Writing a journal article in 12 weeks: Week Nine

I’m using Wendy Laura Belcher’s book Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks: A Guide to Academic Publishing Success to prepare my paper for publication. This is Week Nine.

This week deals with giving, getting, and using others’ feedback. Belcher argues that in academia people are a lot better at pointing out what is wrong than in enabling better performance of others. Consequently, she focuses on instructions for giving feedback, not receiving it. First, Belcher explains what not to do when giving feedback:

• Do not obsess about the author’s bibliographic sources (“You job is to focus on what the author does with what they have read”);
• Do not obsess with what not in the article (It is your job to focus on improving what is in the article, not to insist that the author include what isn’t in the article”);
• Do not obsess about fixing the article (“It is not your job to fix other people’s work; it is your job to give them your reading of it”);
• Do not obsess about judging the work (“You need not consider yourself an expert on anyone else’s writing. You are simply a reader”).

Instead, she suggests:

• Start with the positive;
• Be specific (“when starting with the positive, make sure it’s specific.” Also “if you feel that you do have a solution [to the article’s problems], that you do know something specific that would improve the article, be clear about it”);
• Focus on giving a response (“tell them what you understood their article to say”);
• Always suggest (“The period places you as the authority; the question mark places the author as the authority. ‘Sentence fragment. Rewrite?’”);
• Focus on the macro (i.e., the article’s argument, evidence, structure, findings, or methods, and  don’t be distracted by the small stuff);
• Spend time (2-5 hours are usually needed to read and comment on someone else’s article thoroughly).

Then, Belcher turns to what to do when you are getting feedback:

• Give instructions (“Feel free to say that you are not currently looking for line editing, spelling and grammar correction, but attention to more macro issues. Or, vice versa”);
• Separate the delivery from the message (“Try to ignore the emotion with which comments or suggestions are delivered. . . . Criticism delivered in a hostile manner can still be correct; criticism delivered in a kind manner can still be wrong”);
• Listen, don’t talk;
• Take advantage (“Every criticism is an opportunity for you as to explain your ideas more clearly”);
• You are the final authority on your own writing (“You don’t have to do anything anyone tells you to do, no matter how hard he or she pushes”).

Belcher suggests to use Week Nine for giving and getting feedback. On the first day, I read the workbook and exchanged articles with a fellow doctoral student. I asked her to look for gaps in my argument and what seemed unclear, and she wanted pretty much the same thing. On the second day, I read her article following Belcher’s instructions. First, I read it without a pen in my hand, just to familiarize myself with it. Then, I went through the article for a second time putting check marks next to whatever was clear, insightful, or well-written. During the next round of reading, I circled everything that I didn’t understood completely or found unclear. The last step was to write a summary of what I got from the article. After that, I met with my writing partner, and we took turns going over our comments. I took notes as she talked, and, at the end of my turn, gave her the summary I wrote. On the third day, I reread my notes, took another look at my paper, and made a list of what remained to be done. I spent Days Four and Five implementing those changes and revising my paper according to the feedback.