Write an Article Review

How to Write an Article Review – Comprehensive Guide and Tips

 2019 Jun 26  Writing Tips

What is an article review?

Article reviews are common assignments that are aimed to introduce students to some important works in their field. You will need to summarize and evaluate works written by professionals so you have to understand key points and be able to analyze arguments accurately. To evaluate some work, you need to get a grasp on the general theme, understand the influence of this work on further research of the subject and evaluate the arguments aimed to sustain the statements.

The importance of an article review

• It is needed to light up questions
• The writer can see other people’s views and thoughts on the raised issues
• The writer gets the motivation to work better as he faces with different critical feedback
• It can help the writer to correct indescribable terms used in his article, to improve grammar

The structure of an article review

1. Title page
2. Title
3. Your first and last name + date
4. Summary
5. Introduction
6. Body
7. Conclusion
8. A list of used sources

In the summary note all review questions, your observations and all the conclusions of your research. In the introduction, you have to write the theme of the study. It has to reveal what the article contains. You need to determine the order in which every subtopic will be explained. Such an approach helps your readers to understand the purpose of an article and your review on it. In the body of a review you have to discuss all subtopics determined by you for discovering. In the conclusion, you are welcome to rationalize what is the purpose of your review. Finally, make a list of sources that were used by you.

What should you do in order to write a good article review?

1. Preparation for writing an article review

First of all, you have to understand what your review will be about. Article reviews suppose writing for a definite audience that is familiar with the outlined subject. The main purpose of your paper is to sum up the main ideas, findings so that you can estimate what contribution the author of the article made. Your aim is to help the audience to conceive the intentions of the author and understand why he or she could make mistakes.

Remember, that article reviews are not just about your opinion. Your aim is to analyze a serious source, so you need to support your opinions with facts, examples, your own findings based on scientific literature. Be righteous, always sustain your censorious remarks with evidence. At the same time don’t forget that your article review is just a response to somebody else’s work, not a new research.

1. Chose an approach

Interesting, that you start to review at the stage of preparation. You have to understand what are you going to look for while reading an article. For example, you can look for some incredible thoughts, methods, suggestions. At the same time, the review requires information about possible weaknesses. So, pay attention to:

• Positive aspects (Fabulous and rare observations)
• Downsides (You are welcome to note whether a theme was fully considered or there is a need for additional research. You should write in your review about weaknesses and limitations.)

1. Evaluate the article

Read the article until you can retail it in detail. Now pay attention to the list of the most important questions that you wrote when preparing for work, and emphasize all the necessary information. Excerpt only valuable parts of the text that have a connection with the proposed questions. You have to use only the information that is useful for the readers of your review. Make sure that you found the knowledge that can confirm your views. Look at the terms that are unknown to you. You have to find out their meanings so you can freely get the message of the article. Avoid highlighting every second sentence, your target is to filter the content. Start writing a plan for your review.

Read your summary and decide whether the author was precise and scrupulous. Here you should note which unique methods the writer used, which deep thoughts found and which useful tasks made. Your aim is to highlight the most eloquent parts of the article, and your key argument for it has to reveal an abysmal sense.

1. Make an article review

Use the notes from your plan to write about the benefits of the author’s article and note which questions require improvement. Evaluate the contribution of the author’s work to the field and support your critique with evidence.

1. Editing

Every writing work requires proofreading. Don’t do it as soon as you finish your review, drink a cup of tea or have a nap – you can’t be tired while proofreading as it will have no sense. Your friends or members of your family can help you with proofreading. If you have doubts there are many services on the Internet where you can get help. Make sure that you have discussed in your review the questions noticed in the article.

Follow these simple steps during the process of writing an article review. You can find some examples of it on the Internet. Never give up! Well, we must live and learn