What is a critique?

How to write a critique

A critique is a type of academic writing that summarizes and critically evaluates a work – in this case a journal article. Like an essay, a critique uses a formal, academic writing style and has a clear structure that includes an introduction, body and conclusion. The body of the critique includes a summary of the article and an evaluation of it.

The purpose of an evaluation is to gauge the usefulness or impact of a work in a particular field. How to write a critique Before you start writing, it is important to have an understanding of the work to be critiqued by doing the following:

Study the article Make notes on key parts of the work

Develop an understanding of the main argument/purpose being expressed in the article

Typically, the introduction is short (less than 10% of the word length) and you should: Name the work being reviewed

Describe the main argument/purpose of the work Have a concluding sentence that indicates what your evaluation of the work will be.

For instance, it may indicate whether it is a positive, negative, or mixed reaction.

Summary

Briefly summarize the main points . This summary should not be the focus of the critique and is usually shorter than the critical evaluation.

This section should give an assessment of the different elements of the work, evaluating how well the author was able to achieve the purpose through these.

Examples of key questions that could help your assessment include the following:

Is the title of the article appropriate and clear?

Is the purpose of the article made clear in the introduction? What are the aims of the work?

Were the aims achieved? What type of evidence does the author use to make his/her points?

Has the evidence been presented fairly?

Does the work enhance understanding of key ideas?

Are the author’s statements clear?

Note: You are not required to answer all these questions – you may choose to answer the ones that you feel are relevant etc.

This evaluation is written in formal academic style and logically presented. Group and order your ideas into paragraphs. You may wish to discuss the strengths of the article, and then the weaknesses. You may quote from the article and use APA style for citations. You may cite other sources but I am not requiring this.

Conclusion

This is typically a very brief paragraph, which includes: A statement indicating the overall evaluation of the work A summary of your evaluation In some circumstances, recommendations for improvement on the work

Reference List

Include the article and any sources you use outside the article. You may have outside sources. Use APA style.

Assessing the Mr. Big Confessions Framework Five Years later – by Christopher Lutes; Manitoba Law Journal – 2019

This article can be found at http://themanitobalawjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/articles/MLJ_43.4/434_Lutes.pdf

This article critiques Mr. Big Operations for a number of reasons. It is interesting yet it is fairly complex and you might find it difficult to read. Do not get concerned if you do not understand some of the terms and concepts. Do the best you can. Everyone is in the same boat and I will take the difficulty of the article into consideration when I am marking.

Paper length:

6-7 pages Paper Due: March 19, 2021 Title Page: I do not require a title page but you may use one if you wish. Please ensure your name and student number are on the top of your paper (or on your title page if you have one)

This is to be written in essay style – not point form (although you may use point form where appropriate) Double spaced Papers must be submitted to Blackboard Worth 20% of overall mark