Reflections on the art of Peer Review

As you all know, creating a peer review report is a common and important task in the professional world, so this is indeed an important art to learn. After reviewing many of your reflections on this topic for Unit 2:3, I have a few tips for you all.

A common sentiment is well expressed in this excerpt from one of your Blogs:

Another challenging aspect is providing feedback without hurting other people’s feelings. Criticizing someone’s work can often give people the impression that they are being criticized. I’d like to receive more constructive feedback but I suspect that people reviewing my work don’t want to hurt my feelings and aren’t being as harsh as they could be. The reverse is unfortunately true too; I want to provide constructive feedback, but I too have reservations about being excessively harsh for the fear of seeming insensitive.

Here is my advice for overcoming this concern and becoming a valuable reviewer:

• • Before you read the document, create a template for your review.
    • Based on the assignment criteria and the textbook guidelines, consider the important elements of the document you are about to review before you begin.
    • Create a set of headings for each category of the document and list them in a logical order.
  • Now, read the document focused on these categories making notes for yourself as you read.
  • You are looking for BOTH the positive highlights of the document and the negative weakness’ under each category.
  • Address your peer by name, begin your review with a salutation and a short introductory paragraph that highlights briefly and generally the strong and the weak parts of the document.
  • Conclude your review with a likewise friendly and complimentary paragraph, again highlighting the positive and listing briefly the general changes you have suggested.

What you should discover, is that the logic: the strict organizational catagories and formats of professional writing, removes the possibility for ‘taking things personally’; which we all know, is unprofessional.

I hope this is helpful.