An article critique is an unusual type of academic writing for most students. However, chances are you will have to work on similar assignments, analyzing scholarly works and summarizing them. Therefore, it is inevitable for you to know how to write an article critique that will be coherent, meaningful, and effective.
Flawless structure, formal language, and impeccable formatting are only a few requirements that should be met. If you have little to no idea on how to create an influential critique, keep reading the article. Basic guidelines, specific tips, and beneficial writing instruments will draw you close to the necessary results and will help you thrive with the assignment.
What is an article critique?
Do you need to write a critique paper? Chances are you have never heard of this type of academic assignment, so you have little idea of how to write a critique paper, format it, and structure it. Anyways, the struggle is real if you follow simple guidelines and writing tips. However, before you immerse into the writing process, you should deal with the definition. What is an article critique? What structure does it have? How many paragraphs should be included? By answering these questions, you will enhance your chances to deal with the project faster and achieve better results in a shorter while.
An article critique is a type of academic writing that requires the student to read an academic paper, analyze it and reflect upon it. The most important and complicated part is to stay unbiased, singling out the strong and weak sides of the article. In short, it is a critical analysis of the article that aims to prove or deny the efficiency and validity of the arguments presented in the text.
Critical thinking, excellent analytical skills, awareness of the topic, and a deep understanding of writing instruments can help students thrive with the assignment. At the same time, the student should analyze the information mentioned in the article and make reasonable conclusions about its relevance and efficiency.
Once you get the main idea of article critique writing and its specifications, you are ready to proceed to the next stage, working on the paper. Keep reading the article to detect effective tips and tricks that may contribute to your writing process and help you achieve the desired results much faster.
How to write an article critique: step-by-step guide to success
Writing an article critique is a comprehensive and challenging process that requires attention to detail, skills, and knowledge. If you have never worked on a similar project, you should start with simple guidelines on how to critique an article, read a few sample papers, find a coherent template and then proceed to the writing process. Are you ready to get started? Then, check out a few steps you should take to achieve the desired results.
Step 1 - Read the original paper
There is no way you analyze an article without reading and comprehending it. Therefore, no matter how long, tricky, and comprehensive the paper is, you should make maximum effort to analyze it. At the same time, it is critical to emphasize that simple reading or content scanning is not enough, as profound research is inevitable.
During this stage, you should make notes, highlight prominent aspects and notice certain insights that may be useful for your custom paper. Meditate on the main concerns and arguments of the writer so that you understand the key implications of the text. What are the elements to pay the most attention to?
- Research problem
- Hypothesis
- Methods and participants
- Findings
- Conclusions
You may sometimes need to read the article multiple times to succeed with this stage. Nonetheless, keep in mind that it is a fundamental step that will predetermine your further work on the paper.
Step 2 - Create an outline
Once you are done with the analysis of your paper, you can proceed to the paper outline. Arrange the key points you have noted into a comprehensive outline. Although you are not over with the evaluation process yet, the preliminary plan will guide you and help you pay more attention to important and fundamental aspects. Emphasize the critical elements of the articles, highlight the value of certain statements, and find contradictory elements for further analysis.
Step 3 - Question the key aspects of the author
At this point, it is vital to mention that an article critique is different than a trivial review or summary. Even though the writer’s task is not to persuade readers, the paper might contain some of its elements. To achieve the desired results, the student should focus on the general message of the article and decide whether it is relevant, intelligent, and meaningful. There is no way to come up with reasonable conclusions without a profound research. Although the analysis of the whole article may be time-consuming and overwhelming, there is always an opportunity to check the introduction and conclusion and make sure these aspects coordinate. Besides, the research methods, outcomes, discussion section, and other elements should be taken into account.
Step 4 - Find contradictions
Critical analysis is a core aspect of the article critique. The student should not only search for inconsistencies and mistakes in the paper but also pay attention to contradictions. In most cases, scientists are driven by the desire to prove certain aspects, so they ignore critical points that question their point of view. The writer’s task is to detect such instances and specify them in the critique.
Step 5 - Mind the structural and formatting requirements
Once you have analyzed the content of the original paper, you are ready to proceed to critique writing. Relevant and up-to-date information is not the only requirement of the academic paper. Instead, the student should pay due attention to the structure and format of the project. The introduction, summary, critique, and conclusion are the elements that should be included in the paper. Additionally, stay consistent using the citation style, which will contribute to the quality of the paper.
