written by Danielle Sherman
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It’s a pet peeve of mine to swap papers with someone, then find that they’ve commented nothing more than “looks great!”, or that they just added a comma somewhere to make it look like they tried. Peer editing can be extremely valuable or extremely frustrating, depending on the level of thought and effort both parties contribute. Below, you’ll find some tips on how to make the most of this process so that no one becomes irritated and, more importantly, so that your writing grade can improve.
1. Organization
Teachers will sometimes facilitate peer editing groups in class, but if this doesn’t occur and you want another set of eyes for your paper, you’ll need to determine a few details before the actual editing stage. First, decide on the number of people you want in the group—the more the merrier, but each person must read everyone else’s, so groups of 2-5 usually work best.
All members of the group should agree upon a deadline by which to finish edits. Follow ' through on this! It wouldn’t be fair if someone took the time to edit your paper, but you were late on returning theirs. Likewise, it’s important that everyone gives equal effort, and that each person shows the same level of attention to each paper, for the sake of fairness.
2. Editing
I use three different tools (found on Google Docs) for editing. Suggesting mode allows you to alter the text, but this appears in a different color as a proposed, not official, change; I usually use this for technical edits. Commenting on a section highlights those words and allows you to write your thoughts to the side of the doc; I use this feature for conceptual edits. Lastly, Editing mode allows you to directly and permanently change what is written; I only use this to write a brief paragraph explaining my overall impressions at the end of the paper, and I change this to a different text color.
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Remember not to use the Editing tool for any other purposes—no change should be final because it’s ultimately up to the writer to decide. When suggesting large-scale changes, it’s best to elaborate using a Comment: explain 1) why there is a problem with what is written, 2) how you recommend fixing the problem, and 3) why your idea of a fix would help. This way, the writer can better understand where you’re coming from rather than having to guess.
Especially within these comments, maintaining a positive tone is crucial. This helps you avoid hurting the writer’s feelings, and they in turn can approach your suggestions with an open mind. To do this, try not to let any frustration come through in your comments; avoid words with harsh or negative connotations. It also helps to begin some comments with praise, then transition to your critique; don’t be afraid to leave a few purely positive comments as well. Then, in your note at the end of the paper, make sure to touch upon the writing’s strengths and end on an encouraging note.
While reading through the paper, keep that assignment’s rubric in mind; think about whether the writing fulfills the highest mark range it can, and if it doesn’t, consider how it might get there. This is your strongest guide to improve the author’s grade, so it might be useful to have the rubric printed out or displayed on your screen. Here are some other aspects you can consider during editing:
Technical:
varying and choosing appropriate sentence structure
correct grammar
correct punctuation use
correct capitalization
correct spelling
individual word choice
ways phrasing can be more concise
use of transitions
correct citations
appropriate formatting
Conceptual:
paragraph organization / logical essay structure
cohesion of ideas and whether the essay builds logically
clarity on a sentence level, paragraph level, and paper level
overall vocabulary level
consistent and appropriate tone depending on type of paper
depth and clarity of analysis
relevance and utility of quote choices
thesis statement and paper’s focus / adherence to thesis
Too often, peer editors can concentrate solely on technical improvements and neglect conceptual ones because they feel more confident addressing the former. This is rarely helpful, because most technical issues can be solved through spellcheck-like applications or the writer’s own read-throughs. Unless the writer tells you to only consider mechanics, make sure to incorporate conceptual recommendations. Read slowly, carefully, and don’t forget about that rubric!
3. Following Up
Once everyone has finished their editing, it’s useful to have each reviewer talk through their suggestions (especially the conceptual ones) with you and explain anything they weren’t able to express in writing; feel free to ask them any questions you have.
You might have had specific questions or concerns about your paper prior to the editing process. For example, you might worry that a particular quote didn’t fit well, or that your introduction’s hook wasn’t strong enough. I recommend bringing up concerns at this point rather than before the editing stage. If the reader already knows about potential weaknesses in the paper, they’ll be hyper aware when editing. Thus, they might find issues with those areas even if they didn’t actually have problems. In order to receive the reader’s authentic interpretation, you can ask specific questions after they finish editing.
One last note: you are entirely within your right to disagree with others’ suggestions! This doesn’t mean you should argue with them; just make note of all proposed edits, and afterward, only accept the ones that make sense to you. It’s important to keep an open mind to all suggestions, and outside perspectives are certainly valuable, but at the end of the day, any changes made to your paper fall to your own discretion.
I hope this guide is useful to your papers and peer editing experience!
Comment below: What other strategies do you have for this process? What are your own pet peeves?
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