Summary

Reviewing others' writing enhances compassion and writing skills by fostering objectivity, good manners, and a balanced critique.

Abstract

The article discusses the benefits of reviewing other people's work, emphasizing that it can lead to increased compassion and improved writing abilities. The author reflects on personal experiences in scientific writing, noting that the fear of harsh critiques was replaced by understanding after becoming a reviewer. The piece advises against being overly critical and encourages embracing feedback to improve one's writing. It also suggests maintaining objectivity by focusing on the message's clarity and purpose, and handling feedback with politeness to foster a constructive environment. The key message is to detach emotionally from writing to enhance the quality of both reviewing and writing processes.

Opinions

The author initially felt like an imposter when their writing was heavily edited by a co-author, but later recognized the importance of teamwork and the need to avoid being too picky.
Overcritical feedback can be detrimental, especially if it's based on personal style preferences rather than the quality of the work.
As a reviewer, it's crucial to provide feedback that is clear, understandable, and aligned with the writing's purpose without imposing one's style.
Good manners in providing feedback are essential, as some writers may take comments personally; politeness helps maintain a respectful exchange even when feedback is not well-received.
The author stresses the necessity of having a second pair of eyes on one's work, regardless of language proficiency, to ensure quality.
Emotional detachment from writing is advocated for both authors and reviewers to ensure a high-quality review and writing process.

3 Ways Reviewing Other’s Work Helps You Become More Compassionate and a Better Writer

What I’ve learned from checking other people’s work

Most of my writing and reviewing experience comes from the scientific/academic realm. Still, what I’ve learned also applies to other kinds of writing.

I used to fear those e-mails with corrections by co-authors and dread those wicked anonymous peer-reviewers!

Until I was one of them.

Then I learned CHECKING OTHER’S WRITING IS NO EASY TASK!

And my experience as a reviewer made me more mindful of my writing.

I try to:

Avoid being too picky

Publishing my first paper was not gratifying.

One of my co-authors made so many changes to my first draft that I did not recognize my writing anymore. I accepted all his changes because he was the only native English speaker on the team.

But I was not happy submitting the paper to the journal — I felt like an imposter.

Then, I realized two things:

→ I was being a fatalist. That paper resulted from teamwork, and having some changes to my writing did not invalidate me as the writer.

→ He was being overcritical. Besides reviewing the content and my English, he made changes based on his style preferences that wouldn’t affect the quality of the work.

Now, as a writer, I avoid self-diminishing thoughts when I receive a doc filled with track changes. If you don’t take it personally, you’ll become more open to feedback, which will help you write better.

And as a reviewer, I try not to see past the writer’s style.

How?

Be more objective

Yes, even if it is a subjective theme, like an opinion or a story.

Every piece of writing exists for a reason: it has a target reader and a goal.

The writer’s function is to ensure that the message is clear and understandable to that particular audience. And so is the reviewer’s.

So, unless the style messes with the purpose of the writing, to check the text with objectivity, see that:

all claims are backed with facts and referenced
the core message is clear and sound
the structure makes sense
it is readable and fluid

If you can do this as a reviewer, you can do this as a writer when editing your drafts. (or vice-versa)

Favor good manners

Some people — particularly beginner writers who aren’t expecting feedback — might get offended by comments to their writing.

Once, as part of the organizing committee for a students’ meeting, I had to make sure the summaries submitted by the participants had minimal quality.

The meeting was in Spain, and the accepted languages were Castilian (aka Spanish), Portuguese, and English. But due to rivalries among Spanish regions, some students refused to write in Castilian. A few decided to write in Portuguese.

They probably thought the organizers wouldn’t understand and let the summaries go without revision. Unluckily for them (and for me), I understood.

I did my best to be friendly and objective in my comments (though I cannot swear, as I don’t remember exactly what I wrote)

I don’t recall them answering the emails disrespectfully, but my colleagues said they complained on their social media, saying they had a B level so they could write in Portuguese.

I was astonished: you always need a second pair of eyes, no matter your level — even if you’re a native speaker.

But I did not insist or argue about it.

What I learned from this episode was to favor politeness.

As a reviewer, if you are honest and respectful, you have nothing to regret, even if the writer gets angry at you.

As a writer, try to see through your pride. My ego (and some laziness) made me withdraw a publication once because I didn’t want to make the changes the reviewer suggested.

Key Message: Detach yourself emotionally from the writing — whether you are an author or a reviewer — as it gets in the way of doing a good job.

Thanks for reading!

Any thoughts? I’d like to hear them!