Compliments, Suggestions and Corrections...

It’s the dreaded task that most people cringe over...including me! Peer editing is the task of reviewing your fellow peers work and offering constructive criticism, corrections and suggestions. The process can be extremely valuable for both the writer and the peer. However, if the delivery and reception are not handled in a mature, good spirited way it will not be effective and beneficial for anyone.

Everyone's personalities are different and we do not all “speak the same language”. Therefore it is crucial to be kind and remain positive. Do you remember the Golden Rule? It states, "Do unto others, as you would have done unto you". Keep this in mind. It will help you relay your thoughts in a positive and constructive way. Critiquing in a negative way is unnecessary and can create ill feelings.

When you are reviewing the work of a peer, try to be as detailed and specific as possible. That way your suggestions are clear to the writer and can easily be corrected. If you find that a lot of corrections need to be made, start off with a compliment, and then ease into the tough stuff. This always helps! One last thing to keep in mind is that your ultimate goal is to assist your peer and help them improve. So when you are reviewing a blog post and you notice spelling errors or think they could use better word choice, don’t hesitate, and tell them! After all, you are doing them a favor.

For a little laugh, be sure to watch this video on peer editing.

BP Three