A critique paper is a written review of a book, artwork (be it a movie, song, poem, or any other creative work), or a scientific article.
It describes the overall quality of the work, revealing its strengths or weaknesses.
You may need to write a critique paper on a journal article when writing an essay, term paper, or report for a conference and at the stage of collecting information for your review or research publication.
An excellent example of the analysis of a scientific article will help you figure out how quickly, but simultaneously, in detail and productively to study the results of the colleagues’ work from your academic or empirical circle.
Whether you need to prepare a critique paper as a review of a journal article or as a homework assignment, the summary must be fair, comprehensive, and constructive.
To prepare it, you first need to read the article briefly to get an idea of the material organization system, reread the text a few more times, and write down notes and comments.
Then you must evaluate each piece of text and determine how it works towards the overall goal.
After that, you write a thesis that briefly summarizes your assessment of the article, write the review text, and provide specific examples that support your claims.
If you haven’t done it before, the following pieces of advice will come in handy.
Should you seek general rules on writing a critique paper, we recommend you look at this article.
How to Write a Critique Paper on a Journal Article
A critique paper on a journal article’s primary task is to assess the publication’s significance as a source of reliable and relevant information.
Therefore it is logical to start with a careful reading of the material.
If the text contains incomprehensible terms, you will have to look up their meaning, then reread the work.
As soon as the stated topic becomes clear for understanding, you can start analyzing the article.
To not miss anything and not waste extra time, we recommend using the following step-by-step guide.
There are three main parts of writing a critique paper. Each of them includes several steps. Let’s look at each of them.
Part 1 – Go through the text in detail.
Step 1 – Check the style guide. If you need to publish your critique paper, you need to study the style and format requirements. Familiarity with the publication standards will allow you to evaluate the article and write your summary. If the critique paper is a study homework assignment, follow the teacher’s requirements.
Step 2 – Skim the article to get an idea of the material organization. Start by looking at a journal article and trying to understand the logic behind the text. Read the title, abstract, and subheadings to assess how the article is organized. Now try to identify the critical issue or problem that is being addressed in this text.
Step 3 – After your initial consideration, read the article from the beginning till the end to form an overall impression. At this stage, define the article’s thesis or the main statement and underline or highlight this point in your critique paper introduction and conclusion.
Step 4 – Reread the article and take notes.
Part 2 – Evaluate the article.
Step 1 – Analyze how the abstract and introduction give you an idea of the article. Study the annotation and introduction, paying attention to every detail.
Step 2 – Evaluate the references and literature review in the article. Most journal articles provide an overview of the existing literature on the topic, and the text provides links to previous research papers. Determine the author’s sources’ reliability, the level of consideration of other works, and knowledge of the topic.
Step 3 – Study the methods. Determine whether these methods are reasonable and acceptable approaches to solving the problem.
Step 4 – Evaluate the way the article presents data and results. Determine the effectiveness of all tables, charts, schemes, and other visual aids.
Step 5 – Consider unscientific evidence and data analysis. In the case of the article’s humanitarian topic, evaluate how correctly the facts are presented to confirm the statement. How relevant is this evidence? Has the author convincingly interpreted and analyzed the above points?
Step 6 – Evaluate the author’s style. Even articles intended for a narrow circle of readers should be written in clear, literate, and concise language.
Part 3 – Write the critique paper.
Step 1 – Create a critique paper outline. Review the notes made while evaluating each piece. Then, formulate a thesis and outline a plan that will lead to a convincing case in the review text. Use specific examples that demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of the article that were noted during the analysis.
Step 2 – Write a draft. After drawing up the thesis and plan, start working on the text. The structure of the critique paper can look like this:
– The introduction contains a summary of the article and your thesis.
– The main body provides specific examples from the text that support your thesis.
– The conclusion summarizes the review, repeats the thesis, and offers recommendations for future research.
Step 3 – Write a clean copy. After completing the draft, check the material for typos, grammar, and punctuation mistakes. Try to look at your critique paper with someone else’s eyes. Is your criticism justified and balanced, and the examples provided confirm the stated statements?
Some Helpful Tips
1. The text of your critique paper should be clear, concise, and consistent. If you criticize the article for verbosity, then your review should not sin with unnecessarily cumbersome wording.
2. Show the ready critique paper to someone who understands the topic to get an outside opinion.
3. Whether you are unsure about your critique paper’s quality or lack time to write it yourself, you can always turn to professionals to have it written for you. Wr1ter.com offers various papers, including critical analysis paper, critical thinking, or summary at affordable prices that meet any deadlines.