Write a Perfect Article Review - Tips and Examples

Article review requires you to give your well-grounded opinion concerning a particular printed piece (literature, science and technology, art, etc.). But, you must remember that it should be not a judicial review of the information from the text. Be ready to prepare a reasonable analysis supported by reliable statements and evidence. As a tricky and demanding college assignment, this type of writing has specific standards and rules to follow. That's why we would like to explain how to write an article review to meet the professor's requirements and even get the grade of the highest rate.

Article Review - The Basics

A review article aims to make you come up with an analysis of an academic paper and investigate it in different perspectives. The articles of this type usually have specific writings as their subject matters, and your task is to apply analytical and critical thinking skills to show your competence. But be attentive. While working on an article review, you are not the editor who fixes mistakes - you only synthesize the published data provided by the author(s). Only then, you can accept or challenge it.

In the essay that reviews certain data, you are to write a summary of the main ideas, thoughts, findings, and the author's position. Then, as an outline, you can use the following four stages of a proper review assignment.

1. Summary
   You gather the general information. That includes publication title, author's first and last name (with a first and middle initial, if needed), topics conveyed in the paper, its structure, etc.
2. Critique
   You evaluate and critique the article, the author's contribution to the corresponding sphere, and the importance of the statements made. How the members of modern community answer the author's statements?
3. Suggestions
   If after the critique stage, you have some points to discuss and challenge, do it here. Suggest possible practical improvements that will be appropriate in the context of the work.
4. Decision
   You come up with a final statement, and usually, that is whether or not you accept the author's viewpoints. If you provided the review with reliable support, this stage won't be a problem.

Use these elements as the Constitution of the perfect assignment! Your critical evaluation should rest on your knowledge, the understanding of the subject, and your ability to provide reasoning. That means your critique should build on proof and logical evidence. If it helps, you can watch the videos on YouTube, some TED talks, or flip through books related to the analytical skills and how to review different data.

Vocabulary

What language is appropriate to use in this assignment? Of course, in the majority of cases, it depends on your target audience. However, here, we are talking about professional academic writing, so, everything should be done in accordance with the standards and the professor's requirements. In the article review essay, avoid vague language and excess of the metaphors. Try to formulate your thoughts clearly and make sure your statements are appropriate (in the context of a work you're reviewing). Keep in mind that your text will go through peer review - refrain from jokes, diminutive suffixes, etc. You can (and should) use specific terminology while addressing the points of the area you are analyzing. Thus, there's nothing different from the majority of college writings. You can always read the paper one more time and fix any mistakes or change the words and phrases you consider inappropriate. Or, revise your writing with anyone without prejudices to give your work an honest evaluation.

Article Review Format

The format of your review will depend on the academic style you have to use. Your professor will provide you with the essential details about the style, pages, the overall number of articles to analyze, sources, and so on. Otherwise, always consult them to follow the proper guidelines. We recommend you acquaint yourself thoroughly with the recommendations as soon as you get them so that you have the opportunity to clear any uncertainties.

There are four common styles, and you probably know them:

• APA
• MLA
• Harvard
• Chicago

Most frequently, students write the article in APA and MLA style, but there are exceptions to this rule. Hence, mind the peculiarities of each style! Also, pay attention to in-text citations, formatting of sources, and reference list.

How to start an article review?

After you have chosen one of the articles to be reviewed and created a plan (outline), it's time to embark on writing. The only way to start this assignment is to write an introduction. Sometimes, your professor can ask you to add a page with the title of the reviewed article and any necessary information. That's why it is important to double-check the instructions.

As it was mentioned, your paper should start from the overview of the chosen article. You will need to include:

• several sentences that introduce the subject matter of your analysis;
• few words about the author and their beliefs conveyed;
• the specificity of the studied work's structure.

Hence, the readers should understand what you are going to write about and why you are going to do that. So, make sure to provide enough reasoning. Read our example - a part of your article introduction may look like this:

"Existentialism is a Humanism" (1946) is one of the main philosophical articles of Jean-Paul Sartre, in which he shortly conveys the essential idea of ​​existentialism - a popular concept of the last century, properly formed in his works. Why did we call it "short" when this article is rather lengthy? Just because "Existentialism is a Humanism" is nothing more than a thorough distillation of everything that Sartre wrote in his much more extensive work "Being and Nothingness," in which he formulated all the basic tenets of existentialism in the way he saw it.

Then, you proceed to a more profound critique and analyze the main concepts of the article. Also, you will express your own thoughts concerning certain ideas, but don't forget to ground them well. Keep in mind that here, you are not the journal editor whose work is to fix mistakes. Your aim is to answer several crucial questions:

• Is there any contribution to a corresponding sphere in the paper?
• Are the ideas covered in the chosen piece understandable and well-organized?
• What is the relevance of the main questions discovered in writing?

And, when you are done with discussing the major parts of the article and suggestions, you can proceed to the conclusion. To provide logical and smooth transactions between the review's elements, consider the interconnection of the conclusion with your suggestions.

How to conclude an article review?

Have you rated this article? If you are confident that there is nothing to add to your analysis, think what your main idea concerning the reviewed work is. Frequently, the conclusion is associated with a finish line - you state the final decision. Look through our example to have a better understanding of this part.

I cannot agree with Jean-Paul Sartre on everything. For example, Sartre believes that no external reasons affect the approval of certain decisions. He argues that a coward independently decides to be a coward, and a hero, even if it doesn't always happen consciously, decides to be a hero. In my opinion, some external causes still exist. We are not born resembling each other like sheets of paper - heredity, health, and some other factors can influence our lives. That is extremely difficult to challenge. Your future, your potential, and the whole future of humanity Sartre laid on your unlimited abilities. It is the freedom we have to deal with, it is the responsibility for humanism - unbearable and inspired! This is the only sign of humanity, and it is essentialism.

How to write an article review? It isn't an impossible thing if only you apply enough effort and knowledge. We must say that different schools in the States of America use this paper as a tool to assess student's knowledge and competence and use them for projects and other exams on your curriculum. We hope this article helped you to understand the issue of reviews better. Good luck!