An article review is an academic assignment that invites you to study a piece of academic research closely. Then, you should present its summary and critically evaluate it using the knowledge youâve gained in class and during your independent study. If you get such a task at college or university, you shouldnât confuse it with a response paper, which is a distinct assignment with other purposes (weâll talk about it in detail below).
In this article, prepared by Custom-Writing experts, youâll find:
- the intricacies of article review writing;
- the difference between an article review and similar assignments;
- a step-by-step algorithm for review composition;
- a couple of samples to guide you throughout the writing process.
So, if you wish to study our article review example and discover helpful writing tips, keep reading.
â What Is an Article Review?
An article review is an academic paper that summarizes and critically evaluates the information presented in your selected article.
The first thing you should note when approaching the task of an article review is that not every article is suitable for this assignment. Letâs have a look at the variety of articles to understand what you can choose from.
Popular Vs. Scholarly Articles
In most cases, youâll be required to review a scholarly, peer-reviewed article â one composed in compliance with rigorous academic standards. Yet, the Web is also full of popular articles that donât present original scientific value and shouldnât be selected for a review.
Not sure how to distinguish these two types? Here is a comparative table to help you out.
Article Review vs. Response Paper
Now, letâs consider the difference between an article review and a response paper:
- If youâre assigned to critique a scholarly article, you will need to compose an article review.
- If your subject of analysis is a popular article, you can respond to it with a well-crafted response paper.
The reason for such distinctions is the quality and structure of these two article types. Peer-reviewed, scholarly articles have clear-cut quality criteria, allowing you to conduct and present a structured assessment of the assigned material. Popular magazines have loose or non-existent quality criteria and donât offer an opportunity for structured evaluation. So, they are only fit for a subjective response, in which you can summarize your reactions and emotions related to the reading material.
All in all, you can structure your response assignments as outlined in the tips below.
- Both a reaction paper and an article review will start with a content summary.
- For scholarly material, you will present a structured review after the summary.
- For popular magazine content, you will write a response that sums up your emotions, thoughts, and reactions that the material aroused.
âïž How to Write an Article Review: Step by Step
Here is a tried and tested algorithm for article review writing from our experts. Weâll consider only the critical review variety of this academic assignment. So, letâs get down to the stages you need to cover to get a stellar review.
Read the Article
As with any reviews, reports, and critiques, you must first familiarize yourself with the assigned material. Itâs impossible to review something you havenât read, so set some time for close, careful reading of the article to identify:
- Its topic.
- Its type.
- The authorâs main points and message.
- The arguments they use to prove their points.
- The methodology they use to approach the subject.
In terms of research type, your article will usually belong to one of three types explained below.
- Original research. This type of research is the most common and highly valued in the scholarly community. It uses primary data collected by the author specifically for this article and offers original findings and insights into the discussed research area.
- Case study. This research type examines a particular event, phenomenon, or object closely by considering its environment, details, and context. Itâs a close-up of the research object that can be achieved via different observation and data collection techniques.
- Methodology. These articles address new research procedures or methods for testing hypotheses in a specific area of research.
Summarize the Article
Now that youâve read the text and have a general impression of the content, itâs time to summarize it for your readers. Look into the articleâs text closely to determine:
- The thesis statement, or general message of the author.
- Research question, purpose, and context of research.
- Supporting points for the authorâs assumptions and claims.
- Major findings and supporting evidence.
As you study the article thoroughly, make notes on the margins or write these elements out on a sheet of paper. You can also apply a different technique: read the text section by section and formulate its gist in one phrase or sentence. Once youâre done, youâll have a summary skeleton in front of you.
Evaluate the Article
The next step of review is content evaluation. Keep in mind that various research types will require a different set of review questions. Here is a complete list of evaluation points you can include.
- Purpose evaluation
- Is the articleâs purpose clear from the introductory section?
- Does the abstract cover the articleâs purpose comprehensively?
- Does the purpose match the academic disciplineâs gaps and needs?
- Is the purpose thoroughly articulated in all parts of the article?
- Are the findings consistent with the initially set purpose?
- Presentation and data layout review
- Does the articleâs title correspond to its content?
- Is there room for content improvement?
