How to Write an Article Critique?

An article critique is a genre of academic writing that involves critical evaluation, analysis, and identification of the weaknesses and strengths of the published paper. This valuable skill goes beyond summarization and requires the writer to engage with ideas and delve deeper into the arguments, providing insights and constructive feedback.

In this guide, we’ll explore the key steps on how to write an article critique and provide additional tips on formatting and outlining that will help you truly master the genre.

Although crafting such text can be challenging, understanding its structure and employing the below-mentioned tips will transform it into a much easier task. The article critique example for students at the end of this guide will further facilitate the task. If you prefer to avoid this assignment altogether, EssayHub, the essay writer service, will simplify your academic life and provide assistance with undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate projects.

How to Write an Article Critique: A Step-by-Step Guide

Although writing an article critique may sound overwhelming, the task is more straightforward than it seems. Yes, to provide constructive criticism, you must have a clear understanding of the discussed topic. However, part of the success lies in the preliminary work and your approach to the assignment. Here’s a look at three main steps to bring your writing skills to the next level.

Step 1: Read the Article

When reading the text, go beyond the surface level: pay attention to the thesis (a sentence in the introduction summarizing the key idea), identify the supporting arguments, and note any contradictions or inconsistencies. Before rushing into the writing part, take time to consider these practical tips and tricks on how to write an article review:

• Take Notes. While reading through the paper, keep your pen (or digital notepad) on guard and jot down any observations or questions that arise in the process.
• Highlight Thoroughly. Highlight the quotes, essential sections, or any ideas that grab your attention. To simplify future navigation, designate different colors to distinct aims: for instance, use a green highlighter for quotes, yellow for important passages, and red for questionable or contradictory sections.
• Identify Key Points. Ponder the author’s intentions. What is the target audience? What are they attempting to convey? Pinpoint the thesis, main idea, supporting argument, and sources.

The first step is the preliminary work, which requires you to delve deeper into the paper and engage with the main ideas and arguments. Noticing the strongest and weakest points immediately will simplify the further steps, while highlights and notes will help navigate through the document on the second reread.

Step 2: Take Notes/Make Sketches

Whether you’re a visual learner or engage with the written content, notes and sketches are great for arranging your thoughts and observations. Think about them as creating your organization board or map to ensure you’re not missing any critical points. Here’s a look at some key aspects to consider when you write an article critique:

• Focus on Key Arguments. Highlight the main arguments in a separate color. This allows you to quickly focus on the core ideas when you sit down to write your critique.
• Examine Supporting Evidence. Substantiate the argument with factual data. Take note of the evidence presented that proves the author’s ideas.
• Evaluate Structure. When analyzing the article, ensure it’s well-structured and has paragraphs sufficiently long for articulating the argument and providing evidence. Pay special attention to whether the author uses transition words without sounding choppy or abrupt.
• Visualize the Data. Whether you learn best with visual aids or rely on other learning methods, diagrams and sketches can help you understand the complex relationship among the key components.

The second step involves mapping out the relationship between the author’s main points and examining the piece's structure and cohesion.

Step 3: Format Your Critique

Critique should have well-developed paragraphs, smooth transitions, and present ideas in a logical sequence. With multiple notes, highlights, and insights on your hands, it may be challenging, so it’s time to put them in order. To be cohesive, your critique should always include the following:

1. Introduction. When writing the introductory paragraph, provide the background information about the paper — the original title, author’s name, and publication details (date when it was first published). Provide a brief overview of your main arguments and themes.
2. Thesis. A clear-cut and concise thesis statement is essential. It should assess the article and reflect on its pros and drawbacks.
3. Body Paragraphs. Each paragraph should analyze a specific argument from the original text, providing specific examples, details, and evidence.
4. Evidence. Substantiate your text with evidence from the original article. Use reference data, quotes, and specific examples to back up your analysis.
5. Conclusion. Briefly recap the main findings and wrap up the paper with the closing thought. The concluding paragraph should never include new ideas; just provide a summary and overall evaluation of the previous notions.
6. Citation Style. Depending on the requirement, you should adhere to a specified citation style guideline (MLA, APA, etc.). List additional resources and credit the author.

Your arguments should be presented in a logical order without sounding abrupt. When wrapping one paragraph and starting a new one, use linking words to help create a connection between paragraphs.

Article Critique Outline

Before you get to write an article critique, you should pen an outline —  a detailed overview of what the finished text will include. This critical step provides a foundation upon which you can later expand your arguments and data into a full-blown essay. The outline, as well as the finished text, should include three main sections:

• Introduction. Provide basic information about the original piece, outline key points and arguments, and craft a concise thesis statement.
• Body. The body should state your arguments substantiated by data and examples and highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the piece.
• Conclusion. Rehash the main ideas from the body of the text and describe your final opinion. Don’t introduce new arguments or data in the final part of the text.

