How to write an article’s review

What is an article review?

• A critical, constructive analysis of the article in a specific field through summary, classification and analysis.

• Who is the audience of review articles?– experts in specific research areas

Types of review articlesTypes by methodological approach

• Narrative review– Selected studies are compared as per author’s experience, existing theories and models. – Results are based on a qualitative rather than a quantitative level.

• Systematic review�– Findings from various individual studies are analyzed statistically by strict procedures.

Meta-Analyses are used to pool the results of individual studies.

Types by objective• Issue review

– Investigation of an issue (i.e. a point of disagreement or a question) in a specific field of research.

• Theory/model review– Introduction of a new theory or model in a specific field of research.

Elements of article to be check• Title– The title has to include important terms.�– Keep the title concise.�– A longer subtitle may be an option in case a specification is necessary.�– Length between eight to 12 words (Davis 2005)– Question The title should only be a question if this question remains

unanswered at the time of writing.

• List of authors– The first author has done most of the research and written major parts of

the article.– Authors between first and last author have contributed in one way or the �

other to the success of the project. – The last author usually coordinated the project and had the original idea

• Introduction– Provides information about the context, indicates the motivation for the

review, defines the focus, the research question and explains the text structure.

– Subject background. • The general topic, issue, or area of concern is given to illustrate the context.

– “Problem”. • Trends, new perspectives, gaps, conflicts, or a single problem is indicated.

– Motivation/justification. • The author’s reason for reviewing the literature, the approach and the

organization of the text are described.

– Citations many– Length Between 10% and 20% of the core text (introduction, body,

conclusions).

Elements of article to be check

What is an article review?• Body: Material and Methods

• Possible criteria for structuring the topic are:– methodological approaches– models or theories

• Paragraph structure Cover one idea, aspect or topic per paragraph.�– Avoid referring to only one study per paragraph; consider several studies per paragraph instead.�– Links Frequently link the discussed research findings to the research question stated in the introduction. These links �

create the a thread of coherence in your review article.– Link the studies to one another. Compare and discuss these relationships.�

• Citations – Citations are usually indirect but in some cases pointed and relevant remarks might be cited directly.

• Non-integral references (indirect): �– The author’s name, or a number referring to the reference list, appears in brackets. (Ridley 2008).

• Integral references (direct): �– The author’s name has a grammatical function in the text. Ridley (2008)

• Length 70 to 90% of the core text (introduction, body, conclusions).

What is an article review?• Conclusions

– Answer the research question set in the introduction.– implications of the findings– identification of unresolved questions�– Make sure your conclusions are not simply a repeat of the abstract!

• Acknowledgements– Expresses gratitude to people who helped in searching material or in the writing process (but whose

contribution is too small to justify co-authorship).– The name of the funding agency and program as well as the grant number and the person to whom

it was awarded are mentioned.– Citations none

• References– Elements Include every reference cited in the text. Do not include additional references. Avoid �

internet sources. If internet sources must be used, find the original source for the internet reference, check it has been correctly cited and cite it directly.

– Length A range between 50-100 references is in most cases appropriate.

Reading the Article

• Identify: – the research question (usually stated in the Abstract and

Introduction) – the hypothesis(es) (usually in the Introduction) – the test of the hypothesis (in the Methods) – the findings (in the Results, including tables and figures) – how the findings were interpreted (in the Discussion)

• Read the article again analytically and make notes of main ideas and main topic. Highlight important ideas and make brief notes.

Ask yourself these questions: • How does the author(s) support the hypothesis?

• What is the main aim of the article?

• Is the argument / thesis convincing? Is the evidence valid?

• How does the study design address the thesis?

• Is the methodology appropriate? Any weaknesses?

• Are the results convincing? Is it comprehensive and through?

• What questions remain unanswered? Anything omitted?

• Are the findings presented and described clearly and fully?

• Could the data be interpreted in another way?

• How does the article contribute to field? Does it is original contribution to the field?

• How does the article relate to the course?

Writing the Article Summary • Introduction

– Give the title of the article and name of the author(s) and provide a full citation of the article. Identify the writer by profession or importance.

– Identify the purpose of the article. – Tell what the research question is and explain why it is interesting and important. Give your overall

impression. – It is important that the introductory paragraph include a thesis statement which identifies the main points

you will be discussing in the body (analysis) of the review. • Body (Analysis)

– Briefly describe the methods, design of the study, how many subjects were involved, what they did, the variables, what was measured, and where the research was conducted.

– Write an analytical summary of the main findings, arguments, or conclusions of the article / study. – Discuss the strengths and usefulness of the article / study. – Discuss the weaknesses, limitations, or problems of the article / study. – Discuss what you learned from the article and if you recommend it to other students. – Support your analysis with quotations and/or specific examples throughout.

• Conclusion – Summarize the previous discussion. – Make a final judgment on the value of the article. – State what you learned from the article. – Comment on the future or implications of the research.

Evaluating Presentation (sample)