What is a critical review?
A critical review is much more than a simple summary; it is an analysis and evaluation of a book, article, or other medium. Writing a good critical review requires that you understand the material, and that you know how to analyze and evaluate that material using appropriate criteria.
Steps to writing an effective critical review:
Reading
Skim the whole text to determine the overall thesis, structure and methodology. This will help you better understand how the different elements fit together once you begin reading carefully. Read critically. It is not enough to simply understand what the author is saying; it is essential to challenge it. Examine how the article is structured, the types of reasons or evidence used to support the conclusions, and whether the author is reliant on underlying assumptions or theoretical frameworks. Take copious notes that reflect what the text means AND what you think about it.
Analyzing
Examine all elements. All aspects of the text-the structure, the methods, the reasons and evidence, the conclusions, and, especially, the logical connections between all of these-should be considered. The types of questions asked will vary depending on the discipline in which you are writing, but the