Whether you agree or disagree with the author, you should strive to provide an objective argumentation and critically engage with the subject matter. Remember to proofread the final draft, weed out spelling and grammatical mistakes, and write in the third person.

Article Critique Formatting

So, suggest you know how to critique an article. Nevertheless, regardless of the type of piece you’re writing, proper formatting is essential to facilitate clear communication and provide easy-to-follow content. Here’s a look at some formatting guidelines to use:

• Headings. Headings for the introduction, body, and conclusion help organize the text and make it easy to digest.
• Spacing and Indenting. Double-spacing the text makes it more legible, while indents at the beginning of each new paragraph will help visually sort your text into distinct sections.
• Fonts. The 12-point font size is a standard because it’s small enough to fit in plenty of words and large enough to be easy to read. If your instructor didn’t provide any font requirement, you should typically use Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri.

Mini Guide on How to Critique a Journal Article

Reviewing a published journal critique may sound intimidating. If you’re wary about critiquing someone's work, try to think about it this way: the author is arguing and providing evidence attempting to convince the reader. Your job is to evaluate the effectiveness of this attempt. Did the presented arguments and evidence convince you that the author is correct? Or was the argumentation faulty, while the provided data insufficient to persuade you? Whichever the case, there are a couple of simple steps on how to write a journal critique:

1. Conduct Preliminary Research. Delve deeper into the broader research context and familiarize yourself with the previous relevant studies on the topic.
2. Assess the Structure. The journal critique should have a clear-cut structure and well-developed paragraphs and transition smoothly from one section to another without sounding choppy.
3. Analyze the Methodology. Keep a critical eye on the Research Methods section and assess everything, from the study’s design and sample size to limitations and biases.
4. Consider Ethics. Depending on the type of research, you need to keep tabs on the ethical considerations, including informed consent and voluntary participation of the participants, confidentiality, anonymity, and communication of results.
5. Evaluate the Conclusions. Assess whether the presented data and conclusions are consistent. Pay special attention to the conclusion and discussion section and evaluate whether both are backed by the data.
6. Pinpoint Strengths/Weaknesses and Suggest Improvements. Assess the pros, such as relevant literature reviews and excellent methodology, and the cons, such as unsubstantiated arguments, research gaps, etc. Offer constructive feedback on how to improve the piece, methodology, data analysis, etc.
7. Write Your Critique Paper. Incorporate all of the previous advice into your text. Formulate a clear-cut thesis, follow the strict structure, and support your arguments with data from relevant sources.

Tips and Tricks on How to Critique an Article

A couple of tips and tricks will help you create a more persuasive piece when you face the task of writing article critiques:

• Remain Objective. Although your pre-existing ideas will undeniably influence your perception of the piece, you should provide constructive feedback and base all of your arguments on data from reputable sources and research.
• Discuss Application. Touch on the potential applications in the field. Does the research have broader implications for real-world situations? Identifying them will make your piece more insightful and relevant.
• Assess the Text with a Critical Eye. Whether it’s the thesis, supporting arguments, presented data, or conclusions, you should critically evaluate all aspects of the text. Highlight the piece’s strengths and weaknesses, be concise, and logically present your critiques.
• Adhere to Structure. When evaluating the arguments and evidence, follow the standard Introduction-Body-Conclusion structure to convey the information in an easy-to-digest manner.
• Consider the Audience. Identify the targeted audience and ensure that the language, writing style, and complexity levels are acceptable for the intended readers. Use formal language to evaluate the author's arguments. 
• Cite Sources. Opinions are not facts. A good argument should be based on infallible data from previous literature. To streamline your writing process, use academic search engines (Google Scholar, SciSpace, PubMed), digital libraries (Project Gutenberg, World Digital Library), and information from government websites. Although Wikipedia may be a starting point, the platform isn’t a reliable source due to its volunteer-run nature.

Article Critique Example

We have compiled an example that employs the above-mentioned rules and tips. Hopefully, it will help you craft your piece better.

Article Critique Example

Article Critique Example

Final Thoughts

Although writing an article critique may sound overwhelming, it's more straightforward than it seems. The secret lies in delving deeper into the original text, copiously taking notes, crafting an outline, and following formatting guidelines. When analyzing the article, dedicate sufficient time to preliminary research, methodology, ethics, and overall assessment and offer constructive feedback on how to improve the piece.

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