An Introduction to Peer Editing--for Peer Editors
I. The Ethics of Peer Editing
We will be:
Professional
Punctual
Attentive
Knowledgeable
Precise
Promotional
Confidential
Peer Editors will not re-write, revise or proofread their customers' work. Instead, they will help them identify the strengths and weaknesses of their writing and provide insight and feedback while they work to improve.
II. The Process of Peer Editing
If your customer brings a draft for you to read, follow these steps:
Step 1—Determine the goal of the piece of writing. Is this a class assignment? If so, read the assignment first. If not, ask the writer to tell you briefly what he or she wants to do in the piece. If the piece is fiction, please see the Fiction Rubric for Peer Editors.
Step 2—Read the piece of writing to yourself.
Step 3—Read the piece of writing out loud to the writer, considering the points below and making notes as you go.
Things to look for:
What is the main idea? Is it clearly stated in a thesis statement? Underline the sentence you think is or could be the main idea. (Central Idea)
Is the main idea developed through the whole piece of writing? Look at topic sentences especially. Does the first sentence of each paragraph express an idea that is related to the main idea? Underline the sentence you think is or should be the topic sentence in each paragraph. (Topic Sentences)
Is there good support for the idea expressed in each paragraph? Circle the details, examples, or quotations that support the topic sentence or any sentence that further expresses the topic sentence idea. (Support)
Does the introduction grab the reader? Does the conclusion really conclude (that is, not repeat anything the writer has said, but actually express a logical concluding idea for everything that has come before)? Is there anything that just doesn’t go? Put brackets around ideas that are in the wrong place or do not belong in this piece of writing at all. (Structure)
Are there ideas that could be expressed more eloquently? Put parentheses around sentences that are awkward or word choices that should be reconsidered. (Style)
Circle any mistakes you see in grammar or spelling. Don’t correct them, just draw the writer’s attention to them. (Mechanics)
(Finish up by glancing back through the piece and putting a check mark next to each great thing you find, good ideas, good expression, good details or support. Discuss how the writer can build on these existing strengths. (Strengths)
Step 4—Tell the writer what the greatest strength of the piece is and also the greatest weakness. Jot this down at the end of the piece and sign your name.
Step 5—Make a plan for what happens next. Should the writer revise and come back? When? Help the writer get organized for getting it done!
Step 6—Give your customer a Peer Editor Evaluation sheet and ask him or her to turn it in to Dr. Mandyck.
Step 7— Log your service hours in the database, and turn in the Peer Editor Service sheet to Dr. Mandyck.
III. The Writing Process
When your customer doesn't yet have a piece of writing for you to read, you should help them through the Writing Process. There are as many writing processes as there are writers, but here are two processes described by Mr. Connell and by Dr. Mandyck that might help you get started!
We will be:
Professional
Punctual
Attentive
Knowledgeable
Precise
Promotional
Confidential
Peer Editors will not re-write, revise or proofread their customers' work. Instead, they will help them identify the strengths and weaknesses of their writing and provide insight and feedback while they work to improve.
II. The Process of Peer Editing
If your customer brings a draft for you to read, follow these steps:
Step 1—Determine the goal of the piece of writing. Is this a class assignment? If so, read the assignment first. If not, ask the writer to tell you briefly what he or she wants to do in the piece. If the piece is fiction, please see the Fiction Rubric for Peer Editors.
Step 2—Read the piece of writing to yourself.
Step 3—Read the piece of writing out loud to the writer, considering the points below and making notes as you go.
Things to look for:
What is the main idea? Is it clearly stated in a thesis statement? Underline the sentence you think is or could be the main idea. (Central Idea)
Is the main idea developed through the whole piece of writing? Look at topic sentences especially. Does the first sentence of each paragraph express an idea that is related to the main idea? Underline the sentence you think is or should be the topic sentence in each paragraph. (Topic Sentences)
Is there good support for the idea expressed in each paragraph? Circle the details, examples, or quotations that support the topic sentence or any sentence that further expresses the topic sentence idea. (Support)
Does the introduction grab the reader? Does the conclusion really conclude (that is, not repeat anything the writer has said, but actually express a logical concluding idea for everything that has come before)? Is there anything that just doesn’t go? Put brackets around ideas that are in the wrong place or do not belong in this piece of writing at all. (Structure)
Are there ideas that could be expressed more eloquently? Put parentheses around sentences that are awkward or word choices that should be reconsidered. (Style)
Circle any mistakes you see in grammar or spelling. Don’t correct them, just draw the writer’s attention to them. (Mechanics)
(Finish up by glancing back through the piece and putting a check mark next to each great thing you find, good ideas, good expression, good details or support. Discuss how the writer can build on these existing strengths. (Strengths)
Step 4—Tell the writer what the greatest strength of the piece is and also the greatest weakness. Jot this down at the end of the piece and sign your name.
Step 5—Make a plan for what happens next. Should the writer revise and come back? When? Help the writer get organized for getting it done!
Step 6—Give your customer a Peer Editor Evaluation sheet and ask him or her to turn it in to Dr. Mandyck.
Step 7— Log your service hours in the database, and turn in the Peer Editor Service sheet to Dr. Mandyck.
III. The Writing Process
When your customer doesn't yet have a piece of writing for you to read, you should help them through the Writing Process. There are as many writing processes as there are writers, but here are two processes described by Mr. Connell and by Dr. Mandyck that might help you get started!