{"id":3640,"date":"2016-11-23T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-11-24T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/?p=3640"},"modified":"2020-08-02T06:58:31","modified_gmt":"2020-08-02T13:58:31","slug":"how-to-write-an-article-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-write-an-article-review\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Write an Article Review the Right Way"},"content":{"rendered":"

Don\u2019t know how to write an article review? Don\u2019t panic\u2014it\u2019s easier than you think.<\/p>\n

Even if you\u2019ve never written an article review before, the skills you\u2019ve gained writing other types of essays will come in handy. Expository<\/a>, descriptive<\/a>, analytical<\/a>, and argumentative<\/a> essays have all prepared you to write an article review.<\/p>\n

Even if you haven\u2019t had much practice in these other areas, you can still write a rock-solid article review with a little know-how.<\/p>\n

What is an article review, then? In a nutshell, it\u2019s your chance to finally criticize someone else\u2019s work. In this post, I\u2019ll help you figure out what this type of essay is all about, and you\u2019ll get the best recipe for how to write an article review the right way.<\/p>\n

What Is an Article Review, and What Isn\u2019t It?<\/h2>\n

Many students are familiar with argumentative essays, and sometimes it\u2019s difficult to shift focus from this style. An article review is like an argument because you\u2019ll have to take a position on the article while not getting caught up in the issue at hand.<\/p>\n

When reviewing an article, you\u2019re not siding with or against the author\u2019s point of view.<\/p>\n

If you start writing about why you agree or disagree with the author\u2019s stance, then you\u2019re no longer writing an article review\u2014avoid this pitfall at all costs!<\/p>\n

Your main goal: figure out whether the article is any good<\/a>. Tell your audience whether the article\u2019s argument is valid. Then say why or why not.<\/p>\n

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Your main goal: figure out whether the article is any good. Then say why or why not.<\/a><\/div>\n

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To start, you\u2019ll need a list of items within an article that you can criticize.<\/p>\n

Shopping List<\/h2>\n

These will be the ingredients for your Article Review recipe. Each focuses on the article\u2019s quality and the author\u2019s approach.<\/p>\n

Author credentials, aka ethos<\/a> <\/i><\/h3>\n

Who is the author, exactly? What business does she have writing on the subject? Does she have an advanced degree? Has she conducted research or work in her field? Someone who builds Lego models for a living (which is awesome, by the way<\/i>) probably isn\u2019t an authority on astrophysics.<\/p>\n

Need help finding an author’s credentials? When looking for information about an author, Google<\/a> is your friend.<\/p>\n\t

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Appeal to logic, aka logos<\/a> <\/i><\/h3>\n

Appealing to logic makes for strong arguments. Does the author rely on sound research to back up her claims? Does she use statistics and figures as proof to support her ideas? Does she provide a list of references to validate work in her field? Are her sources trustworthy<\/a>?<\/p>\n

If you can answer \u201cyes\u201d to the above questions, then the article is logically strong.<\/p>\n

An author should also avoid bias<\/a> and logical fallacies<\/a>. In argument essays, you\u2019ve probably had to present counterarguments to consider someone else\u2019s ideas on an issue.<\/p>\n

A good article will do the same\u2014an author should consider the different approaches to an issue and analyze them, seeing how they stack up against her own claims and data. She should avoid generalizations and be open and fair to other ideas and viewpoints.<\/p>\n

Appeal to emotion, aka pathos<\/a> <\/i><\/h3>\n

Facts aren\u2019t everything. An author cannot sway the audience\u2019s opinion without some flavor. Including anecdotes, personal stories, and even a second-person perspective can help her argument.<\/p>\n

Does she only seem interested in giving her opinion, or does she try to reach the audience on an emotional level? Is her approach subtle or dramatic? Pretend you\u2019re the intended audience\u2014how effective is the approach and why?<\/p>\n

Audience awareness is vital to pathos. If you can identify the author\u2019s target audience, you can figure out if the writing is effective.<\/p>\n

Does the article address a specific group or a broad audience? Is it full of lingo that only a few will understand, or is it accessible to us \u201ccommon folk\u201d? Whatever language the author uses, you\u2019ll want to say whether it\u2019s effective for the audience.<\/p>\n

Great examples include Dr. Martin Luther King Jr\u2019s Letter From Birmingham Jail<\/a> and this video<\/a> in which Neil DeGrasse Tyson explains black holes.<\/p>\n

King writes to a specific audience\u2014his fellow clergymen\u2014and appeals to their religious affiliation and moral views. DeGrasse Tyson explains complex scientific ideas so that a broad audience can easily understand them.<\/p>\n

Balance<\/h3>\n

If an author only relies on logic, her article will be boring and robotic. If she only uses anecdotes and personal stories, then she\u2019s not backing up her claims with real evidence that can be tested and measured.<\/p>\n

Every good argument needs a solid balance<\/a> between both logical and emotional appeals.<\/p>\n

Healthy skepticism<\/h3>\n

Being critical in your article review doesn\u2019t mean writing a scathing review.<\/p>\n

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Being critical in your article review doesn\u2019t mean writing a scathing review.<\/a><\/div>\n

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If the article is well-written, well-argued, and valid, your essay will be positive, which is great. Always focus on the author\u2019s strengths and weaknesses\u2014and be fair when writing about either.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s Get Cooking: How to Write an Article Review the Right Way<\/h2>\n

Now that you have the ingredients on how to write an article review, following the recipe is next. Just like cooking at home, if you follow a recipe, you should get good results in the end.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s break down, step-by-step, this essay recipe on how to write an article review.<\/p>\n

Intro (1-2 paragraphs)<\/h3>\n

Briefly describe the issue the author is dealing with, and give your reader some context and background on it. You can discuss whether this issue is being hotly debated in the media or whether it’s more obscure but still important.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, you want construct your thesis statement<\/a> here, providing a short but specific assessment of the article\u2019s overall quality. Then write a sentence or two giving a brief summary of the reasons that the article is strong or weak.<\/p>\n

Body (3-7 paragraphs)<\/h3>\n

The author<\/h4>\n

Use the author\u2019s credentials to note whether he or she is an authority on the subject. Focus on the author\u2019s background, relevant work history, and governmental, university, and corporate affiliations.<\/p>\n

Is there any controversy surrounding the author\u2019s work or personal life that compromises his or her reputation? If there are, how do these items affect the article\u2019s validity?<\/p>\n

The content<\/h4>\n

Summarize the article\u2019s content. Briefly cover the position the author takes on the subject, and answer these questions:<\/p>\n