I’m a first-born, which to me translates to having been raised as a “peer-reviewer” in the sense of encouraging and helping raise my younger siblings. I find that role comes naturally to me because of those experiences. Of course, it does present some difficulty as you’re reviewing a complete stranger.
I don’t know how my words translate to another person, especially one I’ve never met in person. I want to be helpful and encouraging without coming across as a bully.
Reading my peer review comments is always challenging because I want to receive others’ messages in the same spirit as I intended mine towards their work. That is the hard part, honestly.
I did feel defensive feelings while reading their thoughts on my work. I think that’s part of human nature – and even though I felt defensive, I still saved the review as a tool to help me rewrite for the final because of valuable an outside view will be in making my essay successful.
