A critique of an article is the objective analysis of a literary or scientific piece, with
emphasis on whether or not the author supported the main points with reasonable
and applicable arguments based on facts. It's easy to get caught up in simply
summarizing the points of an article without truly analyzing and challenging it. A
good critique demonstrates your impressions of the article, while providing ample
evidence to back up your impressions. As the critic, take time to read carefully and
thoughtfully, prepare your arguments and evidence, and write clearly and cogently.
1 Read through the article once to get the main idea.
The first time you read through an article, you should simply try to understand the
overall argument that the author is making. Note the author's thesis.
2 Mark up the text as you read through it again.
It is sometimes helpful to use a red pen to make your markings stand out. Ask
yourself questions like these as you read through a second time:[2]
What is the author's thesis/argument?
What is the author's purpose in arguing said thesis?
Who is the intended audience? Does the article effectively reach this audience?
Does the author have ample and valid evidence?
Are there any holes in the author's argument?
Did the author misrepresent evidence or add bias to evidence?
Does the author reach a conclusive point?
3 Create a legend for your markings.
Create a unique symbol to differentiate between parts of the text that might be
confusing, important, or inconsistent.
For example, you could underline important passages, circle confusing ones, and
star inconsistencies.
Creating a legend with assigned symbols allows you to quickly mark up an article.
Though it may take a little bit of time to recognize your own symbols, they will
quickly become ingrained in your mind and allow you to breeze through an article
much quicker than without a symbol legend.
4 Take some longer notes during subsequent readings.
In addition to a legend, it is helpful to take notes when expanded thoughts come to
you as you read. For instance, if you realize that an author's claim can be refuted
by noting a scientific study that you previously read, make a note of it in the
margins, on a separate piece of paper, or on a computer so that you can come back
to your idea.[3]
Don't be foolish enough to think that you will remember your idea when it comes
time to write your critique.
Spend the necessary time writing down your observations as you read. You will be
glad you did when it comes time to put your observations into a complete
analytical paper.
5 Develop a preliminary concept for your critique. Form a vague opinion of the
piece in question. Evaluate the author's overall argument after you have read the
article through two or three times. Record your initial reactions to the text.[4]
Make a list of possible sources of evidence for your critique. Jog your memory for
any literature you've read or documentaries you've seen that might be useful for
evaluating the article.
What’s an Article Critique and How to Write It
What Is an Article Critique Assignment?
An article critique, also known as a response paper, is a formal evaluation of a
journal article or another type of literary or scientific content. Your main goal is to
show whether or not the author provided reasonable arguments and facts for their
main points.
How to Write an Article Critique
Although the concept is fairly simple, many students still end up wondering:
“What is a research article critique?” After the initial explanation, the professor
doesn’t provide many additional instructions. So you simply assume that you’ll
need to read a research article and then discuss it from a critical point of view. That
assumption is correct. However, the article critique is a much more complex
challenge than most students expect.
Before we get any further, allow us to explain what a good article critique should
deliver:
Instead of simply summarizing the main points of the article, you must critique
them. This is where most students make a mistake; they offer a mere summary of
the research article they read. Journal articles already have summaries. Your
professor doesn’t want to get that. They want your unique opinion and discussion.
You should provide not only your impressions of the article, but evidence that
backs them up as well.
In addition to identifying the main idea of the article, you should also clarify its
background and purpose.
Most of all, you’ll focus on the issues this article raises, as well as the ones it
avoids.
Now that we elaborated on that definition, let’s get to the main point: how to
critique an article. We’ll give you specific steps to follow, so you’ll complete this
paper with success.
Step 1: Active Reading
You cannot critique a research article before you read and understand it. These
journal articles can be quite lengthy, and they often involve terms you don’t
understand. That’s why simple reading won’t be enough. You’ll have to engage in
active and close reading, accompanied with some research, so you can define and
understand the terms that are new to you.
During this process, you will observe facts and details about the text. You will
identify the main point of the author, as well as the arguments they used to support
that point.
This means that you’ll definitely need a marker, as well as a note-taking app. If
you prefer taking notes the old-fashion way, get a notebook and start writing as
you read.
Make sure to identify these main aspects of the research as you read through the
article:
Research problem and research goal
Hypothesis
Research methods
Participants in the research
Variables
Main findings
Conclusions
You’ll probably need to read the article several times before you’re done with this
stage. You’ll discover new layers with each reading, and new ideas on how to
critique will come to your mind. Take notes of those ideas, too.
Speaking of notes, don’t make them brief. Maybe you think that a brief note
expresses your entire idea, but it doesn’t. Remember: this is a complex type of
academic paper. You’re analyzing an advanced text, so it’s easy to forget some of
your ideas when the time to write comes. Yes; it will take more time for you to
read and take notes of your observations. However, you’ll minimize the obstacles
during the writing process if you’re willing to make this effort.
Step 2: Develop a Preliminary Outline
Now that you have thorough understanding of the article and you took plenty of
notes, it’s time to organize them into a preliminary outline. Why is this a
preliminary outline? – Because you’re still not done with the process of critique. In
this outline, you’ll just plan how you’ll discuss the main points of the article.