- Are the authorâs claims and arguments logical and consistent?
- Are the assumptions underlying the authorâs arguments credible and clear?
- Is the author objective or biased in data presentation?
- Is data presentation consistent with the articleâs goals?
- Assessment of the methodology
- Does the chosen method match the set goals?
- Is the methodâs description detailed and precise?
- Can the method and procedures be replicated?
- Data evaluation
- Is the collected data consistent with the studyâs purpose?
- Are statistical calculations used correctly and appropriately?
- Does data interpretation look competent?
- Is there substantial support from external sources for data interpretations and the authorâs conclusions?
Write the Text
After completing the critical review stage, itâs time to compose your article review.
The format of this assignment is standard â you will have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The introduction should present your article and summarize its content. The body will contain a structured review according to all four dimensions covered in the previous section. The concluding part will typically recap all the main points youâve identified during your assessment.
It is essential to note that an article review is, first of all, an academic assignment. Therefore, it should follow all rules and conventions of academic composition, such as:
- No contractions. Donât use short forms, such as âdonât,â âcanât,â âIâll,â etc. in academic writing. You need to spell out all those words.
- Formal language and style. Avoid conversational phrasing and words that you would naturally use in blog posts or informal communication. For example, donât use words like âpretty,â âkind of,â and âlike.â
- Third-person narrative. Academic reviews should be written from the third-person point of view, avoiding statements like âI think,â âin my opinion,â and so on.
- No conversational forms. You shouldnât turn to your readers directly in the text by addressing them with the pronoun âyou.â Itâs vital to keep the narrative neutral and impersonal.
- Proper abbreviation use. Consult the list of correct abbreviations, like âe.g.â or âi.e.,â for use in your academic writing. If you use informal abbreviations like âFYAâ or âf.i.,â your professor will reduce the grade.
- Complete sentences. Make sure your sentences contain the subject and the predicate; avoid shortened or sketch-form phrases suitable for a draft only.
- No conjunctions at the beginning of a sentence. Remember the FANBOYS rule â donât start a sentence with words like âandâ or âbut.â They often seem the right way to build a coherent narrative, but academic writing rules disfavor such usage.
- No abbreviations or figures at the beginning of a sentence. Never start a sentence with a number â spell it out if you need to use it anyway. Besides, sentences should never begin with abbreviations like âe.g.â
Finally, a vital rule for an article review is properly formatting the citations. Weâll discuss the correct use of citation styles in the following section.
đ Article Review Format
When composing an article review, keep these points in mind:
- Start with a full reference to the reviewed article so the reader can locate it quickly.
- Ensure correct formatting of in-text references.
- Provide a complete list of used external sources on the last page of the review â your bibliographical entries.
Youâll need to understand the rules of your chosen citation style to meet all these requirements. Below, weâll discuss the two most common referencing styles â APA and MLA.
Article Review in APA
When you need to compose an article review in the APA format, here is the general bibliographical entry format you should use for journal articles on your reference page:
- Authorâs last name, First initial. Middle initial. (Year of Publication). Name of the article. Name of the Journal, volume(number), pp. #-#. https://doi.org/xx.xxx/yyyy
Example:
Horigian, V. E., Schmidt, R. D., & Feaster, D. J. (2021). Loneliness, mental health, and substance use among US young adults during COVID-19. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 53(1), pp. 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2020.1836435
Your in-text citations should follow the author-date format like this:
- If you paraphrase the source and mention the author in the text: According to Horigian et al. (2021), young adults experienced increased levels of loneliness, depression, and anxiety during the pandemic.
- If you paraphrase the source and donât mention the author in the text: Young adults experienced increased levels of loneliness, depression, and anxiety during the pandemic (Horigian et al., 2021).
- If you quote the source: As Horigian et al. (2021) point out, there were âelevated levels of loneliness, depression, anxiety, alcohol use, and drug use among young adults during COVID-19â (p. 6).
Note that your in-text citations should include âet al.,â as in the examples above, if your article has 3 or more authors. If you have one or two authors, your in-text citations would look like this:
- One author: âAccording to Smith (2020), depression is…â or âDepression is ⊠(Smith, 2020).â
- Two authors: âAccording to Smith and Brown (2020), anxiety means…â or âAnxiety means (Smith & Brown, 2020).â
Finally, in case you have to review a book or a website article, here are the general formats for citing these source types on your APA reference list.
