Collaboration and peer reviews

Collaboration and Peer Reviews Collaborating on a project requires team members to work together towards one common goal or objective. Some people like to participate in group work, while others prefer to work alone. There are many advantages to working together on a group project. First of all, because more than one person is involved, a wider range of ideas can be put forward. Each team member will have their own personal views about how to complete a project, so if each person can share their thoughts with the group, a much better method can be come up with. The group can take the plus points out of a number of people’s opinions to form one way of getting the job done. Also, a project can be completed much faster when collaborating because each team member can focus just on what they are good at. Working as an individual requires someone to be involved in every role; group work means that each person can specialize. On the other hand, collaboration on a project means that some people may slack off because they think that others will do the work for them. Some people are just naturally lazy, so being part of a group allows them to receive a grade that they don’t deserve. Another disadvantage to working as a group is that there can be disagreements among group members. A famous saying that shows this is “ too many cooks spoil the broth.” The same can sometimes be true in collaborating on a project—everyone thinks that they know what is best for the group and they try to impose their views on others. No one is willing to compromise and, as a result, the project turns out to be a disaster.
By reviewing my peers’ writing, I have been able to get different views on how to write a paper. Everyone has a different style when it comes to writing, so to learn from someone else’s style can benefit my own writing. Of course, some of my peers’ writing may not be up to scratch; this is where I can offer advice and hopefully improve their writing ability. In doing this, I can think through the thought processes that go into writing and I can adapt my style so that I am a better writer in the long term.
The good thing about getting my papers reviewed by my peers is that hopefully they will pick up on something that I may have missed. Because they have attended most of the classes with me, they have been taught the same writing principles that I have. Sometimes, another person can catch something that I haven’t because they are reading it with fresh eyes. A negative to having my peers review my papers is that they perhaps do not have a writing ability that is equal to mine. In this case, they can offer very little to me, and in fact may even point me in the wrong direction. Thought they may have the best intentions, their reviewing ability may not contribute anything to my paper at all.