Critiques (including Book Reviews).

Critiques provide insightful reflection on a written piece, often a journal article or book (including book reviews). They allow you the opportunity to express your thoughts on another person’s work, and either contribute or scholastically disagree with the author’s main points. You should use a critical eye to examine the article or book by integrating previous knowledge, course content, applied practice, or other aspects of critical thinking.

Prior to beginning the critique, read the source material several times (1). This ensures that you have a comprehensive understanding of the source material, but also provides an opportunity to catch missing pieces or gaps in logic.

General Structure

While specific critiques may vary, they generally follow the same structure (1):

  • Summary. Your critique should start with a brief summarization of the source material, including the title, author, and main concepts. It is not necessary to spend a substantial amount of time to summarize the content of the article or book; rather, the primary objective (and therefore the largest component of the critique) is to analyze and critique the information presented.
  • Areas of success and insights. While it may be easier to identify what the author of the source material has forgotten, it is important to acknowledge what the author has done well. Perhaps they had compelling arguments, or identified unique needs in the community. The author of the source material had an objective in writing their piece, and it is important to acknowledge this contribution to the field.
  • Areas for improvement and controversies. After identifying areas of success, it then becomes easier to highlight areas for improvement. For example, an author may have had compelling conclusions, but perhaps the data did not support the arguments or there was significant bias in the study design that went unaddressed. In articles, you can discuss flaws in the study design or analysis of the results. In books, you can discuss unsuitable jumps in logic or inadequate assessment of the community’s needs.

The critique should offer criticism of the author’s ideas or role rather than attacking the author’s personality (1). Furthermore, avoid using language that is too casual. While your opinion is present in the critique, it should be become apparent based on your criticism rather than explicitly stating “I did not like the article.”

References

  1. How to Write a Critique – Writing Goals [Internet]. [cited 2015 Mar 26]. Available from: http://www.creative-writing-now.com/how-to-write-a-critique.html