Reflecting on Practice: Using Learning Journals in Higher and Continuing Education”

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Writing a Critique of a Journal Article

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Writing a Critique of a Journal Article

A critique of a journal article requires an assessment of the journal article’s strengths and weaknesses. It requires an understanding of the primary elements of journal articles. It usually requires reading the article several times, taking the time to highlight sections and/or make notes, as well as the jotting down of questions about any unclear concepts or confusing material. It requires critical thinking.

Critical thinking requires the ability to analyze and evaluate. It also includes the ability to identify and evaluate multiple perspectives, as well as to comprehend flawed logic or a flawed argument. As you progress through your doctoral program at Argosy University, you will develop your critical thinking skills to much higher levels. Do not be surprised if, at some time during your program, you unexpectedly find yourself saying, “Yes, my thinking has changed!”

To become more conscious about their critical thinking, some students become aware that they offer opinions, rather than statements that can be supported with facts or examples. This is also true for students who are new to writing critiques of journal articles. It may seem easy and concise to simply state, “This article was excellent and well written,” or “This article was confusing and never should have been printed.” However, from an instructor’s perspective, feedback would probably resemble the following: “W hy did you think it was excellent?” or “What made the article confusing?” As stated in the first sentence of this page, an assessment is an integral part of a critique. W hat differentiates an assessment from an opinion is an assessment can be supported by facts and/or examples, not just feelings.

Some doctoral students approach a critique assignment with a bias, one that may be unconscious. If an article has been published, especially by someone who has conducted research, can there really be a weakness? The answer is yes, there can be weaknesses in research. Didn’t an editor or a peer review panel discover any weaknesses and require the author(s) to correct any errors? The answer is that editors and peer reviewers do not always identify weaknesses.

As mentioned earlier, it is important to understand the primary elements of journal articles. The following list represents the most common elements, with guiding questions:

Research Question/Problem

 Was the research question or problem stated clearly near the beginning of the article?

 What was the research question/problem?

Theoretical/Conceptual Foundation

 Was a review of the literature included in the article?

 Were there sufficient and current references included?

 Did the literature review support the importance of the research question or problem?

 Were there any gaps identified in the literature?

 Were relevant theories and/or concepts identified and explained?

Methodology

 Was the methodology explained in sufficient detail?

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 Did the choice of methodology appear to be the best to address the research question/problem?

 Was the population identified as well as how the researcher(s) selected the population?

 How was data collected? Instruments? Surveys? Observations? Tests? Interviews?

Results

 Were the results clearly explained?

 Did the results address the research question/problem?

 Were visuals such as charts or tables provided to aid in understanding?

Discussion

 How well were the results discussed?

 Were there any recommendations for further study or research?

Hopefully, you have noticed the similarity between this list and the primary chapters of a dissertation.

As you prepare to write a journal article critique, remember you must write from a scholarly perspective. This requires you to apply the correct APA style and format to your critique and to include both a Title Page and a References Page. Pronouns should be minimally used. For example, do not use I, but refer to yourself as the reviewer or the assessor. Informal phrases and slang are not considered scholarly. Editing and proofreading are mandatory prior to submittal.