Article Review Writing Help: Where to Start

An article review is a great exercise used to expose college students to expert works in their discipline. It’s basically and summary and an evaluation of an article’s main theme, supporting arguments and implications for further research.

Here are some helpful tips to help you get started with writing an article review:

Read the article several times. First take a look at opening statements, headings and topic sentences, as well as a complete look at the introduction and conclusion. Be sure to take notes as these pieces will provide you with a roadmap to guide you through the article’s content. Afterwards, read the entire article and fill in any comments or highlight any points that support the main argument.

Create a summary outline. A summary article shouldn’t include your opinion of the article but rather include your understanding of all the main points and supporting research and arguments. Strictly speaking this should be an outline restating what the article’s author made a case for, removing any supplemental information and lesser arguments.

Create an opinion outline. The best way to approach this is by reviewing each item in your summary outline and directly commenting on whether you think the author was accurate or not. Write down all instances of contributions to the field, effective writing, as well as areas that need improvement. Be specific in your points especially if you are in disagreement. For example, if you disagree with how the author cites the results of the study you should cite the same study and reveal your interpretation of it.

Write your summary of the article. When you draft your summary do so by expressing all of the main points and arguments in your own words. To make it easier, refer to your summary outline to make sure you don’t leave anything out. Reread your summary a few times to be sure you understand the article precisely.

Write your opinion of the article. Using your opinion outline write several paragraphs on how well the author made a case for his or her main argument. Was it a clear and thorough explanation of the subject? Or did the article leave room for improvement with a more detailed or focused discussion? Use essay writing best practices and address your points as topic sentences, giving each several examples in support of your opinion. There are different formats to apply, and some instructors may require specific information, but in any case following the five tips above should give you ample content to help you get started with your review.