The review should be no more than 1,500 words; and should provide both an overview and a critique, asking the following questions.
1. An article review should be a dialogue between the article and yourself; thus you do not need to cite or read other materials.
2. Please focus on the article. Don’t talk about contemporary affairs or wider historical events with which the article does not deal.
3. You don’t need an introduction, which explains the general facts – cut down on your words and save space for your own argument. Start your essay with the author’s main points.
4. Don’t make moral statements. Imperialism, colonialism, and racism, for example, had some negative impact worldwide; but the purpose of this essay is not to apply contemporary standards to the past. Your job is not to say “good” or “bad” about the historical events, but to analyze the article.
5. Whenever you cite the article that you are reviewing, indicate the page number in parentheses.
6. When you write a review essay, think about the following questions: (You don’t have to answer them in your essay. These questions are to assist you come up with ideas.)
a. What is the author’s main argument? You can summarize the article in one paragraph. What is the purpose of this article? What are its strengths and weaknesses?
b. What sorts of theories / sources / evidence does the author use?
c. Is the article analytical or too much based on narrative?
d. What sort of facts does the author overlook? Does he/she include everyone’s perspectives?
e. Is the author logical? Does the author accomplish what he/she has set out to do?
f. Did the article improve your knowledge of the topic?
7. If possible, identify what sorts of contributions the article makes to historical knowledge.
8. When you answer the questions above, do not just say: “the author is not logical.” Remember that whenever you criticize the article, you need to explain why you have adopted a particular viewpoint. Just as historians need evidence to support their arguments, you will need to provide reasons and evidence for your argument.
9. A good way to organize your review is to identify the main argument, then point out the merits and flaws of the article, and finally evaluate the article as a whole. While all the articles on the list are published in prestigious journals, it does not necessarily mean that they are “perfect.”
10. Do not simply summarize the article.
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