Helpful Recommendations on How to Write an Article Review

Comprehensive Guide on the Article Review Process

Before getting down to writing an article review, it is necessary to understand the specifics of this type of work. In short, an article review is a well-grounded critical assessment of a particular article. A person preparing this review has to summarize the content, define and explain the strong and weak points of the article, and provide unbiased evaluations. But what is an article critique, and how does it structure itself exactly? More on that we will speak later. 

Writing an article critique is a frequent task for people engaged in academic and professional fields. The biggest advantage of this assignment is the boost of critical thinking skills. A student, writing a review has not only to read an article but also analyze it and grasp the author’s motives and arguments, as well as choose a descriptive title. This is a very serious work. That’s why, some learners seek assistance from a reliable writing essay service. Typically, such companies help with all types of academic work.

If you want to write a research article review yourself, take advantage of this step-by-step guide. We will share tips on how to read an article and single out the main points, break down large paragraphs into conceptual concepts, critically evaluate the text, and more. For even more useful content, check our blog. 

Types of an Article Review

There are different approaches to types of review. In fact, it seems impossible to define one categorization approach. Below, we will focus on the 3 most common kinds of an article review, their unique feature, and best use scenarios. However, if you need any other review style, feel free to address our article review writing service. Our skillful writers will gladly help you.

Article Identification: How to Choose a Proper One

Generally, students can choose articles for review that align with their course. Such freedom has both positive and negative aspects. As for advantages, it is possible to select an article that genuinely interests you. Usually, even a title can either evoke interest or put you off from an article.  On the other side, since there are lots of publication pieces, students may feel confused. If you also worry about picking a good research article, use the tips below.

Choose an Article That Aligns with Your Field of Study

This is an important criterion. A research article should touch upon the subject you are studying or researching. Besides, it should relate to the latest discussions of the subject and contain new insights that may interest readers. Your professor is likely to appreciate this choice.

To make your selection process, we suggest answering such questions:

• How is an article pertinent to my study?
• Is it a valuable addition to previous insights in the field?
• Does the academic community talk about and cite this publication?
• How gripping a title is?

Make Sure the Source Is Dependable 

Either you write a journal article review or analyze several articles from different sources, double-check their credibility. The fail-safe option is to pick articles from peer-reviewed journals. Such texts are usually approved by experts. Besides, consider the reputation of a journal or publication. Articles without the credentials of an author and references seem less secure. 

To gauge the reliability of the source, provide answers to such questions:

• Is this journal popular among experts?
• Are the authors respected in the field?
• Has an article undergone a meticulous research process?

Evaluate the Clarity and Depth of the Content

You need an article that is informative yet easy to understand. If there are lots of complex terms, confusing examples, hectic citations, unclear references, or even an unappealing title, you’d better choose another text. Moreover, avoid articles with many lengthy paragraphs, as wading through them is very tiring. Only when you can fully comprehend the content, you can properly review it. 

• Are main points and arguments straightforward?
• Is the research methodology well-structured and explicit?
• Are there meaningful connections to other written pieces?

To make an informed choice, follow these guidelines:

• Choose articles with 5-20 pages.
• Steer clear of too specialized articles because you may get confused.
• Determine how much time you can devote to writing a review.

Read the Chosen Article Attentively

Students that ask how to write an article review, often fully concentrate on the writing process itself. However, the preparation stage is no less important. You need to take your time to discern a title, read the article carefully, highlight important examples, and note data you can further use. To delve deeper into the text, use the following recommendations:

• Read an abstract first. Usually, it serves as a concise summary of the article. Thus, you can understand the overall article outline, the questions in focus, and the author’s findings. However, the abstract doesn’t contain the nuances of the whole paper.
• Take notes while reading. It is crucial to write down the main arguments, evidence, references, and examples.  Make sure to mark sections that confuse you or evoke disagreement. Moreover, pay attention to the outline, citation style, and methodologies.
• Determine the central concepts and terms. An author may build their thoughts around certain theories and terms. It is crucial to notice them. This way, you can better understand the article and later review it. Usually, the very first author’s idea is evident from the title. 
• Scrutinize the introduction and conclusion. Usually, these pieces contain the main argument and findings. Besides, by reading the introduction, you can immediately see the context of the paper. 
• Look through the references. Every good article has a list of sources cited. You can also examine these sources and use the data for your review. By learning to work with bulks of data, it will be easier for you to write other types of assignments, e.g., an essay, literature review, a research paper, blog materials, etc.

How to Write an Article Review – Tips on Structure

Writing an article review may be a distressing task for students. However, it is as complicated as many of them may think. The biggest issue is probably the need to establish a proper balance between critique and summary. To avoid this problem, you should adhere to a standard review structure. Have a look at the breakdown of a general review outline below.

Introduction

Similar to an essay or any other text, the first part of an article review is an introduction. When writing this section, you should provide the context for readers and shed light on what will be explained further. You need to indicate the title of an article, the author’s name, the place, and the date of publication. This is called the background info. 

Next, specify the main objective of the article. You should elaborate on what the author was trying to explain or achieve. Besides, denote whether a science article has a core thesis or question that affects its overall flow. At this point, you also need to describe the main argument briefly.

For example, the title of the article you are reviewing is “The Influence of Social Networks on Child’s Mental Health”. So, you should list the overall impact of social networks and lay out the author’s key claims briefly in your introduction. Critique or evaluation in this section aren’t required. 

