A Writing Guide for Students: Article Review

Article review could be challenging for everyone, especially students. Learn how to build a well-formatted piece that aligns with the best standards.

Writing and reviewing article pieces is a compulsory part of the curriculum as part of a college setting. This comprises a careful evaluation of another writer’s work. You may be asked to support or critique the work with facts, meaning you need more research. Hence, a proper understanding of the piece’s central theme is crucial if you are to do an excellent job.

Reviewing an article is necessary since it is a great way to broaden a student’s thinking faculty. Reviews could be either literature or critical work. Whichever it is, a proper evaluation must be done correctly. Hence, this post will teach the A-Z of article reviews so you can ace that assignment or term paper.

What is an Article Review and Its Types

As the name suggests, an article review is a critical assessment of another person’s work. It often triggers further research on the subject matter since the main aim is to stir further debate. Writing an article review could be challenging. It is more of an expository essay and comes with guidelines. Since it could be challenging, many students simply use an essay writer to curate a professional piece that ticks all the boxes. Article reviews come in different forms, which include:

Research Article Review

This type focuses on the methods used in the research for the study. A typical research-based review also compares with other studies. This comes as an argumentative essay.

Journal Article Review

This type mainly focuses on an academic piece critique. While the writer outlines the strengths and key points that agree with the facts, it also reveals weaknesses. This type of work is used by journal sites and is essential if you’re thinking of publishing your work someday.

Scientific Review

This type revolves mainly around science. It is primarily argued with facts and a strong hypothesis. Deep background knowledge of the topic is necessary if you want to put forward a strong piece.

Reviewing an article is necessary due to the following:

  • Such a piece reveals an article analysis, stating a vital angle that could be hidden.
  • It brings further understanding to the subject matter.
  • A well-written review could answer many questions left hanging by the main work.

Format for an Article Review

There are different formats for writing a formal review, which differ from college to college. Before you start, ask your professor for the citation format and style. Here are some questions that must be answered to use an optimal format:

  • What is the citation style your school uses? There is the MLA, ASA, Chicago, APA, etc.
  • Does it need a mention of a particular theme?
  • What is the length of the article?
  • What should be included in the paper? Should it be argued with facts, critiqued, or just a summary?
  • Does your lecturer need a bit of research for the background information?

Processes involved in Reviewing an article

When starting to drop a review, you must prepare adequately, especially as your professor expects to read from an unusual angle. Here is a step-by-step guide:

  • You should do personal research on the theme of the paper you’re about to review. This is important as your readers may be well-versed and could spot a misinformed piece or no information at all. So, you need to get the facts right and do an insightful summary first. If required, a critique of the effectiveness and how the original author involves the subject matter in the paper is desirable.
  • Next is to understand the entire organization of the article. This is important to draw out essential key points you can use in your argument. It’s also a great way to notice contradictions and will help you to know if the writer has done well.
  • Study the title, abstract, introduction, headings, and conclusion. You can start by reading the first paragraphs and jumping to the conclusion. This way, you already have a rough idea of the writer’s thoughts. As the ideas flow, make sure to take down notes too.
  • Rewrite the entire article in your own words. As you do this, make sure to grab the central ideas behind the author’s thoughts. You can do a review to remove unnecessary details.
  • Do an outline of your rewrite. Here, you can make a list of the strengths and weaknesses. Doing this means you understand the topic and the original paper.

How a Typical Article Review Looks Like

When you’re ready to begin your review, here’s the format for the page. While this is the general format, it could be switched depending on what your professor wants.

  • Title page
  • Name
  • Name of reviewer
  • Date
  • Abstract (about 200-300 words). This includes a summary with a question, the original study, and a conclusion.
  • Introduction
  • Body
  • Conclusion
  • Citation

Writing the Review

When you’re done with the pre-writing stage, here’s how to write the review:

  1. Choose a unique Title

You can select between a descriptive, declarative, or inquisitive title. This depends on the structure of your review.

  1. Ensure to cite the Original Article

Directly under your title, add the topic of the original study you’re trying to do. There shouldn’t be a skipped line between the citation and the beginning of your article.

  1. Introduce the Original Piece

Begin by drawing a connection between your piece and the original article. You can do this by stating the author and year of the article in the first paragraph. Follow this by drawing the fundamental theme and expressing the author’s idea.

Since there are different views, you can compare, which is essential when arguing against a strong point raised.

  1. Summarize and Criticize

Try to summarize the main article and criticize it. Remember to clearly state whether you support the writer’s view or not. Then proceed to give reasons why. Once done, you can do a conclusion of the entire article and state your stand.

Conclusion

Article reviewing could be challenging, especially when starting out. However, you can easily do it independently once you get the foundation right. Remember that a good review needs strong research.