ARTICLE REVIEW FORMAT
How to write a good article review?
For an excellent article review, one should first prepare and then write the review.
Preparation includes the following steps:
Step 1: Understanding what the article review is.
You should be aware that the audience of the review has knowledge of the subject matter and is not just a general audience.
You need to summarize the main ideas of the article, arguments, positions, and findings. Also, critique the contributions of the material and the overall effectiveness of the field. Note that,
1. The review only responds to the research of the author and does not involve new research.
2. It evaluates and summarizes the article.
Step 2: Identify the organization of the review.
You need to know the setup of your article review to understand how to read the article. Following these steps will help you in writing a useful review:
• Summarize the article.
It includes essential points, claims, and information in the article.
• Discuss the positive aspects.
It entails the author’s good points and insightful observations
• Identify the gaps, contradictions, and inconsistencies in the article done by the author. Also, identify if there is enough research or data to support the claims of the author. Look for unanswered questions in the article.
Step 3: Preview the article
Look at the article's title, abstract, introduction, headings, opening sentences of paragraphs, and conclusion.
Read the first few paragraphs and conclusion to note the author’s main points and arguments. Read the article entirely.
ARTICLE REVIEW FORMAT
Step 4: Read the article carefully
Read it several times making notes on essential sections. Just highlight the central points and the supporting facts. You should write notes and state cross-references on the essential points.
Step 5: Put the article in your own words
Ensure you write all the essential points accurately in a clear and logical manner. Review your summary to remove unnecessary items.
Step 6: Create your evaluation outline
After reviewing the summary outline, identify the significant aspects such as instances of effective writing, contributions to the field, and areas that are to be improved in the article. Also, indicate strengths and weaknesses. For instance, an advantage may be the way the author presents an issue while a gap may be that the article does not offer solutions to a problem or lacks enough information on a particular subject.
Make sure that you use specific references and examples.
After the preparation, you can finally write the review, and it includes the following steps Formats of Article Review:
Step 1: Write the title
A title can either be a descriptive one, a declarative or an interrogative one. It depends on the focus of your review.
Step 2: Cite the article
Write the citation of the article in a proper style just after the title of your review. For instance, in MLA citation, your example will look like this: Abraham John. “The World of Dreams.” Virginia Quarterly 60.2(1991): 125-67. Print.
Step 3: Article identification. Write it by stating:
• Title of the article
• Author of the article
• Title of the journal
• Year of publication
Step 4: Write the introduction.
It starts with the identification sentence. The introduction of the article review also entails the central themes of the article. You should include the author’s claims and arguments, too. Mainly, the objective of the paper; methods used by the author; major findings of the author; and your conclusion should be written briefly.
Things to note when writing an introduction:
- You may need to determine the thesis yourself since it may not be evident in the article and sometimes the argument has multiple choices.
- You should not write the statements in the first person (“I”)
- The overall impression of the article should be written using the third person (“he” or “she”), and it should have a formal academic style.
- The introduction should only take 10% - 25% of your review
Step 5: Write the summary of the article.
Write the main points, arguments, and findings in your own words. Also, show how the article supports its claims and write the conclusion.
Things to note in writing the summary:
• Write in several paragraphs, the length depending on the publisher’s or instructor’s
requirements.
• Include specific examples, statistics, or background information familiar to the experts of
the particular field you are focusing on.
• Make sure to write the main points of every section.
• Use direct quotes from the author sparingly.
• For accuracy, reread your summary several times correcting every mistake.
Step 6: Write the critique/evaluation.
Write how well the author addressed the topic using your opinions.
Also, write your opinion on how thorough and useful the explanation of the subject you found in the article is. Indicate the contributions and the importance of the article to the field. Write arguments and central points in the article. Also, write if the points of the author assisted in the argument. Indicate if there are any biases. Specify whether you agree with the writer and if yes, give reasons why you support him/her, and if no also give cause for your decision. Indicate the type of audience that would benefit from reading the article.
Step 7: Write the conclusion of the article review.
Summarize the main points in a paragraph. Write your opinions about the clarity, accuracy, and significance of the article in this paragraph. You can also comment on the implications if relevant. It can be helpful for further research. Note that the conclusion should only be 10% of your overall essay.
Step 8: Proofread your work.
Reread your article review to check on grammar, mechanics, and any mistakes and then correct them where possible. Remove any unnecessary information. Note that you should identify and discuss 3-4 critical issues in the article for a good review.
In short, the article review has the following format:
1. Introduction
2. Summary
3. Critique/evaluation
4. Conclusion