A critique is a detailed analysis of something. On the same vein, an article critique is a detailed analysis of literary work or a philosophical or political theory. An article critique evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of an article.
Critique, summary and Reaction paper
A critique may be easily confused with either a summary or a reaction paper. Each of these, however, contains qualities that uniquely identify it.
- Summary – A summary is a shortened version of a literary work or philosophical or political essay. It points out the main facts and ideas that are posited by the said paper so that the reader can get an idea of what the paper is about, even without coming into contact with the actual paper.
- Reaction paper – A reaction paper contains no summary of the events in the paper under discussion. It includes personal opinions and conclusions in reference to a written or published work.
- Critique – A critique, on the other hand, is a combination of the two. It includes a short summary of the article under discussion. Its main focus is, however, evaluation and analysis of the research itself. It is a critical assessment of the literary work.
Prewriting
Before starting on the critique, there are some steps that you should take.
- Choose an article that qualifies under the instruction of the course facilitator. The article should have some correlation with the course content and the paper instructions.
- Read the article in order to get the main idea that the article presents.
- Reread the article taking keen notice of the subtle ideas presented in the article. The second reading should be done critically. Critical analysis is very important when it comes to an article critique.
- Come up with a concept for your critique. After reading the article for the second time, you must have formed an opinion on the article and the angle that you intend to take in its critique. After coming up with the idea of how to tackle the paper, you are now ready.
Information gathering
After the completion of the prewriting section, you now need to do some research. The purpose of the research is to garner support for your opinion. Compare the article with other similar articles. Is it similar or do the results, conclusions and the opinions proposed by the articles differ from the others?
It is advisable to also read through the lines. This will help identify contradictory areas in the article and any biased statements that may be in the article. This will help build a strong case when critiquing the article.
You should, however, avoid all negative critiques. The paper is not completely wrong, unless its views are very slanted and biased. Add some positive side to your critique in order to avoid appearing as if you are villainizing the text and the author. All this can be very confusing and that is why Unemployed Professors are always ready to lend a helping hand with your paper.
Formatting the paper
- Start with a great introduction
Your critique should have a strong introduction. Include a hook at the beginning of the introduction and a thesis statement at the end of the introduction. Your introduction should outline the direction you intend to take with the article.
- Critique and support
The body of your critique should include critical opinions based on the article under discussion. Include support both from the article and from similar articles based on your research. Including topic sentences at the beginning of each paragraph will help the reader better grasp the idea of each paragraph.
Arrange the ideas in an orderly manner, with the strongest points at the beginning and ending with the weaker points.
- Conclude strongly
Recap the main points in your critique and outline them briefly at the end of the article. You should strive to leave a permanent mark in the mind of your readers. Find an apt closing statement for a lasting impact on the minds of the paper.
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