How to Write a Good Critique Paper

How to Write a Good Critique Paper: Tips for Beginners

Students are often tasked with critique papers during their studies at colleges and universities. At first, this task may seem overwhelming, as it requires a different set of skills and knowledge compared to what you apply when writing essays or research papers. However, clarifying the essence of critique can quickly bring you to the level of mastery needed for effective critiquing.

In this article, our experts explain the principles of composing critique works without overly complex terminology or content. They have designed a simple and user-friendly guide to equip you with vital critiquing skills from zero. So, read on to develop a profound understanding of this task and its nuances.

What Is a Critique Paper

Let’s start with the definition and basic explanation for the newbies. The concept of critique combines two elements – analysis and evaluation of the data provided in a specific literary or academic source. When students analyze the provided source, they typically need to make sense of the information it contains. In other words, your analysis helps identify the key ideas, understand what the author is driving at, and clarify what other approaches to the point exist out there.

The second element, evaluation, is pretty subjective. It allows a student to assess the worth and significance of the author’s ideas and arguments on a specific topic. However, critiquing someone else’s writing doesn’t mean that you need to be critical by all means. In most cases, a critique can also be positive, meaning that you evaluate the content of your assigned article or book positively and consider the authors’ suggestions and opinions correct and valuable.

You may need to compose critical pieces on various topics, following different academic purposes. For instance, a piece of critique may be dedicated to a particular book or article. If you get such a paper, you need to read the chosen work thoroughly and produce an in-depth, thoughtful analysis of its content and significance. In other cases, you may be assigned to critique the literature on a specific topic. In this situation, you will need to read many different sources with varying standpoints on one and the same issue, clarifying which argumentation and side of the debate speak to you.

Finally, you may need to evaluate some statements in the light of your studied subject or specific theory. In this way, you will need to apply different perspectives to one concept, focusing on their relevance and propriety to one another.

How to Start a Critique Paper

Now, let’s proceed to the actual writing process. As soon as you get this task, you need to find the literature piece for close reading. Make sure you read the assigned source at least three times to capture the nuances of the author’s argumentation and evaluate their credibility.

Next, you need to take a closer look at the author’s credentials and experience in the subject they discuss. People often don’t possess the needed expertise or qualification in a specific area, just rewording what others say or voicing a layperson’s opinion. It may also occur that the source you’ve found is written by an experienced professional working in this industry for many years. These things affect the quality of argumentation and can also affect the way you think about the author’s persuasiveness.

Next, you need to evaluate the reasonability of claims provided in the assigned source. Are all of them data-backed, authentic, and credible? Is the source published in a book or a peer-reviewed academic journal, or is it a blog article? All these things also affect the reputability of the source and the strength of argumentation used in it.

With this information at hand, you can write an introduction to your paper. We’ll cover the content of the introductory part later on.

How to Structure a Critique Paper

In the process of writing the body of your critique paper, you need to focus on the following issues:

• Who is the author of this work? What are their professional credentials and achievements in this area?
• What aims did the author pursue when writing this article? Were these aims ultimately achieved?
• What language techniques and style did the author use to make their points persuasive? Did I find those techniques convincing?
• What assumptions did the author make during argumentation? Are they objective or subjective? Are they generally believable?
• What types of evidence did the author use in the text? Is the evidence credible and authoritative? Did the author use the evidence correctly, without bias or tweaking the facts?
• How did the author structure their work? Does the structure look persuasive and logical, or does it favor a specific interpretation of the facts? Is the piece opinionated?
• How did the reading of this article advance my understanding of this subject? Is the source generally informative and valuable?
• What did the author do good/bad? What is missing in the paper?

These points will inform your reasoning, giving you a clear structure for evaluating the assigned source.

How to End a Critique Paper

As a rule, the ending of your paper should look the way any other academic paper does. It should present a concise summary of all main points of the source article (and all main points of your evaluation thereof). Also, include the major findings of the article you’re analyzing and add your personal impression of reading it. Mention whether you found the author’s arguments believable, what impressed you the most, and what broader references you can make about the argument’s significance.

Critique Paper Outline

If you need a general outline to help you in the process of any critique paper writing, use the one we have provided below:

INTRODUCTION

Name of the work and main argument. Explanation of the context. A concluding sentence signposting your evaluation of the source you’ve chosen to review.

