Simple Directions On How To Ace Your Article Review


To develop critical reading skills, students often write article reviews. By preparing such a paper, they also learn something new about the topical issues in the field. This assignment is both an evaluation of a piece of writing and its summary. You should choose the work to write about, read it critically, understand the key points, summarize them, and logically evaluate the main argument, supporting claims, and further implications.

How to Prepare to Write Your Article Review

The preparation stage is an important part of your success. There are several simple directions that will help you get started:

  1. Learn more about your assignment.
  2. You should clearly understand your task. For example, you have to present not only the key idea but also criticize it and explain how that idea contributes to the field.

  3. Organize your review.
  4. You should highlight the most important ideas and details, discuss what the author does well, and indicate what contradictions weaken the text.

  5. Read the article at least twice.
  6. It makes sense to preview the article to find out what terms you are not familiar with and what questions you have. Then, read it closely and make notes.

  7. Write your assignment outline.
  8. Having an outline will help you structure your article review and provide all the necessary details, including the document’s strengths and weaknesses and your opinions.

  9. Compose a working title.
  10. A working title should correspond to the topic of your writing, focus it, and contain the keywords that you will use throughout the text.

How to Write an Article Review to Impress Your Instructor

Writing your first draft is the second vital stage of your work. Remember to cite the article in a proper manner right after the title. Typically, you do not have to skip a line between the citation and the first line of the text. Then, introduce the reviewed article by providing its title, author, and a publishing date.

Your first paragraph should present the key ideas and themes discussed in the article. Use formal academic writing to give your impression of the analyzed work. Do not forget to introduce your own thesis. Then, provide the summary of the article, your critique, and evidence from the text. An outstanding article review should also include a conclusion with points about the work’s clarity, importance, and relevance.

The last but not least, you should reread your assignment, cut unnecessary details, add some important comments, and correct mistakes. After that, you can print it and submit to your instructor.