How can you create a writing feedback system that works?

1 Identify your purpose

Before you ask for feedback, you need to know why you are writing and what you want to achieve. Your purpose will guide your choice of feedback sources, criteria, and methods. For example, if you are writing a blog post to share your insights, you might want feedback from your target audience, focusing on clarity, engagement, and value. If you are writing a research paper to publish in a journal, you might want feedback from your peers, focusing on accuracy, originality, and rigor.

2 Choose your sources

Depending on your purpose, you can seek feedback from different sources, such as yourself, your peers, your mentors, your clients, or your readers. Each source has its advantages and disadvantages, so you need to balance them according to your goals and resources. For example, self-feedback can help you develop your critical thinking and editing skills, but it can also be biased and limited. Peer feedback can provide diverse perspectives and constructive criticism, but it can also be inconsistent and unreliable. Mentor feedback can offer expert guidance and support, but it can also be intimidating and demanding.

3 Define your criteria

Once you have your sources, you need to decide what aspects of your writing you want feedback on. Your criteria should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely (SMART). For example, instead of asking for general feedback on your style, you can ask for specific feedback on your tone, voice, word choice, sentence structure, and transitions. Instead of asking for vague feedback on your content, you can ask for measurable feedback on your thesis, arguments, evidence, and conclusion.

4 Select your methods

Now that you have your criteria, you need to choose how to collect and deliver feedback. Your methods should be appropriate, effective, and efficient for your purpose and sources. For example, you can use online tools, such as Google Docs or Grammarly, to track and comment on your writing. You can use rubrics, checklists, or scales to rate and compare your writing. You can use surveys, polls, or interviews to gather and analyze feedback. You can use email, chat, or video call to communicate and discuss feedback.

5 Apply your feedback

After you receive feedback, you need to review it carefully and decide how to use it to improve your writing. You should not accept or reject feedback blindly, but rather evaluate it critically and selectively. For example, you can sort feedback into categories, such as positive, negative, or neutral; relevant, irrelevant, or partially relevant; actionable, non-actionable, or conditional. You can prioritize feedback according to its importance, urgency, and feasibility. You can plan and implement feedback according to your purpose, criteria, and methods.

6 Assess your system

Finally, you need to monitor and measure the results of your feedback system. You should not only focus on the outcomes of your writing, such as grades, views, or likes, but also on the process of your writing, such as skills, habits, or confidence. For example, you can use self-reflection, peer review, or mentor evaluation to assess your progress and performance. You can use feedback logs, journals, or portfolios to document and showcase your improvement. You can use feedback loops, cycles, or spirals to revise and refine your feedback system.