From Inquiry to Academic Writing A Practical Guide, 3rd edition

ThE PEER EdiTing PRocEss 287

Here are some characteristics of revising and editing that can guide how

you read your own writing and the comments you offer to other writers:

RevIsIng edItIng

treats writing as a work

in progress

Focuses on new possibilities

both within and beyond the text

Focuses on new questions or

goals

Considers both purpose and

readers’ needs

encourages further discovery

treats writing as an

almost-finished product

Addresses obvious errors and

deficiencies

Focuses on the text alone

Considers grammar, punctu ation,

spelling, and style

Polishes up the essay

Again, writing is a process, and revising is an integral part of that pro-

cess. Your best writing will happen in the context of real readers’ respond-

ing to your drafts. Look at the acknowledgments in any academic book,

and you will see many people credited with having improved the book

through their comments on drafts and ideas. All academic writers rely on

conversations with others to strengthen their work.

the PeeR editing PRocess

We emphasize that the different stages of writing — early, later, and final —

call for different work from both readers and writers because writers’

needs vary with each successive draft. these stages correspond to what

has been called the composition pyramid (Figure 10.1).* the composition

*We thank susannah Brietz-Monta and Anthony Monta for this idea.

FIGURE 10.1 the Composition Pyramid

Situation Issues Thesis Audience

Organization

Effective use of sources

to support thesis

Style and

grammar

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