Most academic writing tasks are pretty challenging for college students because it requires some time as well as some specific knowledge to come up with a masterpiece. Well, there is hardly a student who remembers all the writing requirements by heart; anytime you have to handle a particular college paper, you are more likely to need all the main points you have to consider to refresh your knowledge about this type of assignment.
In this article, the experts from our paper writer service have gathered all the main points of article review writing. If you need to understand how to write an article review that rocks, what to pay closer attention to, and where to go if you have questions, grab this helpful guide and get answers to all your questions.
Article review: A concise overview of the assignment
An article review is a critical evaluation of an existing article, summarizing the article identification and assessing its strengths and weaknesses. It demonstrates the reviewer’s understanding of the original work and ability to engage with it critically, offering some personal opinions. Article reviews help us develop analytical and evaluative skills. They provide a deeper understanding of the topic, refine our critical thinking, and allow us to make sure that the article contributes to the field.
A brief overview of the main features of a strong article review
Article reviews are common tasks for college students, especially in research-oriented courses. You may get such a task to show your comprehension of the course material, for example. The most popular issue that bothers students is the question, “How to create a masterpiece?”, as well as “What are the key features of a good article review?” So, let’s take a look at what will make your article review professional.
- A concise summary. Your review should provide a focused overview of the article’s main argument, findings, and purpose. Remember to also present the article concisely.
- Critical evaluation. It is important that you analyze the article’s strengths and weaknesses as well as show that the article contributes to its field.
- Engagement. Don’t forget to demonstrate a deep understanding of the key points of the article.
- Structure. Follow the basic structure with clear transitions between sections.
- Balance. Stay objective throughout the critique and avoid including any of your own insights that are overly harsh or overly biased. Finally, show your readers that your work also provides some main points for future research.
- Use of evidence. Support evaluations with specific examples and quotes from the article.
- Academic standards. The main demands are using the required article review format and avoiding plagiarism, so make sure these two issues are not your case.
- Audience focus. Remember that your audience may or may not have read the original article, so it is very important to make sure your review is oriented toward both types of readers. Moreover, you should motivate your audience to do further research and even provide optional suggested reading.
Types of article reviews
The trickiest issue is the fact that article reviews can be of different types, and each of them requires specific knowledge and even provides certain requirements. In order to understand the types of article reviews you are more likely to face during your college journey, read on.
Research article review
A research article review evaluates the methodology, data, and findings of an original study. It highlights strengths and weaknesses, assesses relevance to the field, and provides a critical analysis of the article’s contribution to academic knowledge. In this type of review, you will have to analyze the methodology, data interpretation, and key findings.
Journal article review
A journal article review critically examines a scholarly article and focuses on the author’s arguments, the evidence presented, and its implications. This type of review paper analyzes the article’s quality, relevance, and impact within its field. The goal is to engage with insightful observations and promote critical thinking and understanding of academic discourse.
Literature review
A literature article review discusses multiple studies on a topic, identifying themes, gaps, and trends. It provides a comprehensive understanding of existing knowledge, suggests directions for future research, and offers critical review insights into the literature. A literature review is a common task for students specializing in humanities.
Science article review
A science article review encompasses a critique of a scientific study’s methodology, findings, and impact. It also highlights the research’s contributions, offers a critical assessment of its validity, and identifies limitations, helping to understand and advance knowledge in the scientific community.
Case study article review
A case study article review critiques the comprehensive analysis of a specific situation. It evaluates the case’s context, methodology, findings, and broader implications, often providing an overall assessment of its applicability to similar scenarios or theoretical frameworks. Well, this is a great opportunity for a personal critique of practical applications or real-world scenarios.
Systematic review article
A systematic review article consolidates and analyzes evidence from multiple studies to address a focused research question. Reviewing it involves critiquing the article’s conclusions, methodology, and organization to determine its effectiveness in synthesizing comprehensive, reliable data.
Educational article review
An educational article review evaluates articles related to teaching methods, curricula, or educational theory. In this review, you will have to analyze the article’s effectiveness, innovation, and practicality, as well as providing critical review feedback on its potential to improve educational outcomes or advance pedagogical research.
