Global vs Local Edits

When shifting my thinking of editing from local edits (spelling, punctuation, etc) to global edits (overall idea, organization, clarity, etc) I noticed my edits becoming much more meaningful. I felt as though the feedback I was providing my peers with could really be used to enhance the structure of their essay rather than the superficial appearance.

Editing spelling so early on in the revision process could be seen as a complete waste of time. More likely than not the sentences or even entire paragraphs that make up an initial free draft will be drastically different than the sentences and paragraphs in the formal final draft. While these local or nitpicky edits are important for a published piece of work to be free of errors, at this step in the process they unnecessary to point out.

Emphasis on the global edits is what should be focused on in peer review in the early stages of the writing process. Pointing out where ideas are confusing or how certain paragraphs or evidence (quotes) do not relate to the overall thesis is much more important and necessary. In the peer review completed for this class, our peers need to know how to create a coherent essay that makes sense to the general audience. Building the structure of a house is much more important than the decorations we choose to put in that house similarly to how the concepts discussed in an essay can be more important than fixing a misspelled word here and there.