Step 3: Question the Author’s Main Points
This is the first thing the professor will wonder when they start reading your
critique: “Did this student understand the difference between a summary and an
analysis? The article critique is not a summary; it’s an analysis from a critical point
of view. Although your main purpose is not persuasion, you still have to develop a
convincing discussion.
To achieve that, you must wonder whether or not the writer’s overall message is
logical. This goal will demand additional research. You hardly have the entire base
of knowledge needed for analyzing a researcher’s work. Thus, you’ll have to
search for similar examples and compare this article’s hypothesis with them.
You can check the logic of the message in an easy way: compare the introduction
and the conclusion. Do the elements of these two sections match?
In addition to the main message and the logic of the article, you’ll question other
aspects, too:
The research methods
The results
The discussion
The stylistic elements
Yes; even the stylistic elements are important. If the author’s style is
incomprehensive, you may use that argument as an element of your critique.
When you’re questioning the main elements and points of the article, remember:
you’re not obliged to write a negative critique. The critique can be positive as well.
If you agree with all points, you’ll write a positive critique. If you don’t agree,
you’ll write your remarks. If you’re somewhere in between (that’s the usual
approach of article critiques), you’ll emphasize both the positive and negative
elements of the article. In any case, you must use strong arguments to support your
points.
Step 4: Identify Contradictions
Throughout the reading, maybe you identified some contradictions in the article.
Researchers, whether intentionally or unintentionally, can be biased. Thus, they
may ignore contrary evidence or even misinterpret it, so they will turn it to their
advantage.
This bias can come from prejudices. An architect with traditional education, for
example, has prejudices towards feng shui, and they will ignore some evidence that
might prove the benefits of that method. A medical expert will have prejudices
towards Chinese medicine. You get the point.
Note any biases, and you’ll find the contradictions. Whenever the author mentions
another author’s work, check out that source. Yes; it will require more reading, but
it will help you identify the weak points in the article, so you’ll be able to critique
it.
If the author cited untrustworthy evidence, you may add that point in your critique.
Step 5: Write It!
You’ll have plenty of notes by this stage. Don’t worry; that’s a good thing. All you
need to do is organize them in a clear outline, so you’ll know what logical
progression to follow as you discuss the article. Once you’re ready, you may start
with the writing process.
Disclose Your Main Argument in the Introduction
It’s not that hard to start writing the introduction. You should provide the title of
the article you’re critiquing, its author’s name, the journal where it was published,
and the publication date. Then, you’ll make a statement about the focus of this
research article. It has a thesis statement, right? Include it in the introduction.
Most types of academic papers contain a thesis statement in the introduction. In the
article critique, the introduction should also outline your main argument. Disclose
your main points of critique in this statement, so it will give the reader an idea of
what they are about to read.
Write the Body Paragraphs
Now, the time for a real critique starts. Each one of the body paragraphs should
expand on a new point of the article. Since this is not a 5-paragraph essay (the
article critique will be much longer!), you may use subheadings for these sections.
If you’re writing a brief article critique, you don’t have to do that.
Each paragraph of the body should start with a topic sentence, which you’ll
develop further in the paragraph. Make sure there’s a logical connection between
these parts of the paper.
Summarize Your Arguments
In the conclusion, you’ll summarize your critique and you’ll suggest its potential
implications. You may recommend further research, which will shed new light on
the issue and will improve the work of the writer you just critiqued.
Step 6: Revise!
Do not skip this step! Don’t even think about it. The article critique is a serious
project, which should showcase your capacity of critical thinking and
argumentation. If you fail to revise it, even the slightest flaw will ruin the
impression for the reader.
During this process, pay attention to the citations. Did you reference all sources
properly? Proofread the bibliography, too! If you don’t know how to format it,
make sure to follow the rules of article critique APA formatting style.
Conclusion
This is not a simple project. In fact, the article critique may be one of the most
complex academic writing challenges for students. However, it’s also very
important. It teaches you how to use the work of another writer without being
completely convinced in their point of view. It teaches you how to question and
check their arguments.
You’re developing the skill of critical thinking, which is extremely important for
your progress in any career. So pay attention to this assignment; the results are well
worth the effort.
WHAT IS A CRITIQUE?
To start us off, it is important for us to ask ourselves, “What is a critique?” Article
critiques can be referred to as objective types of analysis of scientific or literary
pieces. In these analyses, there is usually some emphasis that is laid on whether the
writer supports the article`s main points or not. It is important to note that this
emphasis is done based on relevant and reasonable arguments that are founded on
facts.
At times, there is a tendency for people to become derailed and find them merely
making summary points of articles without challenging and analyzing them. This is
something that should be done away with because you will not have answered the
question of, “What is a critique?” A valid critique essay is meant to demonstrate a
person’s impression of a particular article. This should be done while concurrently
providing enough evidence to reinforce these impressions.