…and 15+ other types of article reviews
We have discussed the most frequently assigned kinds of article reviews given to students, but the full range of article reviews is not limited to these types.
Formatting your article review
As with other research papers, article reviews will require you to follow formatting rules. Depending on your college and professors, you may be assigned to follow different formats when working with article reviews. Some key points are important in every formatting style, such as citing the article carefully and presenting its ideas properly.
No matter what type of article review you are working on, you will have to include the following sections: an introduction (with a strong thesis statement), a summary, a critique, and a conclusion. Of course, you will have to accurately cite the article and all referenced materials as well as strike a balance between summarizing the article and directly quoting key passages. Finally, it is essential to use only credible and relevant sources and include not only an article title but also a digital object identifier (DOI) or URL for each source.
APA formatting
An APA format article review requires a title page with the title of the review that also contains the article title itself, the author’s name, the course name, the instructor’s name, and the publication date. The review must have an abstract, an introduction, a summary of the article, a critique, a conclusion, and a references section, with each publication title carefully formatted. Remember that the journal-title-series-volume section must be cited accurately to ensure proper attribution of the source. Finally, your content must be double-spaced, with 12-point Times New Roman or another legible font.
Title page
Article Review: Analyzing the Effects of Climate Change
John Doe
Environmental Studies 101
Professor Jane Smith
January 6, 2025
In-text citation
According to Smith (2021), the data supports the hypothesis that climate change accelerates glacial melting.
References section
Smith, J. (2021). Climate change and its impact on global ecosystems. Journal of Environmental Research, 23(4), 123-134. https://doi.org/10.1234/jer.v23i4.5678
MLA formatting
An MLA format article review begins with a title block with the student’s name, the instructor’s name, the course name, and the date; all the information must be aligned to the left. The review must contain an introduction, a summary, an in-depth analysis, and a conclusion. All the content must be presented in double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman text. The Works Cited page must also follow strict formatting rules and provide all the publication details.
Title page
John Doe
Professor Jane Smith
Environmental Studies 101
6 January 2025
In-text citation
Smith argues that “glacial melting has reached unprecedented levels” (45).
Works Cited
Smith, John. Climate Change and Its Impact on Global Ecosystems. Journal of Environmental Research, vol. 23, no. 4, 2021, pp. 123-134.
Chicago formatting
Chicago formatting includes a title page with the article review title centered, the student’s name, the course name, the instructor’s name, and the date. The structure must include an introduction, a summary, an analysis, and a conclusion. The text must be double-spaced, using 12-point Times New Roman font and 1-inch margins. In-text citations are made using superscript numbers that correspond to footnotes at the bottom of the page. The footnotes, in turn, must provide detailed source information, including the author, publication title, journal, volume, issue, page numbers, and DOI or URL if applicable. A bibliography must be written in alphabetical order. Chicago style generally uses the author’s first and middle initial for citations in the bibliography.
Title page
Analyzing the Effects of Climate Change
John Doe
Environmental Studies 101
Professor Jane Smith
January 6, 2025
In-text citation (footnote)
Glacial melting is “accelerating due to climate change.”¹
Footnote
John Smith, Climate Change and Its Impact on Global Ecosystems, Journal of Environmental Research 23, no. 4 (2021): 123–134, https://doi.org/10.1234/jer.v23i4.5678.
Bibliography
Smith, John. Climate Change and Its Impact on Global Ecosystems. Journal of Environmental Research 23, no. 4 (2021): 123–134. https://doi.org/10.1234/jer.v23i4.5678.
It is no secret that you may need to cite different sources, and you will have to know how to present a newspaper title or a periodical title, for example. Thanks to modern technologies, there are a lot of free tools available online that can help you cite sources properly; all you have to do is provide the essential details about them.
Your review’s structure, step-by-step
Our professional writers have years of experience in completing academic writing assignments and know pretty well how to organize the writing process effectively. Thus, we have created a brief step-by-step route for you to follow in order to ease the process to the maximum. Moreover, you can see the main goals of each section, and as soon as that particular part of your review is completed, you can check if all these goals have been met.
Step #1: Title
Creating a concise title is the first step because it will set the tone for your review and give your readers an idea of the article’s focus. The title can help you frame your review within a specific scope and keep your writing goal-oriented.
