The Guide to Writing a Review Articles
Review articles are created to evaluate and summarize another or researcher’s author’s work who is an expert in their field. The purpose of writing a review article is to identify the main ideas, theories, and research revolving around the article’s subject.
Generally, professors in significant fields of study give their students the task of reviewing article writing as assignments. Review articles are done on a topic provided by an instructor or chosen by the students themselves.
What are the Different Types of Review Articles?
Various types of review articles differ in style and approach. They are also published in separate review paper publications either online or offline. However, there are cases when keynote speakers may present it at national or international conferences and other similar events. Some of the typical review articles include the following:
Literature article reviews: Discusses the existing knowledge and summarizes the topics intricately.
Science article reviews: Includes analysis with detailed information of any article within the realm of science.
Research article reviews: Studies the methods used for research and analyzes the information relevant to the article.
Journal article reviews: Mainly focuses on the publications and their strengths and weaknesses following the interpretation of the article.
Narrative article reviews: Primarily discusses the range of the topic in a broad spectrum depending on the author’s perspective and experience.
How to Write the Perfect Review Article?
The main objective of review article writing is to summarize the original article based on your understanding and present it as a response instead of being biased. You can perform a critical analysis of the author’s work and need to be familiar with the article’s subject area. Moreover, you need to devote your time and do thorough research to establish the context of your work.
Pay Attention to Important Elements
Introduction
The first section introduces the reader to the overall article, including the central theme and critique. Cover only a portion of the article without revealing much information.
Summarize
A dedicated section gives a brief synopsis of the article to let the reader know what to expect. It should cover some of the main points of the original work, including arguments, findings, and scope of research.
Body
The body is the primary purpose of the review paper. It should cover the main points in detail and evaluate its sources. Portray the basis of the original author’s arguments and assess if it is effective or not, clearly and concisely. State your grounds, whether you agree with it or not, and provide relevant sources to support your opinions.
Conclusion
You need to mention and summarize the main points stated in the body along with your founded opinions to conclude your review article. Remember to include relevant sources that support your arguments.
Preparation Stage
Study the Article
At first, Go through the topic in depth to become familiar with the main points. Identify the outline of the original article and create a similar outline for your review article. Identify the flow of content and pay close attention to the critical elements. Highlight the articles in different parts to make them easy to read and understand. It will help you differentiate between claims, arguments, and evidence presented by the author that you need to address later.
Read the Article
You must read the article repeatedly to avoid missing the critical points. You can also go through existing examples in review paper publications to learn from them. Make notes and identify the evidence that supports the main points. Remember to cover the most essential information in the article.
Freehand Review
Start writing a rough review article as you continue with the previous reading stage. Here, you can handle making grammatical errors or being right or wrong. It is to help you identify critical points in the article presented by the author and whether you agree with them based on your understanding of the topic. Mark the issues and research relevant sources to dispute their claims or find some that support your arguments.
Tips for Writing a Review Article
Create an Outline
Try to mirror the existing outline of the original article and jot down the main points you will discuss. Follow your notes on how you will proceed to summarize the article’s main strengths and weaknesses, along with your critique.
Write a Rough Draft
You can handle making mistakes since it is only a rough draft. Leave the introduction and conclusions for the end stage. Focus on the main article and cover the vital information mentioned earlier.
Write the Main Article
Start writing the main review article from the rough draft produced earlier. Stick to the outlines and evaluate the writer’s work in the way you best understand. Critique it using relevant sources and state whether you agree or disagree with the author.
Revise, Edit, and Proofread
The last stage is to revise the finished piece and proofread it repeatedly. Correct the mistakes you’ve made and put in the extra work. Ensure to stick to the fundamentals of essay writing and set time aside to perfect it before you submit the review paper.
Conclusion
Review article writing is a critical and systematic assessment of an author’s original work. So you must approach it meticulously and conduct detailed research to form a basis for criticisms. Identify the article’s main points and devote enough time to write the perfect review article. Always provide relevant sources to support your critique as a good response to the original article.
