Most of the comments I left were suggestions on grammar and punctuation fixes. I hesitated and didn’t leave some comments that I thought about because I wasn’t sure if they would be super helpful. These mostly included switching words around to make something smoother to read. Looking back, I probably should have just left the comments as something for the reader to think about whether they would have wanted to change it in the end or not. I also tried to leave a comment about something in their piece that I thought was really good. I believe these suggestions are helpful because it allows the writer to see something that they are good at. Also, there may be something from their perspective they weren’t sure was completely necessary, but from the reader’s perspective it could be important information.
Looking back on the comments I received, I thought the most helpful ones were about rewording something to either make it clearer or more concise. One comment in particular was about how I was introducing a quote. I knew when I wrote it that it sounded a bit awkward but I wasn’t quite sure how to fix it so I just left it. However, one of my peer reviewers gave me a suggestion to fix that and it was actually very helpful. These comments will shape my reviewing process because I am going to look through my paper and see if there are any other spots where I could be clearer or more concise that they might not have commented on. I also got a comment about a word I accidentally put in that I didn’t notice which was helpful and an easy fix.
Hi, Brooke,
We will discuss methods for including helpful peer review suggestions, so you will feel more confident in leaving comments. I’m glad that your classmates offered helpful suggestions, particularly around sticky areas that you knew needed changes. Thanks for your thoughtful reflection!