- Convey the central topic to produce a thoughtful review.
- Engage readers with a clear and relevant title.
- Establish a professional tone.
Step #2: Choosing sources
Selecting reliable and credible sources is critical before delving into the review process. Using sources like peer-reviewed journals or reputable publications will ensure the article’s academic integrity and relevance. This step is foundational, as including weak or irrelevant sources can compromise the credibility of your review.
- Ensure the source is credible and relevant.
- Familiarize yourself with the article’s content and context.
- It’s time for summarizing key points, methodologies, and findings for analysis.
Step #3: Structuring references
We highly recommend organizing references early in the process because this can help you adhere to the appropriate citation style. This step is vital to avoiding confusion and last-minute formatting errors. Structuring references first will also allow you to seamlessly integrate in-text citations while writing, ensuring consistency and the article’s significance. Remember that properly formatted references can also demonstrate your academic professionalism and respect for intellectual property.
- Align with the required citation style.
- Maintain organization throughout the writing process.
- Avoid citation errors and plagiarism-related concerns.
Step #4: Body
The body of the review is the most substantial section, where you have to summarize, analyze, and critique the article. Writing the body first ensures that you thoroughly explore the article’s content before crafting the supporting sections. This approach allows you to identify the article’s positive aspects and weaknesses and create a balanced review.
- Summarize the article’s key points.
- Provide a critical analysis of its strengths and weaknesses.
- Prove that the article contributes to its field.
Step #5: Introduction
We are not mistaken; the introduction can be written after the body. In this case, you can ensure that it effectively introduces all the article’s main points you presented in the body part. By starting with the body, you can fully grasp the article’s key themes and your own analysis, enabling you to write an introduction that provides context, background, and purpose. Following such an order, you are more likely to craft a specific, engaging, and relevant introduction.
- Offer background information about the article.
- Present the purpose of your review.
- Capture the reader’s attention with a clear thesis.
Step #6: Conclusion
After completing the body and introduction, you can summarize the key insights and restate your evaluation in a concise manner. This ensures that your conclusion aligns with the analysis and reinforces the review’s purpose. Remember that a strong yet mere summary should leave a lasting impression and provide closure at the same time.
- Summarize the article’s strengths and weaknesses.
- Restate your critical evaluation.
- Provide closure and suggest future research directions, if applicable.
How to write an article review: 5 ways to get practical assistance
As we have said earlier, there is hardly a student who can bear all the writing requirements in mind, and it is really okay if you need help with your academic tasks, be it a simple essay, article review, or dissertation. We know that many students live on a budget and can’t afford costly help; thus, here are some tips you can use to get professional assistance at a pretty low cost.
- Writing services. There are a lot of companies that can write an article review for you and offer affordable prices. Moreover, many services also provide partial assistance; you can request help with a particular section of your article review and pay just for that part. Of course, it is essential to choose a reputable service to ensure high quality. Such assistance, when you get a review tailored to your needs, can help you understand review structure, formatting, and critique techniques.
- Professional examples. Another thing that you can find at writing companies is professional samples composed by expert writers. These are example reviews that you can learn from in practice. Studying professional examples of article reviews can significantly improve your skills. So, why not use these examples to understand tone, structure, and critique research methods and give yourself a practical article review template to follow?
- Previously published article reviews. You can access previously published reviews related to your topic, which offer valuable insights into content critique. Many educational platforms provide free or inexpensive access to such reviews to help you grasp key evaluation strategies. Reviewing diverse samples can broaden your perspective and sharpen your analytical skills.
- Peer projects. Do not neglect an opportunity to collaborate with peers who have completed similar tasks; it is an excellent budget-friendly resource. You can also ask your peer to read your work and provide you with their own insights.
- AI writing tools. AI-powered tools, like grammar checkers and critical review writing assistants, can simplify the review-writing process while staying within your budget. These tools often provide free or affordable plans and can guide you on grammar, style, and content organization. You can also use them to generate draft outlines.
We hope that you now know how to write an article review that meets all the academic standards and shows your personal engagement with the article under consideration. Anytime you have to complete an article review, browse this guide and make sure you haven’t missed anything important. Good luck!