Unlock the power of collaborative feedback and take your academic writing to the next level! This page will show you how feedback should be managed in your feedback writing group or hybrid writing group to foster a supportive learning environment. Discover effective strategies for giving and receiving feedback, and learn how to use constructive criticism to revise your papers and achieve your academic goals.
While sharing drafts may seem daunting, our peers can give us valuable insights and ideas in a low-risk environment. Your goal should be to give the kind of feedback you would want and listen to the feedback like you would want your comments to be heard.
Remember that writers do not need to accept or act on all feedback, but you should aim to receive all with an open mind to get the most out of it. Here are some helpful mindsets to maximize your feedback experience.
Assume best intentions. Remember that your group members are on your side. It is not always easy to hear feedback about our writing, but we want to assume that their comments come from a positive place that wants to help us grow.
Listen for understanding. Try not to interrupt someone who is giving you feedback to defend or contradict what they are saying. Let them finish their thoughts, so you can better understand their point of view as a reader. Be curious. Ask questions.
Take with a grain of salt. While you should thoughtfully consider feedback, you don’t need to make all the changes just because they were suggested. Use what helps.
Express gratitude. Remember that your group is taking time and expending energy on your behalf. Acknowledging their care and effort will help foster a mutual culture of trust.
Organize and prioritize comments. Keep track of your feedback. What should get most of your attention? Are there any patterns? E.g., do readers often praise a certain feature of your writing? Do readers often point to issues with clarity?
These questions are examples of the type of information the writer should provide to the group along with their pages of writing. Answering these questions will help the group understand what the context of the work is and how best to help.
Having some kind of feedback request is especially useful if you are distributing work ahead of time. Edit, delete, or add questions as will best serve your group. Here is a link to copy the Google Doc template to create your own Feedback Request Form.
Briefly describe why you wrote this piece. What was the assignment, context, or task? Is this piece a first or second draft? Is this piece part of a larger writing (e.g., abstract for a conference, first half of a drafted article to be published, or the introduction to a short story collection, etc.)?
What are you most proud of / confident about in this piece of writing? What was your biggest challenge with this piece of writing?
What kind of feedback would be most helpful to you at this stage? Be specific. List a few macro or micro concerns.
Macro Examples: paragraph or page-level concerns, e.g., transitions, evidence, sequence, or structure
Micro Examples: sentence-level concerns, e.g., tone, grammar, vocabulary, or citations
Are there any aspects you don’t want readers to comment on this time? E.g., “Please disregard grammar.” or “Don’t worry about citations this time around.”
When is the deadline for this piece of writing? How much time do you have for revision?
Supportive: Feedback is delivered in a non‐threatening, encouraging manner.
Say something positive about the piece first. (“To me, the best‐written part of this piece was...”; “The most interesting idea in this chapter was ...”).
Acknowledge your understanding of the writer’s goal based on your careful reading of the feedback request. (“I realize that your main point was ...”).
Specific: Focus on specific writing areas or issues.
Explain issues by pointing to concrete areas of the writing.
Provide a solution/suggestion to help improve it by explaining how you have handled such problems. (“When I have a problem with transitions, I usually try ...”).
Descriptive (audience perspective): Describe the problems in the piece of writing itself from the perspective of the reader, whether it is you or another imagined/real audience.
Speak from your perspective. (“As a reader, this section was a little unclear to me because, ...”; “My reaction to this was ...”).
Speak from a reader’s perspective. (“When I read this sentence, I wasn’t sure if the paragraph was going to be...”).
Prioritized: Prioritize what you want to say so as not to overwhelm the writer but also to address their main concerns.
Select only two or three major “big points” to cover verbally during writing group discussions.
Write a list of additional “big points” and “little points” that the writer could take away after the writing group discussion.
Tailor your comments to the writer and the needs listed in their feedback request. While your big points may cover issues other than those listed in the writer’s feedback request, be sure to include some responses to the matters that the writer is most worried about.
Credit: Lee, S. and Golde, C. (n.d.). “Starting an effective dissertation writing group.” [Giving Feedback Chart, p. 20]. The Hume Writing Center at Stanford University.
Many writers believe that true writing doesn't happen until the revision stage. Revision is more than just fixing grammar and smoothing out sentences; it's a crucial opportunity to rethink your writing strategies and creatively shape your ideas. Through revision, your arguments become clearer, your meaning more precise, and your overall message more persuasive.
To make the most of feedback and revise efficiently, try dividing your revisions into two categories: macro-revisions and micro-revisions.
Organize Your Feedback:
Create two to-do lists: one for macro-revisions and one for micro-revisions.
Prioritize Macro-Revisions:
Address the macro-revision suggestions first. These are higher-level changes that impact the overall structure and argument of your writing.
Once you've made the macro-revisions, move on to the micro-revisions, which focus on sentence-level details.
Re-Read with Focus:
After a day or so, re-read your work, specifically looking for any remaining macro-level issues.
Next, re-read again, this time focusing on micro-level refinements.
Macro-revisions address the overall structure and flow of your writing. Think of it as refining the "big picture." Here are some key macro-revision activities:
Re-organize for Impact: Change the order of paragraphs or sections to strengthen your argument, highlight key points, or improve the logical flow.
Trim the Fat: Remove any sections, arguments, or examples that don't directly support your main point.
Fill the Gaps: Add new examples, evidence, or explanations to strengthen your argument or clarify your ideas.
Smooth the Connections: Ensure clear transitions between paragraphs and sections. Remind the reader of your main argument throughout the piece. Make sure all evidence and data clearly link back to your central point.
Micro-revisions focus on the finer details of your writing, such as word choice, sentence structure, and grammar. These details may seem small, but they significantly impact how your readers perceive your ideas and your credibility as a writer.
Clean Up: Proofread carefully for any grammar errors, typos, or spelling mistakes.
Sharpen Your Language: Choose stronger verbs, more precise words, and more vivid imagery to make your writing more engaging and expressive.
Tighten Your Sentences: Eliminate unnecessary words and phrases to make your writing concise and clear.
To stay focused and track your progress, choose 3-4 macro-revisions and 3-4 micro-revisions to focus on during each revision cycle. This checklist will help you
stay organized and ensure you address all the key areas;
maintain focus and avoid getting overwhelmed;
feel a sense of accomplishment as you check off each item.
By approaching revision strategically and using this two-step process, you can transform your writing from good to excellent.
Adapted from Lee, S. and Golde, C. (n.d.). “Starting an Effective Dissertation Writing Group.” [Revision Strategies, p. 23-24]. The Hume Writing Center at Stanford University.