How to Critique an Article: Step-by-Step Guide and Recommendations

Students often face the task of academic writing a critique of an article. However, believing that the main goal is to find all the author’s mistakes and be as critical as possible is a mistake. In our useful guide, you will be able to learn about most of the misconceptions associated with the critique of the essay. This article’s basic rules, tips, and examples will replace your guide to action. After reading the article, you can write a critique with easy steps and without any problems.

What is Article Critique, and Why is it Necessary?

Criticism or writing a review of an article is an objective analysis of a literary or scientific academic writing, in which the author must support his/her arguments with important arguments and facts. Do you know how to critique an article? 

Often, novice reviewers simply retell the key points of the article, but this is a very serious mistake. It is impossible to write criticism without analyzing the material. A competently presented text should first of all express the author’s attitude to what was written.

Simply put, criticism of an article is a type of essay in which the author must give a thorough, unbiased, and critical assessment of the literature under consideration. Of course, in the context, you should also briefly outline the material, adding some background information about the author of the article. However, this should not be a simple listing of the contents!

To demonstrate professionalism, you should initially emphasize the main points that the author wanted to highlight. That is, determine the meaning or purpose of what was written. Then you can move on to highlighting the advantages and disadvantages and only then express your attitude to the topic. However, you should not fill the entire criticism with your judgments. In most cases, you need to maintain a neutral position to be fair and honest.

Your analysis should also follow a generally accepted structure. First of all, this concerns the Introduction, the Main Part of your criticism, and the Concluding Thoughts. To write a quality criticism of the journal article, you will have to reread the text several times in a row. Your concluding thoughts will be the main ones in the context of the criticism. 

Therefore, in the last body of the article review, you should summarize and formulate the main goals. If you still doubt that you will be able to write criticism, then contact our professional best online essay writing service for help. Below are step-by-step instructions on how to simplify your task.

How to Critique an Article: The Main Purpose 

The purpose of writing a journal critique is not to comment on the author’s actions or point out the shortcomings of the article. Participating in a critique allows you to embark on a journey of deep analysis, hone your critical thinking skills, and contribute to academic and intellectual discourse. Here are the skills you can develop if you write a critique of an article:

• Adequate assessment of content and the ability to highlight key aspects. By critiquing an article, you can delve into its content, as well as evaluate its reliability and validity.
• Develop critical thinking. Through constant analysis, you will learn to quickly highlight the strengths and weaknesses of an article. In addition, you will notice even non-obvious things.

Improve writing skills. By studying articles from other authors, you will notice good moments and what not to do from the outside. Therefore, the effectiveness of your writing will improve significantly.

How to Write Article Critique: Instructions

Some people may find the task of writing quality criticism too difficult. However, it is easier than you might think. Scientific articles can cause difficulties. However, if you follow our steps instructions, you will cope with the academic writing task as quickly as possible:

• Reread the article several times and take breaks while reading. This approach is necessary in order to understand all the points of what you read. It is recommended to read once aloud and several times in your mind. Distract yourself with other things and then repeat everything with a different mood.
• Take notes. Even if the sample article critique seemed easy and understandable to you, you still need to reread it several times. During each reading, take a piece of paper and take a thesis. At the moment of the introductory body, you need to determine the main message of the author. In the main body, write down the arguments and facts. You will need this evidence when writing the criticism. You can also write down your own emotions and your attitude to what is written in the article.
• Make a schedule of your notes. Sit down and analyze what you wrote down on a piece of paper. Try to arrange your thesis in chronological order. You can include them in деyour critical evaluation, using the main points as topic sentences and discussion of the important parts. Your comments and analysis will help other readers understand the essay better.
• State your opinion in the criticism of the article. Summarize your thoughts, indicating whether you liked the article or whether it has too many shortcomings and unclear points. However, your opinion should be objective and without bias towards the author. Support your words with clear evidence.

Remember that you can also answer various questions on the topic from additional sources and different research methods. However, it is important for you to indicate this on the page with information about the material you used. Your ordinary critiques must meet all the requirements. You can write it yourself or seek help from professionals to save your time.

Article Critique Format and Structure

There is a generally accepted template that research article critique should follow. However, each individual case may have additional requirements or changes, including third person singular writing. Below are the details of the standard template.

Of course, you may need a different structure, but following the above structure is the perfect balance for expressing your conclusions, opinions and general variables. Remember that your comments on the essay should concern both positive conclusions and negative points.

Tips for Criticizing Articles

Criticizing articles requires several qualities from the author: attentiveness, critical thinking, and a neutral approach to assessing the content. If you want to improve your skills, you can come across recommendations from an expert in this field. We have selected five creative and practical tips on how to article critique that will help you in the process:

• Analyze the author’s bias. Here, you need to turn to the author’s biography. Look at his/her possible political, cultural, and personal bias. This will further help you better understand his/her beliefs and point of view on a particular aspect. 
• Assessing the presence of bias helps determine the objectivity and persuasiveness of the arguments in the article critique. After all, the author of the article did not pursue the goal of maintaining neutrality, unlike your task.
• Review all the arguments regarding this paper. Carefully analyze the quality and relevance of the evidence used to support the claims of the article. In this case, you should find several other sources of information on your topic. 
• Look for well-researched data, reliable sources, a sample critique, and relevant statistics. Compare the information you find with the author’s claims. This will help you understand how effectively the author integrates evidence and makes his or her argument persuasive.
• Be a reader as well as a critic. Be sure to put yourself in the shoes of the target audience and evaluate the degree to which the article conveys the reader’s point of view. Consider how accessible and easy to understand the information is. Well-written articles are more likely to engage readers and resonate with them.
• Analyze the research methods. A quality article should include multiple sources of information and multiple types of research. Evaluate the research design, as well as the sample size and data collection methods.
• Discuss the findings and their implications. What does this mean? If you were able to understand the main purpose of the article, you also need to analyze how this conclusion might further affect the reader. Perhaps the author’s goal is to globally influence an entire field of study or prove something new. 
• Explaining the potential impact of the article’s content adds depth and significance to the review. This will take your analysis to the next level and help you write a quality critique.

These tips will help you write a good critique on your own. 

Last Words

In conclusion, it can be affirmed that critiquing articles is an important skill. It will help any student grow as a critical thinker and an active participant in the academic process. Do not miss the opportunity to analyze and give quality feedback to contribute to a better future of knowledge. 

Remember that every critique is an opportunity to help other readers study the article you are critiquing. It is also a great way to learn new ways of thinking and expand your horizons. Do not stop sharpening your analysis skills to achieve even greater success in your academic work.

If the concept of article critique is still unclear to you or you need help in explaining the task, you can turn to professionals for help. Our experts are ready to help you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We will do the job quickly, efficiently and inexpensively.

Need more help with writing assignments? Check out our other article on how to write a coursework – it’s packed with useful tips and walks you through the process step by step.