How to write a Critique/ Reaction Paper?

A critique is a short paper about an article. It starts with a brief

summary of what the author said and then looks at it critically. To
summarize an article, you should first read the whole thing. Then think
about it. What are the author's main points? How does s/he back them
up; that is, what evidence does the author cite to support them? How
could you make the same argument in your own words? At this point
you should reread the article to make sure you've summarized the
authors ideas correctly and that you've clearly identified the source of
each idea (whether it's a direct quote or not).

The next step is to critically review what the author wrote. Does the
argument hang together? Were the methods used to gather the
evidence appropriate for the author's purposes? Does the evidence
cited really lead to the conclusion the author reached? Do you know of
other evidence/theories/principles/practices that might be used to
make a counter-argument? Be sure to check the date of the article and
the evidence -- are the conclusions still valid?

What is expected in your critique?

1. Identify your article by title, author and source.

2. Review the content of the article, summarize its main points.
What is the problem/issue/argument that this article is about?

3. Identify how the article relates to the field or topic you have
chosen, what area of the said topic it deals with and tell why the
article may be of importance in the field. Relate the article to the
topic/s you have read in class or to the exercises in class. What
theories or theorist relates closest to the issue?

4. Articulate the meaning and thought you have derived from the
article. Does it have any special importance to you or to a
particular segment of society? Why? You must show me that you
have thought about the article. Do you question the results or
conclusions that the article draws? Do you feel the article or the
research it reports on was lacking in some way? Show how an
aspect of this issue applies to you or someone you know.

5. Quality and style. (Defined by how well you followed instructions,

grammar, spelling, etc.)

6. Make sure that your paper is in the form of an essay with an

introduction, body and conclusion.
 7. Major points in the article:
a. The reaction paper must be typed and double-spaced,
Century Gothic font and font size 12.
b. The reaction paper should be at least three pages, but you
can have it more.
c. Please avoid contractions. Spell out such words as
"can't"(cannot).
d. Inclusive language should be used in the reaction paper (for
example: gender references should be written as “he/she”
when the gender is unknown.
e. Citations are necessary (within the paper) and there should
be a list of the references you have used.
f. This section should include the summary only and not the
whole story/article.
8. If your article is turned in late you lose 10 points automatically.

Note: Discuss any new or contradictory information. Discuss any

information found in the article/story that is new (different from what is
found in the book) or contradicts information found in the book.