How to Write an Article Analysis

Writing an article analysis requires organizational and critical thinking skills.

An article analysis is an essay that seeks to summarize, analyze, comment on and critique another article published elsewhere. Article analyses consider all angles of an article and ultimately determine the true nature and worth of the arguments outlined within the reviewed article. Writing an article analysis is similar to writing other kinds of essays; the main difference is that the reviewer must use critical thinking skills to analyze an external article.

Things You'll Need

• Writing
• Reading
• Curiosity
• Article marketing
• Thought

Instructions

1. Determine the author's purpose for writing the article. Ascertain any potential sources of bias or conflicts of interest. Assess the article's overall tone. The writer's delivery could be detached and objective or overtly political. Typically, the author will implicitly or explicitly state his purpose in writing the article in the first few paragraphs, usually in the form of a thesis statement.

2. Ascertain the author's intended audience. If the author has published an article on molecular biology in a scholarly journal, his audience is the scientific community. However, a letter to the editor targets a wider, more public audience.

3. Establish the subject matter of the article. Outline the author's argument and include his main points. Typically, the first and last paragraphs of an article will contain succinct summaries of an author's argument. Titled articles will likely include the author's main subject matter explicitly within the title. Examine any sources or citations the author used. These will also contain clues about the author's topic of discussion.

4. Compile the information you have discovered and write a concise paragraph summarizing the article and its most important points. Use this initial paragraph to represent the author's argument on his terms and quote his words, where appropriate. Do not critique his argument in this first paragraph.

5. Write the body of the article analysis. This is the most important portion of the writing. State your opinions on the author's argument and cite evidence to support your thoughts. Include an analysis of how well the author supported his points and how well he presented evidence. Determine the strength of his argument, assessing one point at a time. Include assessments of the article's strengths, as well as the rhetorical or substantive shortcomings you detect.

6. Write a final paragraph that summarizes the article's conclusion. Include your thoughts on this conclusion, as well as your final thoughts about the validity of the author's argument. Refer back to the author's initial thesis statement. Include any questions left unanswered by the article's author and finish with a strong statement that encapsulates your overall assessment of the article.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep your summary sections concise. Use your own words and thoughts. Support your arguments with credible evidence wherever possible and assess the validity of any citations the article's author uses. Proofread your draft multiple times.

• This article can never be republished with prior written permission from its author

References

• Editing Writing Services: Article Analysis
• Yukon College; Article Analysis Sheet Guide; Amanda Graham; September 1998
• Academic Writing Tips; Article Analysis; January 2011

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• The Purdue OWL: Professional, Technical Writing