Writing a Critical Review
Literature Critique
NURS 307 – Week 2
When writing a critical Review your essay must include the following components :
1. Introduction: Your first paragraph must familiarize your reader with the book /article you will discuss, as well as your own evaluation of the book/article. Here you will mention the book’s title and author and provide a brief overview of the author’s argument. Then give your own argument about the book/article’s effectiveness. Be specific. Also, give the reason for your evaluation (critique) of the book /article.
2. Summary: Use this section to familiarize your reader with the author’s argument. Explain the author’s stance on the topic, and the main points he or she makes in order to back up the argument. Describe the author’s conclusion of the topic.
3. Evaluation ( Critique) of book or article: This is the most important part of your essay. ( Remember you are not writing about whether you agree or disagree with the author). Instead, it’s your job to decide how effective the author’s argument is. The following are some criteria you can use to decide:
i. Is the writing clear? Does the author’s writing style make his /her argument clear, or does it create unnecessary confusion?
ii. How strong is the author’s argument? Do the Author’s main point back up his /her arguments effectively? is the argument organized in a logical way?
iii. Are there indications of bias? Does the author mention all sides of the issue or does he or she leave out important counter-arguments? what do you know about the author? Is there anything in the author’s background that may have caused bias?
iv. What is the author’s source? are they reliable? Does he or she use predominantly one type of source?
v. Which aspect of the author’s argument do you find convincing? Least convincing
Remember to be specific. For instance, if you feel the author’s writing is unclear, explain why. You may give an example to demonstrate your point to the reader. If you feel the author’s argument is not convincing provide reasons for your evaluation ( critique).
