Skip to content. | Skip to navigation
Log in | find out more or join now.
- Site Map |
- Help |
- Accessibility |
- Contact
Supporting Developing Country Researchers in Publishing Their Work
Skip to content. | Skip to navigation
Log in | find out more or join now.
Supporting Developing Country Researchers in Publishing Their Work
By Barbara Gastel, 03 February 2012
By Ravi Murugesan, 01 February 2012
This is the announcement for the first set of small grants in 2012. Read More…
By Bernard Appiah, 31 January 2012
By Barbara Gastel, 29 January 2012
By Barbara Gastel, 27 January 2012
By Barbara Gastel | 29 August 2010
Greetings again. I hope you’ve had a good week.
I’ve been doing some back-to-school shopping. Earlier this week I bought a new book on a subject I’m teaching. Today I bought new issues of science magazines to use as examples in classes. And last week I bought some green pens.
Green pens? Why green pens?
When grading students’ writing, I like to write comments in green ink. Red ink sometimes seems harsh and angry, at least to American students. Black ink or blue ink may not show up enough. Green ink tends to be easy to see—and, at least to American eyes, it seems positive and constructive.
Even when giving word-processed feedback—for example, writing comments in Track Changes—I try to “grade in green ink”. In other words, I try to word my suggestions in a kind and helpful way.
I also try to use such an approach as a peer reviewer. Although I generally submit my comments through an online system, I like to “write them in green pen”. Authors work hard on their papers and deserve my respect. And if I offer suggestions gently, authors might be more likely to accept them.
A few years ago, one of my graduate students accepted a teaching job. He told me that in preparation for the first day of class, he bought a box of green pens. I hope that whatever kind of work they are doing, many of my former students are “using green pens”.
Wishing you a good week— Barbara
Posted by Kamani Perera at 31 August 2010 06:58 AM
Thanks Barbara. It is great information to show author's errors constructively. Green pen gives us inspirations.
(Ever) Green pen forever
Posted by Prof Gunasingham Mikunthan at 30 August 2010 04:33 AM
Dear Barbara,
Glad to hear about Green Pen. Indeed I am so impressed on using Green pen, often we use it in agriculture to look at the green environment. I do agree that using green ink in correcting the reports, dissertations and research papers gives passionate to understand the errors inside rather finding it as a MISTAKE.
Thank you so much for such information
Mikunthan