WHAT IS PEER REVIEW?

Peer review is a staff development process that is widely used in training and other professional contexts. The basic idea is that the person who is concerned about some aspect of their own work invites a colleague to review the quality of what he or she is doing. In practice we are doing this all the time. It is very common for someone to say - 'Do you have a little time to tell me what you think of this?'; or to ask - 'Has anyone thought of a better way of doing .....(whatever)?'

When an individual chooses to formalise this process, strategies must be implemented so that maximum benefit is gained. The usual framework is for the two individuals concerned to sit down together and discuss what the reviewee is interested in receiving collegial feedback about. The person who has asked for the review explains what they are doing, and what they would like their 'critical friend' to look for. The critical friend asks any questions that may be required for clarification. The next step is for the critical friend to 'observe' whatever her colleague wants her to review. This may be a 'live' event such as a class or a client interaction, or it may be a recording of such an event, or perhaps a package of some kind. It is very important that the person being reviewed also takes the time to critique or reflect on the event herself.

After the observation, the two get together again, preferably in a comfortable, informal environment, perhaps over coffee. The person being reviewed begins the process by explaining her own observation and reflections, basically engaging in a self-critique. This then provides a basis for her colleague to communicate the perceptions she has noted. The two should discuss their views and finally, the person being reviewed should determine what action she should take to improve her work.

 ACTION LEARNING CYCLE

[Zuber Skerritt, Ortrun (1991)Professional Development in

Higher Education, CALT, Griffith University, Brisbane.]
 

As you can see from the above description, the peer review process allows us to enter the Action Learning, or Action Research Cycle which is displayed opposite. This cycle is becoming an increasingly popular staff development tool in all kinds of organisations, including libraries. The reason for its popularity is that it allows staff-development to occur in powerful ways 'on-the-job'.

It also ensures that people who are doing the work continue to adapt to change and share their learning with others without spending lots of time in formal training contexts. This means that what they are learning is automatically becoming part of their working life. Essentially this is a model that encourages people to walk the path of life-long learning and transforms the organisations in which they work into learning organisations.

So the message is that small beginning made with the peer-review process can lead to significant change in how things happen. The most important point is that the process draws on the natural ways in which people work, formalising them so that maximum benefit is gained.
 
 

PEER REVIEW IN GROUPS

Although peer review is usually conducted as a process between two individuals who mutually agree to participate, the process can also occur within groups. It only requires a little modification so that the person(s) being reviewed work(s) with a group of colleagues rather than just one person.
 
 
 
 

PRINCIPLES OF PEER REVIEW
 
 

The person being reviewed must agree to participating in the process. Ideally the person being reviewed should initiate the process, but this is not always what happens in a group context.

 

The process of peer review should be interesting, supportive and mutually rewarding.

 

The object of review is a person's observable behaviour or output.

 

What is to be reviewed, that is the questions to be asked about the observable behaviour, should be determined by the people participating in the review.

 

Only peers should participate, that is people who are not in a line-management relationship.

 

The processes of peer review should be grounded in critical thinking and reflection.

 

Individual outcomes of the review are know only to the peers and should remain confidential. If a group report is produced for management or research purposes individual identities should be protected.

 

The final outcome of the process should be decisions by the participants about action to be taken to ensure improvements.

 
 
 

 PURPOSES OF PEER REVIEW
 
 

GENERAL AIM: TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF PARTICIPANTS.

GENERAL GOALS:
 

    TO AFFIRM STRENGTHS OF INDIVIDUALS (AND THE TEAM);

    TO DIAGNOSE WEAKNESSES;

    TO PROVIDE A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT WITHIN WHICH TO DETERMINE POSSIBLEIMPROVEMENTS;

    TO PROVIDE A CONTEXT WITHIN WHICH TO PROMOTE REFLECTIVE PRACTICE.

 
SPECIFIC PURPOSES:

            THE TEAM/INDIVIDUALS MAY LIKE TO DETERMINE PURPOSES / OBJECTIVES FORSOME PARTICULAR REVIEW.
 
 
 
 
 

RULES FOR THE PEER REVIEW PROCESS

DO'S

• Listen carefully to what is being said by all parties and ask for clarification if necessary.

• Ensure that the people being reviewed have the first and last opportunity to speak during the review session.

• Always begin the process by looking at positive features of the object of review.

• Be careful about how you phrase criticism of the person being reviewed. It is not hard to hurt people's feelings. Use phrases like "I would have done X...", "Why did you do Z....?", "I wonder what would have happened if...?", "Would you consider Y?".

• Feel free to brainstorm - that is throw in ideas and don't criticise ideas!
DON'TS
• Individuals in a line management relationship should not act as peers.

• Reports to management on the outcomes of the process should not allow individuals to be identifiable.

• Refrain from talking about details of the review process to colleagues who were not involved. [But do talk to them in general terms about the value of the process and the type of outcomes that are possible]

 
 
 
 

PLANNING FOR PEER REVIEW
 
 

To gain as much as you can from any peer review session you need to spend time thinking about what you have been doing in the area under review, and reflect on what you consider to be your strengths and weaknesses. The following is intended as a guide to help you reflect. Use the questions as prompts, modify them if that is appropriate, or invent new ones.

STEP ONE:   Spend a little while thinking about how you approached the task being reviewed. Is your approach driven by a particular philosophy? How
                     would you explain it to others? Who or what influenced you in developing this perspective?

STEP TWO:   Try to recall other occasions on which you have done similar tasks to the one being reviewed. What happened? What do you remember about
                      the interaction(s)? What did you do? Why? etc.

STEP THREE:  Now think about the event that is going to be reviewed:

 

• What are your objectives for the event?

• Do you have any special hopes or fears? Are you trying anything new?

• What do you think will go well?

• What do you expect problem areas to be?

• What would you like your peers to specially notice and comment on about what you do?

• Other......

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

ENGAGING IN PEER REVIEW
 

The following are recommended steps for using during the group meeting. These steps presuppose that individuals have all implemented the first phase: Planning for Peer Review. Plenty of time should be allocated for the discussion.