ENGL 3155

2017-2
Scholarly Article Review: Draft 1 due March 23

When writing a review of an article published in a professional journal, focus on a topic or issue
that draws your attention. Recognize that academics in most disciplines write within the
context of their disciplines and include theoretical concerns and/or jargon specific to a
discipline. Recognize that most authors assume that the reader has some background
knowledge, which you might not have. Still, your job is to understand the logic, structure, and
essence of the material in the article.

Some articles include a summary or abstract at the beginning of the article. Most articles follow
a similar structure: (1) an introduction that sets the scene and a brief review of the relevant
literature; (2) thesis statement or main focus of the article--i.e., what it is trying to prove; (3)
the argument and supporting information and evidence; and (4) conclusions. Usually, articles
have subheadings which permit skimming. A good trick is to read the first couple of paragraphs,
then skip to the conclusions to get a feel for the author's argument. Then go back and read in
detail, noting words and issues you don't understand and noting and the main points and
supporting information.

Feel free to quote selectively from the article, especially if the author has a particularly pithy
turn of phrase.

Your critical review should include (in paragraph, essay form but not necessarily in this order):

1. A title that reflects the thrust of your review. For example, the article title is "The Political
Ecology of Deforestation in Chile." Your title might be "They're Only Trees: Cutting Down Old
Growth Forests in Southern Chile."

2. A full bibliographic reference for the work, in APA style, just below your title.

3. Set the scene. What does the reader need to know to understand the main points of the
article?

4. The author's thesis. Many writers do not state a clear thesis (because they are not as well
trained in writing as you are); therefore, you may have to figure it out yourself and state it in
your own words. Sometimes, there may be three or four main points, not just one.
5. What is the author's argument and what information/evidence and sources does he/she use
to support that argument?

6. What are the author's general conclusions?

7. Your critique: A critique is not whether you liked the article or not. Rather, you should assess
whether his treatment of the article is relevant, inviting, complete, substantive and defend
why. Remember that you want to position yourself to be able to ‘compliment” what he does
well and readily critique where he falters. For instance, can you identify biases in the argument,
are there exaggerated claims in the discussion, does he ignore important variables in the
discussion, variables you consider critical, does he provide only theory when you think
pragmatic applications would be better given the target audience, is he overemphasizing one
point to the exclusion of other more important ones?

8. This list should not be considered all-inclusive or restrictive. Journal articles vary greatly in
subject, style, and methodology, so your review needs to reflect the material you are dealing
with.

Your Task: Locate a scholarly/peer reviewed article in the EBSCOhost database or in the open
access journals on Moodle, and write a professional article review about its contents. Follow
the guidelines above as you interpret and later draft the composition. Please avoid general and
pedestrian reactions and observations, and instead examine closely the author’s argument and
the significance of its contents to your discipline or field of specialization.

*****Use the following framework for the introductory paragraph:

Hellenger’s article entitled “Paradigmatic Shifts in Document Design” (2014) argues that ….He
observes that ….and supports his argument by…Hellenger’s purpose is to…as he addresses
technical writers in an effort to…(Finally, end the paragraph with a thesis statement that will
form the basis of your individual review) What will you focus on in your review? What will
constitute the basis of your review? Be sure to tell your readers exactly what will be your focus.

THESIS: While Hellenger readily articulates the theoretical significance of all aspects of
documents design both in form and content specifications, he provides little explication on the
ways in which other more nuanced areas such as font color, type setting and even paper quality
can influence a document’s effect on its intended audience.