How to Write a College Article Review

A college article review is an essay in which a student critiques an academic article. More than a summary, an article review offers the student's insight into the article content. While instructors usually provide specific guidelines for writing college-level article reviews, there are guidelines that generally apply. An article review includes a brief summary of main ideas and a critique with supporting examples.

Instructions

1. 

   Read and re-read the article. As you pay closer attention to the article, note the author's thesis and supporting ideas. Look at the introduction, conclusion and headers for guiding points. Begin to note your responses to these areas.

2. 

   Reflect in-depth on the author's thesis and how she supports her position and claims. Ask and answer questions that will guide your review. Examples include determining the author's focus in each section. How does that focus contribute to the author's thesis. Reflect on your responses. Does the author present a valid argument? Is supporting evidence concise? Does the information give you reason to agree or disagree with the thesis and individual points?

3. 

   Write a one-paragraph summary of the article. An article review is a more critical work than a book review. The summary is only a brief overview of main points. Conciseness is essential. Generally, do not exceed one paragraph.

4. 

   Describe in the next section if and how the article contributes to its field. Does the article offer new insights into its topic? Is the field of study advanced by the author's thesis and supporting claims? Always provide examples.

5. 

   Write your evaluation, which ought to be several paragraphs. This is the substantive part of your article review. Critique the material for writing quality and for academic research value. Is the research thorough? Explain. Your professor may want you to relate the article review to course content. Determine if the article has relevance to its field and to your class material.

Tips & Warnings

• Read other article reviews as examples.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Book or Article Review Guide
• Writing an Article Review
• How to Write an Article Review