How Do I Begin to Critique a Paper?
Reading and analyzing a paper for a fellow student or tutoring subject requires a careful eye for detail and a basic understanding of the written word. As the critic, your job is to make the paper better by showing the student how to improve his own ideas, as opposed to taking over and simply rewriting the piece. Sometimes the hardest part of critiquing a paper is getting started; once you have made some headway on the paper, editing becomes much easier.
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Instructions
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Set aside a specific time to go over the paper. It is easier to start a critique project if you have a designated time.
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Gather your editing materials (if needed) and shut out external distractions. Staying focused on your editing task is critical if you want to provide the best critique possible.
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Read the paper from start to finish. Make small marks when you notice something that feels off or is incorrect, but do not worry about serious editing quite yet. The first read through associates you with the overall theme and direction of the paper.
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Go back to the beginning of the paper and read through it again. Consider how the content matches the topic and how the writing style contributes to or detracts from the writer's main points.
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Watch out for organizational issues. If you see a statement that makes more sense if moved to another part of the essay or you feel parts of the paper do not transition well, make a note of it.
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Read the essay once more and mark all of the grammar, spelling and punctuation errors. A critique is more about ideas and content that technical proficiency, but a quick proofread will only help your subject.
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References
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