BOOK REVIEW OR

ARTICLE CRITIQUE
C

Group 4
 WHAT IS A BOOK REVIEW OR ARTICLE
CRITIQUE?
• A specialized from of academic writing in which a reviewer
evaluates the contribution to the knowledge of scholarly works
such as academic books and journal articles.
• 250 to 750 words.
• A critical assessment, analysis, or evaluation of a work.
• Involve the analysis of one’s work;
• written for a general audience and primarily aim to offer a
persuasive opinion.
• Do not share mere opinions; they use both proofs and logical
reasoning to substantiate their opinions.
 STRUCTURE OF A
BOOK REVIEW OR
C

ARTICLE CRITIQUE
Structure of a Book Review or Article Critique

Introduction – 5%
Summary – 10%
Review/critique – 75%
Conclusion – 10%

Introduction Summary Review/Critique Conclusion

 Introduction

•Title of the book/article

•Writer’s name
•Writer’s thesis statement
 Summary

•Writer’s objective/purpose
•Methods used (if applicable)
•Major findings or claims
 Review/critique
(in no particular order)

• Appropriateness of methodology to support the

arguments
• Theoretical soundness
• Soundness of explanation in relation to other available
information and experts
• Sufficiency of explanation
• Other perspectives In explaining the concepts and ideas
• Coherence of ideas
 Conclusion

•Overall impression of the work

•Scholarly value of the reviewed
article/book
•Benefits to the intended audience
•Suggestion for the future directions
 What are the contributions
of the book or article in the Who are its
field it is situated in? intended readers?
What is its
purpose?
WRITING A BOOK REVIEW
OR ARTICLE CRITIQUE
What is the topic of
the book or article?
What theoretical assumptions are
mentioned in the book/article? Are they
explicitly discussed? Does the writer explicitly state
his/her thesis statement?
• What problems and issues are discussed in the book or
article?
• What kinds of information are presented in the book or
article? How are they used to support the arguments or
thesis?
• Are they other ways of supporting the arguments or thesis
aside from the information used in the book or article? Is
the author silent about these alternative ways of
explanation?
• What is your overall reaction to the work?
GUIDELINES IN WRITING
A BOOK REVIEW OR
C

ARTICLE CRITIQUE
1. Read the article or book to be reviewed carefully to get its main
concept.
2. Reread it to get the arguments being presented.
3. Relate the content of the article or book to what you already
know about the topic. This will make you more engaged with the
article of the book.
4. Focus on discussing how the book treats the topic and not the
topic itself. Start your sentence with phrases such as “This book
presents…” and “The author argues…”
5. Situate your review. This means that your analysis should be
anchored on the theories presented by the book or article writer.
6. Examine whether the findings are adequately supported or not.
7. Analyzed the type of analysis the writer used and how it supports the
arguments and claims.
8. Suggest some ways on how the writer can improve his/her reasoning
or explanation.
9. Discuss how the same topic is explained from another perspective.
Compare the writer’s explanation of the topic to another expert from
the same field of study.
10. Point out other conclusions or interpretations that the writer missed out.
Present other ideas that need to be examined.
11. Examine the connections between ideas and how they affect the
conclusions and findings.
12. Show your reaction to the writer’s ideas and present an explanation.
You can either agree or disagree with the ideas, as long as you can
sufficiently support your stand.
13. Suggest some alternative methods and process of reasoning that
would result in a more conclusive interpretation.