Example:

In the 21^st century, the problem of global hunger is gaining prominence, with several options for helping developing countries cope with this disaster. In his article “Managing hunger with education,” published in 2020, Eric Munger showed that most standard approaches, like financial aid or humanitarian packages, don’t work well in the long run. The author provides sound evidence to show how developing countries become even more helpless and disabled after using the passive help of other states for decades and how a situation can be changed with a different grassroots approach.

BODY

In this part of the text, you need to weigh every significant argument of your source text:

Example:

Argument 1 – why financial aid doesn’t help (the author’s claims, the supporting evidence, your evaluation of the evidence)

Argument 2 – why humanitarian assistance worsens the situation in the developing world (the author’s claims, the supporting evidence, your evaluation of the evidence)

Argument 3 – how education on the ground can help developing countries find practical solutions to hunger (the author’s claims, the supporting evidence, your evaluation of the evidence).

CONCLUSION

The final summary of your discussed points and the author’s conclusion in the source text. Your evaluation of that conclusion and a final evaluation of whether the source achieves its aim and proves its point. A reference to the broader context, discussing this source’s broader significance in terms of political science and global economics.

Example:

In his final evaluation, Eric Munger showed that developing countries that act as passive recipients of help from developed states could never rise from their knees as they have limited control over their economies. This position is highly believable, given the many decades of comprehensive assistance to African and Asian states that did not bring any substantial economic changes. Thus, the approach of Munger deserves attention as it provides a new perspective on solving the pressing global problem of hunger and economic backwardness.

Besides, you

Critique Paper Introduction

Every paper should have an introduction, and a critique paper is not an exception. A critique assignment needs to introduce the subject of your analysis – that is, the article, book, or topic you’re critically approaching in this writing project. Include the article’s name, the author’s name, and a brief background of the source. You also need to mention the article’s central idea and thesis to clarify what you’ll focus on in your critique.

Besides, the introduction should summarize the article’s key points. It will serve as your thesis for the paper, guiding the readers on what you will discuss and giving a roadmap of further content.

Critique Paper Body

The body of your article should include a point-by-point evaluation of the source’s content. Like a regular essay, where you take each point in your argument, formulate it in the topic sentence, and then prove its correctness and significance with supporting evidence, a critique paper focuses on the source’s arguments. The only difference is that you need to evaluate what another person did to prove their points, concluding whether their work was successful.

For instance, you need to mention the point, what arguments the author uses to prove it, whether the proof is valuable and convincing, and whether the provided evidence makes the intended point. This process should be done for every point from the author’s original article, with your own evaluation at the end of each paragraph and the paper’s final part.

Critique Paper Conclusion

Now that you have covered all significant points in the author’s source article, you should summarize the key facts and give your final evaluation. As a rule, it pertains to whether you agree with the author and whether you’ve found their arguments convincing. It’s also necessary to mention a couple of details about what made you produce a particular conclusion and what evidence was the most/least persuasive.

Any Questions to Us? Let’s Chat!

Now that you have these critique paper guidelines at your fingertips, the process of composing such an assignment can become much more manageable and hassle-free than it used to be. The task of doing daily homework can still be a hassle, but with our handy tips and step-by-step instructions, you can quickly feel that the process gets quicker and much more enjoyable.

Still, even if you don’t feel the burst of resourcefulness and creativity, it’s not a reason to say “no” to high grades. It’s still possible to be on time with all papers, written precisely the way your professor wants. Contact us and inform our managers about your new critique paper. A team of capable pros will handle your task promptly and competently, giving you the upper hand in class performance and ensuring that your professor stays content with your academic rigor and insight.

Inesse Goulding

About post author

As a former student myself, I appreciate the opportunity to help and guide young learners. I am your fearless partner in any academic emergency. My major is journalism, but I am always willing to help you with other pressing matters. Likes traveling, books, self-education, blogging, and academic writing. A diligent and hard-working writer, Inesse Goulding is an ever-positive personal who is always pleasant to talk to. Inesse is a profound editor and proofreader with a keen eye for impeccable grammar and engaging style. Also, Mrs. Goulding boasts a perfect English language, which makes her one of our most prolific and well-demanded writers. Let’s create something great together!