Step 6 - Proofread and edit the first draft
Finally, you can proceed to the article critique writing, which will comply with all the requirements and specifications. Once you are done with the first draft, you should take your time to proofread it and edit. Make sure the paper does not contain grammar, punctuation, style, or other mistakes that may question its relevance and efficiency.
How to critique a journal article: tips and tricks to use
Following the above-mentioned guidelines, you will know how to critique a journal article and other types of academic projects. However, if you are still unsure of your ability to create a meaningful academic paper, check out some extra tips that might be useful.
- Include the basic information about the journal article, its writer, title, volume, date, page, and other specifications.
- Mention the purpose of the writer, approaches and methods used in the article, as well as its conclusions.
- Discuss the main errors and inconsistencies you have detected.
- Check out if the author cited the pertinent literature.
- Suggest the elements that are under or overemphasized in the paper.
- Specify the the assumptions the author has made in the article but did not reveal.
In fact, the journal article critique features the same purpose and specifications as another academic paper critique, so impeccable structure, meaningful statements and flawless formatting are a must.
How to critique a research article: guidelines to mind
When it comes to the guidelines on how to critique a research article, it is indispensable to start with the basic recommendations. Besides, there are a few extra elements to pay attention to, working on the project.
- State your perspective on the topic of the research article.
- Provide a new point of view.
- Analyze the information presented in the research article, emphasizing its strengths and weaknesses.
- Consider the writer’s motivation to do research.
- Analyze the writer’s approach to the subject.
- Pay due attention to the structure and formatting of the assignment that may matter.
Article critique format: samples and templates to use
When it comes to writing a critique paper, lots of students get confused about the structure, formatting, and other elements of the assignment. At this point, it is inevitable to mention that the key elements of a critical essay are the summary, analysis of the original paper, and its evaluation. However, all these elements should be incorporated into the academic form that will meet college requirements.
If you are still unsure of how to critique an article, here are the fundamental parts you should include.
- Introduction. The introductory part is the most interesting and relevant one, as it should get the attention of the readers and make them interested in further findings. Provide the audience with a quick review of the article you critique. Stat your perspectives on the work, including them in the thesis statement. Make sure you do not include too many details in the first paragraph.
- Body. This is the biggest part of the critical paper that will be divided into a few passages. It is part of the writing where you need to prove your point of you and provide the audience with meaningful statements that will support your ideas. Make sure that relevant and concrete information is mentioned in the body part. Discuss the article using the third-person narration. Do not confuse details, opinions, and facts. Keep in mind that the main task of the article critique is to understand a certain paper better rather than simply criticize it.
- Conclusion. This is part of critique writing, where you should highlight the relevance of your thesis statement and primary opinion about the article. Do not include new information here, but rather focus on the aspects that have already been mentioned in the text.
Following the structure-related tips, you will enhance your chances to create an influential and consistent paper worth appreciation. Additionally, reading an article critique example may be a good idea for those who still doubt their writing skills and awareness of the critique structure.
Article critique template:
1. Introduction
- Start with the information about the original paper.
- Mention the argument of the paper under analysis.
- State the thesis.
2. Summary
- Give a brief summary of the analyzed article
3. Main body
- Divide this part into paragraphs, each analyzing a specific aspect of the paper
- Make sure each passage confirms the thesis
- Start every paragraph with a topic sentence
4. Conclusion
- Reiterate the thesis statement
- Make the final judgment on the efficiency of the academic writing
- Sum up your key points
The components of an influential article critique: mistakes to avoid
If you feel confident about the research article critique writing, you should take a quick look at the following objectives of the work and make sure your project complies with the requirements.
- The article critique investigates and analyzes the primary concerns, not summarizes them.
- The writer gives personal perspectives and impressions on the article, combined with the proofs to back them up.
- The purpose and background of the article should not only be identified but also explained.
- The attention should be focused on the issues the article raises.
The absence of instructions, little awareness of the paper type, no writing skills, and a few other issues may result in constant failures to thrive with critique paper writing. Instead of creating a comprehensive and well-structured paper, lots of students simply come up with a simple summary of the article. Beware of inevitable mistakes that can affect the quality of your writing and result in low-quality and irrelevant papers.
- Using negative critique only.
- Including too much background information.
- Ignoring the core argument.
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