67 How to Be a Constructive Peer Reviewer
Robin Jeffrey and Melissa Elston
Learning Objectives
- Review approaches to being a constructive peer reviewer.
- Identify ways to provide good feedback to peers on their writing projects.
When you are peer editing, remember:
- You aren’t casting judgment on a work; you’re coaching the writer. Remember to include the writer in the process. Help them find the draft’s strengths and weaknesses, rather than telling them what they are or are not doing wrong.
- Check with the writer to make sure you’re understanding the main ideas of the work.
- Give specific compliments as well as specific criticism; reviewing isn’t just about one or the other.
- If you find a passage confusing, ask the writer for clarification.
- If you spot what you think might be an error but are not sure, ask your professor for guidance or alert your peer that there might be a problem. Be specific where you saw the problem so that they can correct it or get help to correct it.
Adapted from English Composition: Connect, Collaborate, Communicate by Ann Inoshita; Karyl Garland; Kate Sims; Jeanne K. Tsutsui Keuma; and Tasha Williams, CC BY 4.0