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Writing a Critical Review: A Suggested Approach

Article · July 2020

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Isaac Boaheng
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 Writing a Critical Review: A Suggested Approach
Isaac Boaheng
[Available at: https://noyam.org/blog_writing-a-critical-review/ ]
It is common in academia for people to review the works of other scholars. Reviewing a book,
journal article, a book chapter or any other text require some skills which one needs to be familiar
with. Scholars distinguish between descriptive or critical reviews. The former simply summarises
the text read but the latter goes beyond simple summary to evaluate and critique it. The critical
approach is the focus of this paper.
What is a Critical Review?
A critical review is an overall critique of a text, its argument, its use of evidence and its contribution
to historical understanding. It provides a fair evaluation of a secondary historical source so that
someone who has not read the source can understand its key contributions to the study of a
historical topic or period. It is a form of literary criticism in which a text is analysed based on
content, style, and merit. It is usually brief, about one to two pages. A good review is expected to
have one main point/thesis.
Reviewing a text requires the reviewer to think critically about the text to ascertain the author’s
argument and to give a critique. Therefore, no proper review can be done without adequate
understanding of the text. This requires reading the text at least twice. The first reading should
help the reviewer to familiarize him/herself with the overall content of the text and to note any
impressions formed. The initial impressions are then tested in the second reading, confirmed and
conclusions drawn. As the reviewer goes through the text he/she must ask questions such as:
i. What seems to be the author’s main purpose or point?
ii. Is this purpose aimed at any particular group of readers?
iii. What information or knowledge does the text convey?
iv. What personal or practical meaning does the text have for the reader?
v. What are the most appropriate terms by which to evaluate the text?
vi. How successfully did the author carry out the overall purpose(s) of the text?
It also requires the ability to comment on the text as a whole, and to summarise the main content
without losing meaning. A good understanding of the essential purpose and overall flow of thought
of the text will go a long way to enhance the work of the reviewer. In addition to the material under
review, the reviewer needs to read other related texts to enable him/her present a fair and
reasonable evaluation of the text being reviewed.
Why a Critical Review
A critical review has at least three purposes. First a critical review ensures that students develop a
reading habit and at the same time acquire the skills of engaging in intellectual discussion on what
they read. Second, it fosters independent and critical reading and thinking about historical sources.
Critical review involves analytical skills that push reviewers to read and think about a text in a
deeper manner, moving beyond a “book report.” Third, it prepares students to evaluate historical
sources and arguments. Fourth, it gives others the opportunity to keep track of the latest research
without necessarily having to read the entire document.
Suggested Structure a Critical Review Paper
Before the introduction, the reviewer must give bibliographic information about the text. This
includes title of publication, author, publisher, place of publication, date of publication, and total
number of pages in the book. Price(s) of book and the International Standard Book Number (ISBN)
or Library of Congress Catalog (LCC) number, if listed may be added. This forms something like
a heading.
Introduction
An introductory paragraph identifies the work, its author and purpose, and presents a statement of
your evaluation of the text (thesis statement), and gives some indication of whether the author
achieves the stated purpose of the study or not. A strong introduction shows a solid grasp of the
issues and provides a clear outline of the scope of the review.
Body
The body of the review must give a clear overview of the contents of the book, the special purpose
for the audience of the book, and the reviewer's reaction and evaluation. It presents a summary of
the main argument/evidence/ findings/conclusions/implications of the text. Use reporting speech
(verbs) to make clear you are presenting the author’s views. A statement about the place of the
study in a wider field—other studies of the same genre, other studies by the same author—and
explanation of the points of similarity or difference. It gives an evaluation or a critique, indicating
the strengths/usefulness of text and the weaknesses/limitations/problems of text. Support your
critique with evidence from other literature and the text. Each of these should be presented in a
paragraph.
 Conclusion
A conclusion that summarises the previous discussion, restates your final judgment on the
usefulness and scholarly value/contribution/importance of the text to understanding of the topic
(whether or not it is valuable for adding insight, and if so, why, if not, why not). Comment on the
future of the issue/topic or implications of the view expressed. Solid concluding section drawing
together important points made in essay is very necessary. Finally, list of works cited in the review
under the heading “References.”
Final Words
What has been presented in this paper is a general approach. There may be other elements required
depending one’s discipline, institutions, publisher, and so on. It is therefore important to seek
further clarification from an appropriate person if need be.

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