When you are taking the position of a critic, you should take your time to
scrutinize and read through the article and article review example thoughtfully and
carefully. Once you have done this, you should then move to preparing your
evidence and arguments cogently and vividly.
READING ACTIVELY
1) Read the Article at Least Once to Get Its Main Idea
You should ensure that the first time you go through an article and an article
critique example, the overall argument which is being relayed by the author should
get inscribed in your mind. It is also essential to make sure that you pay keen
interest to the article`s thesis because this is the backbone of the answer to the
question of “how to write an article critique.”
2) Re-read the Article as You Mark It Up
Take some time to reread the article, but this time; make sure you use tools such as
a highlighter or even a red pen to create conspicuous markings. For you to perform
this task efficiently, you could read through the article while asking yourself
questions such as:
What is this article`s target audience?
What argument is the author trying to bring to light?
What purpose does the author have in arguing such a thesis?
Is it possible to find blank spaces in the author`s argument?
3) Create Legends for the Markings That You Make
Creating legends for your markings entails coming up with unique symbols that
enable you to tell the difference between the parts of the article that you have
found inconsistent, confusing or essential. A good example is the use of circles to
indicate obscure passages, stars to show inconsistencies and underlining to show
essential passages. These are some of the skills that will set you apart from your
contemporaries when you`re learning how to critique a research article.
4) Come Up With Preliminary Concepts for Your Critique
Always ensure that you craft a rough opinion of the article that you have at hand.
Scrutinize the overall arguments that the author relays after reading the article
around three or four times and record your reactions in the text.
After you have done this, come up with a list of the possible evidence sources that
you will use in your critique. Try to recall any piece of literature that you might
have read, perused through or even documentaries that you think are relevant in
assisting you to evaluate the article review example.
HOW TO CRITIQUE AN ARTICLE: GATHERING EVIDENCE
Question If The Writer`s General Message Is Reasonable
Make sure that you test the author`s hypothesis and go a step further to compare it
with similar examples. While doing this, analyze the writer`s main message to find
its application in the real world and practicality regardless of whether the author
has done in-depth research as well as quoted highly-esteemed experts. In addition
to this, examine the article`s conclusion and introduction so as to ensure that they
can pass off as convincing, corresponding elements.
Search through the Article to Check for Biases
In case the author has something to profit from the various conclusions and points
that are depicted in the piece, then there is a possibility of bias being demonstrated.
The leading indicators of bias include the ignoring of contrary evidence and
misappropriating evidence, and are the biggest enemy to a writer that is learning
how to critique a research article. All these things are done by authors in a bid to
make their conclusions to come off different from the way they are, while also
imparting their own foundation-less opinions in the article.
It is important to note that bias can be derived from a narrow point of view. Be
keen to flesh out preferences that are linked to gender, race, politics, class, and
ethnicity, and you’ll have begun your journey into mastering how to critique an
article.
You Shouldn`t Ignore Stylistic Elements
The article`s content is highly likely to be the most vital aspect of your literary
critique, but take care not to overlook the literary and formal techniques which are
used by the author. Pay keen attention to vague choices of words as well as the
writer`s tone in the article. This comes in handy, moreso when dealing with the
non-scientific type of materials.
These stylistic aspects of a particular article can function to reveal deeper problems
found in the argument. A good example can be seen in articles that are written in
overzealous and heated tones. When you scrutinize them further in your process of
how to critique an article, you shouldn`t be shocked to find the author having a
knack to reject contradictory evidence during analysis.
FORMATTING YOUR ARTICLE CRITIQUE
1) Start with a Great Introduction That Gives an Outline of Your Argument
When starting off your article format, you shouldn`t write an introduction that
exceeds two paragraphs and ensures, within these two paragraphs, your critique’s
basic framework has been laid out vividly. Begin by noting the areas where the
article in your critique succeeds or fails most remarkably while giving reasons to
support your stand.
It is essential for you to remember to include the author`s name, a statement
regarding the thesis and article`s focus, the journal and article`s title, its publication
date in the article critique introductory paragraph. Also, note the main academic
writing style that’s commonly incorporated is APA format article critiques unless
your professor tells you otherwise.
2) In Your Article Critique`s Body, Give Evidence To Reinforce Your Argument
All the paragraphs in your critique essay body should talk about new ideas or
better still, expand your points further and in a new direction. Start all the body
paragraphs with topic sentences that help to summarize the paragraph`s content
readers should expect to come. You should, however, not feel as though your
article format requires you to fit the whole paragraph into a topic sentence. This is
a place in many article critique examples people use to make transitions into new
and different ideas.
3) Wrap up Your Critique by Making a Summary of Your Argument and Giving
Potential Implications
It is vital for you to recap your APA format article critique`s main points while
also explaining to the readers the relevance of your review to the entire discipline
as a whole. This will assist readers to understand that your work has broader
implications to that particular field of study and not merely attempting to debunk
another scholar`s messy work. Lastly, you should strive to see to it that you have
left a permanent mark on your readers in your article`s conclusion via the use of
specific language to show your work`s importance.
With these simple steps, you will have unraveled the puzzle of how to write a
critique for an article.
