Add comments using the Discussions pane

As a reviewer, you can add comments about an entire review by opening the Collaboration panel and using the Discussion pane. This is useful when your comment isn't about one specific component in the review.

Tips and tricks

  • The Collaboration panel is automatically opened for you.
  • All comments and replies are shown by default.
  • It is always available in a review regardless of component type or user permissions.
  • You can hide it using the collapse button.
  • If you want to start a discussion about a specific component instead of adding comments directly in the text, follow the steps in Add comments using the Component Discussions pane.
  • You can only edit and delete messages that you post in the Discussions pane.
  • If you are the review coordinator or the reviewer who started the thread, you can delete it if there are no replies. If there are replies, you must delete all of your replies and have the other users delete their own replies before you can delete the thread.

Before you begin

  • In the Reviewing state,
    • Reviewers can add, edit, and delete their own comments and replies in the Collaboration panel until all users have completed their review or the review is cancelled.
    • Review coordinators cannot edit or delete other reviewer's comments. This can only be done in the Resolving state.
  • When the review is in the Resolving state:
    • Users who are not the review coordinator or an administrator can open the Collaboration panel, but the following panes are greyed out and not available: Component Discussions, and Discussions (for the entire review.
    • Only the review coordinator or administrator can edit or delete messages in the Component Discussions and Discussions (for the entire review) panes.
    • No new discussions can be saved by any type of user
    • If you are working with Component Discussions, the Create button is enabled but is not currently working.
    • If you are working with the Discussion pane, after clicking Create and entering some text, you see the following warning: "Discussions can only be created during the review phase."

To use the Discussions pane:

  1. In the email notification, to open a dashboard and manage your review assignment, click the review link.
  2. The Collaboration panel is automatically opened for you. If it has been hidden, go to the right side of the screen and open the Collaboration panel by clicking the Open arrow.

  3. To add a comment, on the Discussions pane, click the + Create button
  4. On the Create Discussion form, do the following:
    1. In Subject, enter a brief title for your discussion thread using up to 50 characters.
    2. In Message, enter your text using up to 2000 characters . You can use the text formatting options if necessary.
    3. Click Create.
    Your thread is listed in the Discussions pane.

  5. To reply to a discussion thread, select the thread, and then click the Reply (arrow) icon .
    1. In Message, enter your text. You can use the text formatting options if necessary.
    2. Click Create.
  6. To edit your message in a thread, select the thread, and then click the Edit (pencil) icon .
    1. In Subject, edit the brief title for your discussion thread.
    2. In Message, edit your text. You can use the text formatting options if necessary.
    3. Click Update.
  7. To delete a message that you posted in the thread, select the thread, and then click the Delete icon .
    If you're trying to delete the first message in a thread and there are replies, you see the following error:

    You must delete all of your replies and have the other users delete their own replies before you can delete the thread.

  8. To delete an entire thread: it must have no replies. You can delete a comment in the following ways:
    • If the thread has replies, delete those first.
    • To delete a thread with no replies, click the Delete icon .