University of Guelph Library
Peer editing/review means working in pairs or small groups to help rework,
revise, literally re-vision, and ultimately improve writing.
Lesson Plan & Checklists
Lesson plan for a peer editing workshop (PDF – 99kb)
Peer editing checklist (PDF – 37kb)
Peer editing guidelines for authors and editors (PDF – 11kb)
Selected Research on Peer Editing
There has been considerable research on peer review and editing. We have assembled a selected bibliography (PDF – 34kb) detailing some of the more influential papers.
About Peer Editing
Peer editing/reviewing is a learning strategy in which a student evaluates another student's work and provides feedback. This is a standard strategy used in writing courses across the curriculum. However, instituting peer review in a course requires forethought and organization, since without careful planning the exercise can become meaningless for students and frustrating for instructors. When it is well done it benefits both students and faculty; it can help develop critical thinking and writing skills and make your marking easier.
Peer editing generally refers to commenting on a paper's organization, tone, format, flow, grammar, punctuation, and even content. When reviewing a paper for content, students assess whether there is a well-defined thesis statement, the depth to which the topic was adequately covered, assumptions and biases, and the strength of the paper's argument. In their written responses, peer editors must give constructive and honest commentary that acknowledges a paper's strengths, suggests possible improvements or identifies problem areas, and provides grammar, style, referencing, or other mechanical corrections. Authors become aware that they must write so that their readers can understand their argument and that they are responsible for accepting or rejecting advice or alternative points of view.
Pros and Cons of Peer Editing
Pros:
Students
- Develops critical analysis skills
Allows for editing practice and gives practice in revising
Exercises communication skills and strengthens capacity to articulate their arguments clearly
Offers an opportunity to see and learn from other students' work
Gives a chance to improve their work before it is graded
Teachers
- Promotes high levels of student engagement
Produces better organized papers that are easier to read
Works in classes with a wide variety of writing topics
Increases the amount of student-directed learning
Allows faculty to concentrate comments on higher order concerns such as idea development
Cons:
Students
- Requires all participants to fully engage
Peer comments require constructive insight and suitable detail
Spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors may be reinforced
Teachers
- Small group work may not be suitable for all class environments
Requires considerable preparation and guidance beforehand
Contact
First Floor
McLaughlin Library
University of Guelph
Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1