Summary

In the summary section, you need to present the information you’ve learned in a condensed manner. Concentrate on the main points, like the author’s arguments and the evidence they used to support them. Besides, dwell on the methodology, namely, the research methods the author employed to gather data. Currently, there are lots of different approaches, so it is interesting to trace their efficiency in that particular case. 

Lastly, you should outline the findings presented in the text. When writing an article, the person wants to prove or deny certain facts. You need to reveal whether their attempts were successful.     

Do your best to stay objective and avoid critique. The main purpose of the summary is to demonstrate how deeply you’ve understood the material starting with the title and finishing with the literature. If the article is too long, don’t try to cover each point. Determine the major sections or themes, and focus on them in the summary. 

Analysis/Critique

This is the biggest part of an article review. Now you can dedicate yourself to critique. However, it doesn’t mean criticizing the article but rather professionally assessing its strong and weak points. You can find a separate guide on how to write this section online. In short, we recommend answering such questions:

• What is the author’s main argument?
• Is there credible evidence that supports the thesis?
• Is the methodology sufficient to answer the research question?
• Why did the author choose such a title?
• Are there any inconsistencies or gaps in the research?
• Has an author included credible examples?
• Has a researcher studied the topic from a new perspective?

In the critique section, you can also direct attention to the article format. For instance, if the author claimed it was APA format, but violated standardized citation norms, you can point it out. Or, if the article is too long and the information is repeated several times, you can also express your disapproval.

Still, your critique should be balanced and well-grounded. Surely, it is important to define weaknesses. However, you need to acknowledge the good aspects as well. For instance, an author may suggest a fresh solution to the problem, which is important for future research.

Conclusion

The conclusion of an article review is needed to restate your overall evaluation of the article. It usually has the same size as an introduction. In addition to repeating the previous information, you can make final remarks about the impact of the article on the study area. Moreover, you can add any suggestions for improvements. 

Remember that the conclusion is very valuable to readers. It should clearly define the overall importance of the article reviewed and encourage them to learn the topic in more detail.

In-Depth Guide on How to Write an Article Review

The writing process can be enjoyable and stress-free if you prepare for it properly. Use the guide below to create a high-quality article review that will impress your educators. 

• Step 1. Write down important details about your article. These are the title, the author’s name and credentials, the publication title, keywords, research question, methods, and results.
• Step 2. Decide whether you need an APA format article review or an MLA format article review. Usually, your professor suggests the best option. If not, you can choose the article review format yourself. If you don’t know the differences, visit our blog. There are lots of useful materials, including posts about different review formats. 
• Step 3. Come up with a good title for your article review. Usually, an attention-grabbing title should be between 5 – 12 words. Create the first draft of the text, adhering to the outline presented above. You may leverage an article review template for a smooth start. Sometimes, students can’t choose a suitable title at first. If that is your case, you can first write a draft review and after that select an appropriate title. 
• Step 4. Read your review and improve it if needed. Reading page after page and applying changes gradually is the best option. It is paramount to have a review that flows naturally and is easy to comprehend. Besides, there should be smooth transitions between different sections. 
• Step 5. Check your review for plagiarism. You can use online tools for that. Quite often, reviewers experience problems with a summary page. They repeat the information from the original article instead of analyzing it and then expressing their own ideas. If you worry about making this mistake, examine relevant article review examples to learn handy writing techniques. 
• Step 6.  Scan your article review for grammar and style. Once again, there are auto-checking programs that you can use to find grammatical errors promptly. As for style, you can ask your relatives to read the review and say whether it sounds the way you want. 
• Step 7. Verify citations. 2 common approaches to citing sources in an article review are APA format and MLA format. You can find the differences online. Generally, mastering both styles is important for academic writing. You may need to use them when preparing an essay, a critical review, a dissertation, and more. 

Now you know how to write an article review. However, even experienced and talented students tend to make mistakes when completing such assignments. So, we decided to describe them in detail to help you produce high-quality texts.

Common Mistakes to Avoid when Writing an Article Review

One of the most frequent mistakes when analyzing a publication is going into too much detail. Therefore, you actually create a summary of the article instead of preparing a well-thought-out critique. In general, a brief summary is OK. In fact, there is a separate section called summary in the outline of an article review. But it takes also a small part of a whole text. Your task is to interpret the info and give your critical assessment of the content. 

Another issue you may face when reviewing a publication is getting too subjective. Of course, a good review or an essay involves expressing your personal ideas. But you need to maintain a sensible balance between subjective impressions and objective analysis. Don’t let your biases overshadow the evaluation of the publication. To sound more trustworthy, you should always support your opinions with evidence or relevant bibliographical entries. 

A standard outline of a review also poses challenges for some students. Though the scheme is simple – an introduction, a summary, a critical analysis, and a conclusion, some people violate it while writing a review. Thus, their texts lose coherence and focus. Besides, when some parts are omitted or the outline is mixed, understanding the review is very difficult. The related problem is the oversight of the core details of the article, e.g., title, publication date, source, etc. Be very careful and stick to the structure described above.

If the idea of writing an article review, an essay, or any other task frustrates you, why not delegate the task to EssayLTD experts? We are ready to help you with your writing assignment quickly and for a small fee. In addition to writing texts from scratch, we assist students with editing, proofreading, and other processes. Our team is ready to make your academic life easier.