Evaluating Writing

An evaluation plan can decrease any anxiety the writer may be feeling and provides the mentor with some organizational strategies. Clearly, there is not just one best way to critique someone’s writing; however, these steps can make for effective feedback that emphasizes writer improvement.
Before even starting a conversation on writing, be sure to clarify the goal. A request to review writing can come in many forms: Would you take a look at this? Are my reference citations correct? What should I put in the body? Does this meet the assignment? Before offering any feedback, be sure to understand a mentor’s function.
If a more polished, experienced writer corrects the text, the writing will improve, but the writer probably won’t. He may not understand the corrections, be overwhelmed by the number and variety of errors, and learn, above all else, that someone else should do revising and editing. If your objective is to help the person become a better writer, you need to do more than add corrections.
Step One: Meet and Decrease Anxiety
Some basic guidelines can help with this. Put the writer in charge by asking, “What’s the main thing you’d like me to look at?” This one question emphasizes a vital writing skill: self-evaluation. It also conveys that the writer is responsible for the document. If the writer replies, “Look for everything,” say, “I can’t read for everything. Do you think I should focus on content, organization, sentence structure, grammar and mechanics, or something else?” That narrows the focus of evaluation to a reasonable discussion.
Step Two: Agree on a Common Objective
When giving feedback, talk less about what’s right and wrong and more about what’s appropriate given the assignment or task. For example, if the assignment specifically requests textual support from journals and the writer has used magazines, a conversation on choosing sources appropriately would be valuable.
Give reader-type responses rather than expert judgments. Instead of saying, “You should move this sentence to the top because it’s your main idea,” say, “When I was reading this paragraph, I didn’t know where it was going until the last sentence, which I think is the main idea.” The second comment invites discussion and leaves the decision to move the sentence with the writer. Focus on just a few things. Correcting every error can overwhelm the writer and put you in the position of an editor not mentor.
Step Three: Remember Criticism Means Positive and Negative Judgment
Try to point out something positive about the writing, making your praise as detailed as your most comprehensive negative criticism. It is a myth that people either can write or can’t write. Competent writing can be learned and is a process of gradual improvement. Granted, a person who struggles with writing will not magically turn into a strong, proficient writer. However, he or she can make excellent steps toward becoming a better writer. Even professional writers rewrite, revise, and try to improve writing skills.
Step Four: Address Mentor’s Concern and Conclude Conversation
Now that the writer has had a chance to discuss his/her goal, you should choose another area to discuss that needs improvement. The typical hierarchy of writing revision is that once the content is sound, address organization; once that is logical, address sentence structure; and once sentences are well-written, address proofreading items such as grammar, mechanics, and punctuation. Conclude by asking what the writer will do next. That is a good check for understanding.
It can be challenging to be a writing mentor. Although you may be a more experienced writer than the person asking you to review, it is more useful to discuss than to rewrite the document for him/her. Following these steps will help to create better writers and encourage more critical conversations on writing.

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