Critique Writing

The critique is not a reaction to the article or the material in it. It is not an explanation of the
rnaterial, nor an amplification of it. Nor is the critique an editorial, a defense of the material
from your standpoint. The critique is your evaluation of the article and how it is presented to
you.
The questions to keep in mind while writing it are:
If I were an editor receiving:this article for publish in my professional journal, would I
print it?
Does it have a logical format? Is it written well?
Does it have- a researeh base? Is the research base timely (5 years or less)?
Is the articletimely? .!

Is the material practical and feasible? If not, what is the problem?

What are the strengths of the ar-Jicle?
What are its weaknesses? V/ill the weaknesseS make the article, unworthy of publish?
What text aids are there for the reader of the article? What is rnissing?
;

From Utah Education Network

htp ://www.uen. org/Lessonplan/preview. cgi ?LPíd417 09
' : .. : .

Critiquing an Article
.: : ..

When you are asked to write a critique of ä text, you usually expected.o- ana.lyze and evaluate,
nol just summarize'it. A sunmary merely repofs what,the text says; that is, it answers only
the question: "What does the author say?" A critiquè,. on the other hand; analyzes, interprets,
tù/hy? How well? Apritique does not
and evaluates the texÌ, answering the questions: How?
necessarily have to criticize the piece in a negátivd sense;'Your reaction to'the text may be
largely positive, negative, or a cornbination of the two. It is important to explain why you
respond to the text in a certain way.
Step 1: Anat¡zæ the text
As you read the book or article you plan to critique, the following questions will help you
analyze the text:
. What is the author's main point?
. What is the author's purpose?
. 'Who is the author'$ intended audience?
. V/hat arguments does the author use to suppcrt the main point?
. What evidence does the author present to support the arguments?
. What are the author's underlying assumptions or biases?
You may furd it useful to make notes about the text based on these questions as you read.

Step 2: Evaluate the text

After you have read the text, you can begin to evaluate the author's ideas. The following
questions provide some ideas to help you evaluate the text:
. Is the argument logical?
. Is the text well-orgarized, clear, and easy to read?
. Are the author's f,acts accurate?
' Have important terms been clearly defined?
. Is there sufficient evidence for the arguments?
. Do the arguments support the main point?
. Is the text appropriate for the intended audience?
.Doesthetextpresentandrefuteopposingpointsofview?
. Does the text help you understand the subject? I
. Are there any words or sentences that evoke a strong response from you? What are those
words or sentences? What is your reaction?
. What is the origin of.your råaction to this topic? When or where did you first learn about it?
Can you think ofpeoplã, articles, or discussions that have influenced your views? How might
these be compared or contrasted to this text?
. What questions or observations does this article suggest? That is, what does the article make
you think about? :

Step 3: PIan and write your critique

i --
Write your critique in standarä essay form. It is'ge4erally best not to follow the author's
organization when organizing 1,rour analysis, since thil aPProach lends itself to t"qTtT
rather than analysis. n"egin tïíth an introduction lhat dglnes the subject of your critiOulald
your point of view. Deiend your point of view by raising specifrc issues or aspects of the
argument. Conclude your critique:by,summæizing your argument and re-emphasizing your
opìttiott. i r

. You should first include some basic information:

l. Name(s) of the author(s)
2. Title of article i' '\ : '

3. Title ofjournal, volume number, date, month and page numbers

4. Statement of the problem or issue diseussed' . ,,:

5. The author's purpose, approach or methods, hypothesis, and major conciusions.

. Offer your own opiniõn. Explain what you.think about the argument. Describe several.points
with which you agree or disagree .,
. For each oithu points you mention, include specific passages from:the text (you may ì:
:

sum¡narize,quote,orparaphrase)thatprovideevidenceforyourpointofview.
. Explain how the passages support your opinion. :

Source of information: Rosen, Leonard J. and Laurence Behrens, eds. The AIlyn 4 BagQn
Handbook. 1994-
:
http ://www.marietta. edu/-peeblesm/4 5 2%2A Afücle%20 cntique. htm