peer review is a form of collaborative learning where students exchange their drafts and provide feedback on each other’s work. Peer review can be done in pairs or in small groups, either face-to-face or online. Peer review can be done at any stage of the writing process, from brainstorming to editing.
The purpose of peer review is not to judge or grade each other’s work, but to help each other improve their writing. Peer review is based on the assumption that students can learn from each other and benefit from different perspectives and experiences.
Peer review can be done in different ways, depending on the instructor’s guidelines and the students’ preferences. Some common types of peer review are:
- Global peer review: This focuses on the overall content, structure, and organization of the draft. The reviewer provides feedback on the main idea, thesis statement, supporting points, transitions, coherence, and logic of the draft.
- Local peer review: This focuses on the specific details, language, and style of the draft. The reviewer provides feedback on the grammar, spelling, punctuation, vocabulary, sentence structure, tone, and voice of the draft.
- Mixed peer review: This combines both global and local feedback. The reviewer provides feedback on both the content and the language of the draft.
Regardless of the type of peer review, the reviewer should always provide constructive feedback that is specific, clear, respectful, and helpful. The reviewer should also avoid giving personal opinions or preferences that are not relevant to the writing task.
How does Peer Review help the Reviewee Improve their Writing?
As a reviewee, you can benefit from peer review in several ways:
- You can get a fresh perspective on your draft from someone who is not familiar with your topic or your writing style. This can help you identify gaps, inconsistencies, or errors that you may have overlooked.
- You can get feedback on specific aspects of your draft that you are unsure about or need improvement. This can help you clarify your ideas, refine your arguments, or polish your language.
- You can get suggestions for alternative ways to approach your topic or express your ideas. This can help you expand your options, explore new possibilities, or challenge your assumptions.
- You can get positive feedback on what you did well in your draft. This can help you recognize your strengths, boost your confidence, or motivate you to keep writing.
To make the most of peer review as a reviewee, you should:
- (If possible) Choose a peer reviewer who is reliable, respectful, and competent. Ideally, you should choose someone who has a similar level of writing proficiency as you or higher.
- Provide clear instructions and expectations for your peer reviewer. You should tell them what type of feedback you want (global or local), what aspects of your draft you want them to focus on (content or language), and how much feedback you want them to give (brief or detailed).
- Be open-minded and receptive to your peer reviewer’s feedback. You should listen carefully to their comments, ask questions if needed, and thank them for their time and effort.
- Evaluate and use your peer reviewer’s feedback wisely. You should not accept or reject their feedback blindly, but rather consider it critically and decide whether it is relevant, valid, or useful for your draft. You should also remember that peer feedback is not a substitute for instructor feedback or professional editing.
How does Peer Review help the Reviewer Improve their Writing?
As a reviewer, you can also benefit from peer review in several ways:
- You can improve your own writing by reading and analyzing other students’ drafts. This can help you learn from their strengths and weaknesses, compare and contrast different writing styles and strategies, and identify common writing problems or errors.
- You can practice your critical thinking and analytical skills by providing feedback on other students’ drafts. This can help you develop your ability to evaluate, synthesize, and communicate information, as well as to justify your opinions or suggestions with evidence or reasoning.
- You can enhance your understanding of the writing task and the expectations of the instructor by providing feedback on other students’ drafts. This can help you clarify the purpose, audience, and criteria of the assignment, as well as to align your own draft with them.
- You can gain a sense of responsibility and collaboration by providing feedback on other students’ drafts. This can help you respect other students’ work, appreciate their efforts, and contribute to their learning.
To make the most of peer review as a reviewer, you should:
- Read the draft carefully and thoroughly before providing feedback. You should try to understand the main idea, the thesis statement, the supporting points, and the conclusion of the draft.
- Provide constructive feedback that is specific, clear, respectful, and helpful. You should avoid vague, general, or irrelevant comments, as well as personal attacks or insults. You should also balance positive and negative feedback, and provide examples or suggestions for improvement.
- Use the instructor’s guidelines and rubrics to provide feedback. You should follow the instructions and expectations of the instructor, and use the rubrics or checklists to evaluate the draft. You should also use the same type of feedback that the reviewee requested (global or local).
- Explain your feedback and provide reasons for your comments. You should not just state what is wrong or right with the draft, but also why it is wrong or right. You should also provide evidence or reasoning to support your feedback.
Conclusion
Peer review is a valuable process that can help you improve your writing skills by giving and receiving feedback on your drafts. Peer review can help you as a reviewee by providing you with a fresh perspective, feedback on specific aspects, suggestions for alternatives, and positive reinforcement. Peer review can also help you as a reviewer by improving your own writing, practicing your critical thinking and analytical skills, enhancing your understanding of the writing task and expectations, and gaining a sense of responsibility and collaboration.
Next Steps
You have just seen how participating in peer review can benefit you both as a reviewee and reviewer. It’s literally win-win! Now it’s time to put these tips into action. It might be a while before you get the opportunity to peer review, but you can psychologically solidify your commitment to action. Here are some next steps you can take right now:
- Follow us on social media (Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, & Reddit) to join the conversation and share your thoughts and experiences with us and other readers.
- Leave a comment below and let us know what you think about this article. How would you benefit from peer review, as a reviewer and/or reviewee? You can even use the comments to start your peer review journey by reviewing this article!
- Share this blog post with your friends, family, classmates, or colleagues who might be interested in or benefit from it.
- Check out our other blog posts on Paladinsane’s World that cover various topics related to education and well-being such as study skills, time management, stress management, motivation, etc.