Enhancing the Quality of Research Synopsis of International Students Through Peer Feedback: A Case Study

The role of peer feedback in academic writing has garnered increasing attention from educators and research supervisors in recent years. Nevertheless, limited information exists about the perceptions and experiences of international doctoral students concerning the learning outcomes derived from giving and receiving feedback on research synopsis writing. This case study employs a variety of data sources, including research synopsis drafts, written peer evaluations, and semistructured interviews, to explore how 11 junior and seven senior doctoral candidates at Chinese universities benefit from receiving and providing feedback on their peers' research synopses, respectively. Through the analysis of the interview data, four emergent themes related to student learning were generated through the exchange of peer feedback: (1) enhancing research synopsis writing awareness, (2) progressing in synopsis writing drafts, (3) improving research skills with peer feedback, and (4) fostering reflective and critical learning. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the potential educational opportunities that arise from exchanging peer evaluations in scholarly work.