Reviewing peer reviewing

Some computer science students were recently asked to review each others' work. The work was an article review or annotated bibliography. That was hard enough, but then they were asked to give feedback on the experience; to review the reviewing. Here are some of the things they had to say:


What were the challenges?

• We hadn't done anything like this before
• It's difficult to criticise your classmates
• It's hard to know what the standard should be
• It's hard to judge when you haven't seen the article
  

What did you learn?

• There are different ways of viewing the same information
• How to be fair while being critical
• What the article was about; what someone else thought of it
• How to improve my own work
• How to give feedback
  

What are some phrases you found helpful in reviewing the work?

• Can you justify this?
• I don't understand this point
• You need to be more specific
• Your summary was good because...
• I recommend that...
• You are good at...but there are some limitations in...

How did you feel about reviewing/being reviewed by your classmates?

• nervous
• excited
• comfortable
• fearful
• confident
• confused
• challenged

This Wikipedia entry shows the process of peer review in the culture of journal writing.

Colorado State University has useful advice on writing review comments.

Remember, peer review should not be an intimidating process for reviewer or student. It is a 'safe' process where each participant has an equal opportunity to learn and grow.

The Learning Advisers at Mawson Lakes

Your gold passport to higher marks

Academic writing is a great journey. We don't cross the campus tarmac and suddenly find our pockets full of high distinctions.

For some (like this learning adviser) the journey - especially in undergraduate study - is painstaking and it can take until the final years until the marks are solid and the academic achievement high.

For other students, some aspects of the journey are smooth sailing but others are mountainous terrain. For example, the structure might be there, but the referencing not.

In any case, there are a few gold passport stamps which can certainly make the journey shorter and (somewhat less painful). Here are some of the main ones:

• Make sure you understand the task you are undertaking. Is it an essay? Is it a report? Is it a literature review? Is it a research proposal? Each assessment task will be very different.

• Use excellent STRUCTURE. Remember 'firstly' and 'secondly' (I first learned to become good at this working with engineering students - who are the experts!) A really great resource is Linking Words. I give this one out almost on a daily basis.
  

• Show BREADTH of reading. A 2000 word paper with only three references is very thin. Do you realise, that the reference list is one of the first places a lecturer will look when he or she marks your work? A 2000 word paper should have at least eight references (unless your lecturer says otherwise).
  

• Show QUALITY references. Not Wikipedia. Not your lecture notes or your lecturer's PowerPoint slides. Scholarly references - books from the library, databases (such as Academic Search Premier or Web of Science or IEEE Explore). You must use your recommended readings as well as extended reading.
  

• Use an ACADEMIC tone in your writing. Here's a very simple formula to get you thinking about the rhythm of the writing. Note how others write - this sometimes helps.
  

They say that 'getting there is half the fun' but the journey to academic excellence is long. These are but a few passport stamps to collect on the way through to perfection.

In reality, nobody ever really achieves 'perfection' as we are all on a path to continuous improvement - lecturer, learning adviser or student.

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Still travelling...

Andrea






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