When you write an article review, make it an evaluation and a summary of writer’s work. If you are a student, your teachers ask you to review an article to introduce work by an expert in your field.

Select a topic

In many instances, teachers or employers assign the article to review. On some occasions, reviewers are allowed to choose a topic.

If you get an opportunity to choose a topic, pick an interesting one that you will enjoy reviewing. Start by checking whether the contents and treatment are appealing and if you can understand the article. Read carefully through specific excerpts from this article while paying close attention to its style and vocabulary. Sometimes you are not sure about the right topic to review. If it is hard to make a decision, you can consult your acquaintances with a good sense to recommend appropriate material for the assignment. Textbooks related to your topic are a great reference because they have useful references.

Plan a good approach

Writing an article review is formal. You should it according to accepted conventions. Start by drawing up a plan. Decide on the important aspects of the article to address. It is wise to seek guidance from the person who assigned the task, to understand the real intention of your review.

Understand the article well

Articles to review are usually difficult. You must prepare to read several times and take notes. For you to write an accurate article review, start by understanding all the main arguments and points. An important element about an article review is to perform a logical evaluation of the main theme, support arguments and implications of further research.

You need to find the meaning of unfamiliar words or phrases. Start to write notes only after you fully understand the meaning of words and phrases. Research the terms at a library or online while taking notes that you can into paragraphs later on.

Interview experts

For complex articles, it is important to discuss your topic with some who understands the field. If you are writing about building, you can interview an architect. It will help you to understand the article better and develop several points of view. Gather much material as possible, at least twice of what you will need for your review article.

Draft your review

Start by identifying the author and other important details such as title, years of publication and where it appears. Then indicate major aspects discussed in your review. You can decide to summarize sections of the article but in a very brief way that captures only the main themes. This section should not exceed a third of your review.

After the summary, discuss 2-3 issues that the article raises. This is the core section of your review. Ensure that you clear the author’s argument before you begin to criticize and evaluate. Write the review in a style that either evaluates critiques or summarizes your material. Analyze and interpret the article for your reader in the review. Give your opinion if this is the requirement. Make your review a brief summary of contents, the arguments, and range of the article. Support your criticisms with some evidence from the article text or other writings. You may point out any if there are any gaps in the way the article author treated a topic although it is not a requirement. It rarely helps to criticize authors for something they did not intend to do.

Conclusion

Make your conclusion a summary of the main points that you enumerated in the review. Evaluate the article and relevance of its title to your chosen topic. Assess if the information on the article is important or relevant to the subject it covers. In the final part of your summary, state whether this information in the article is complete or there is a way to improve it.

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