Students are often asked to write an article review to show their logical evaluation of another writer`s article. In this way teachers introduce students to the valuable works of experts in a field. It is essential to understand the main arguments, themes, implications, and ideas of the article in order to write an accurate summary. Article reviews teach about the main specialists working in a field, ideas of where research might go next or recent discoveries and advances. Let`s find out what guidelines for writing an effective article review are.
Preparation for writing an article review
- First of all, you should find out what an article review is. Remember that it is written for people who are knowledgeable enough in the subject, so you should not only summarize the major points of the article, but create your own constructive critique and response. You have to evaluate the article`s main contributions to the science. Your logical and thoughtful way of thinking is very important on this stage. Consider the organization of your article review. Summarize the most essential information and discuss the positive aspects of the article.
- Preview the main parts of the article to identify the writer`s key points. Make a list of concepts and terms you don`t understand and find out what they exactly mean. Make sure that you understand clearly what this article is about and what its main aspects are. Read the article closely and highlight the central facts and points. It will make your further writing much easier. You should always remember that it is a huge mistake to highlight every paragraph.
- It is a good idea to write an outline of your evaluation. Put the article into your own words. Do not waste time on paraphrasing. Just write in an accurate and logical way to check your understanding of the content. Eliminate unnecessary items and focus on the pivotal aspects. Write a list of the article`s weaknesses and strengths.
Tips for structured writing
- Come up with a title that could catch your audience`s attention and show the main idea of the reviewed article.
- Cite the article in the proper style.
- Identify the article you are going to review.
- Write the introduction which mentions the major themes, ideas, and arguments of the article. Do not forget to state the author`s thesis.
- Express the main information of the article in your own words. Acquaint readers with its main points and findings. Do not cover the basic facts and statistics. Capture the most crucial ideas. You can use direct quotes from the author.
- Your critique is the most important part of the article review. Express your opinion about the article. Write whether the subject was explained clearly. Evaluate the article`s importance, significance, relevance, and contribution. Write whether you agree with the writer`s opinions and conclusions. Support your critique from the article or some other research sources.
- In a conclusion paragraph, summarize the main ideas of the article and comment on its accuracy, clarity, and significance. Write about the relevance and validity of the results of the article review.
Proofreading process
Examine your article review carefully like it’s your homework writing in order to find and correct all possible typographical errors and mistakes in spelling, style, and grammar. Cut any unneeded information. It is very useful to check for punctuation errors and spelling mistakes separately. Proofread out loud. Read each word slowly. Do not make any corrections at the word and sentence level if you still need to work on the organization of the whole article review. It would be perfect if you could ask somebody who knows how to edit and proofread to help you check your text and make adjustments.