Article Review in MLA
If your assignment requires MLA-format referencing, hereâs the general format you should use for citing journal articles on your Works Cited page:
- Authorâs last name, First name. âTitle of an Article.â Title of the Journal, vol. #, no. #, year, pp. #-#.
Example:
Horigian, Viviana E., et al. âLoneliness, Mental Health, and Substance Use Among US Young Adults During COVID-19.â Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, vol. 53, no. 1, 2021, pp. 1-9.
In-text citations in the MLA format follow the author-page citation format and look like this:
- According to Horigian et al., young adults experienced increased levels of loneliness, depression, and anxiety during the pandemic (6).
- Young adults experienced increased levels of loneliness, depression, and anxiety during the pandemic (Horigian et al. 6).
Like in APA, the abbreviation âet al.â is only needed in MLA if your article has 3 or more authors.
If you need to cite a book or a website page, here are the general MLA formats for these types of sources.
â Article Review Template
Here is a handy, universal article review template to help you move on with any review assignment. Weâve tried to make it as generic as possible to guide you in the academic process.
- A full citation. Frequently, assignment instructions will ask you to include a full citation of your chosen text at the top of the first page of your article review.
- Introduction. In the introduction, you should summarize the background information and purpose of the research under review. In addition, consider explaining why you chose it for your assignment.
- Summary. Next, summarize the article. If you review the original research, consider including the following points:
- Methodology (participants, setting, methods)
- Results (What did the authors find?)
- Implications (What did the authors conclude from their findings?)
If you review a persuasive writing piece or a book, include the following in your summary: - The authorâs main points.
- The authorâs supporting evidence.
- The textâs structure and emphasized aspects.
- This section should be no more than a third of your total article review.
- Evaluation. Then, you should critically evaluate the article. Consider answering these questions:
- Do data and conclusions contradict each other?
- Does the author provide sufficient data to support conclusions?
- What questions remain unanswered?
- What other works compare with this article?
- How could the article be improved?
- Conclusion. In the conclusion, share your reasoned opinion on the reviewed piece. Was it worth reading? Did you learn any lessons from it? Would you recommend it to someone else, and why?
- Reference list. In the end, add a separate page with bibliographic citations of your reviewed article and any other sources used in your paper.
đ Article Review Examples
The theory is good, but practice is even better. Thus, weâve created three brief examples to show you how to write an article review. You can study the full-text samples by following the links.
đ Men, Women, & Money
This article review examines a famous piece, âMen, Women & Money â How the Sexes Differ with Their Finances,â published by Amy Livingston in 2020. The author of this article claims that men generally spend more money than women. She makes this conclusion from a close analysis of gender-specific expenditures across five main categories: food, clothing, cars, entertainment, and general spending patterns. Livingston also looks at menâs approach to saving to argue that counter to the common perception of womenâs light-hearted attitude to money, men are those who spend more on average.
đ When and Why Nationalism Beats Globalism
This is a review of Jonathan Heidtâs 2016 article titled âWhen and Why Nationalism Beats Globalism,â written as an advocacy of right-wing populism rising in many Western states. The author illustrates the case with the election of Donald Trump as the US President and the rise of right-wing rhetoric in many Western countries. These examples show how nationalist sentiment represents a reaction to global immigration and a failure of globalization.
đ Sleep Deprivation
This is a review of the American Heart Associationâs article titled âThe Dangers of Sleep Deprivation.â It discusses how the national organization concerned with the American populationâs cardiovascular health links the lack of high-quality sleep to far-reaching health consequences. The organizationâs experts reveal how a consistent lack of sleep leads to Alzheimerâs disease development, obesity, type 2 diabetes, etc.
đ References
- Scientific Article Review: Duke University
- Book and Article Reviews: William & Mary, Writing Resources Center
- Sample Format for Reviewing a Journal Article: Boonshoft School of Medicine
- Research Paper Review – Structure and Format Guidelines: New Jersey Institute of Technology
- Article Review: University of Waterloo
- Writing Help: The Article Review: Central Michigan University Libraries