A literature review is a form of critical review in which you interpret and compare several references on a particular subject. The goal is to provide your reader a summary of the research that has been conducted on the subject, as well as to analyse the references you are evaluating. You would almost certainly provide fewer comprehensive details about each source than you would in a critical summary of a particular book or post. Instead, you can concentrate on the most interesting aspects of your subject.
You will measure the efficiency of the writers’ points in the same way as you will in a critical analysis. You’ll also highlight portions where a lot of research has been conducted, and also places where further research is needed. Thus, it is necessary to compare sources with one another, highlighting where they approve and differ.
Eventually, you can make judgements based on your observations and describe what the text in its entirety says regarding the subject. Make sure to factor in your assessments of the relative efficacy of the various authors’ points. If crucial facets of the subject have not yet been thoroughly studied, you will be unable to draw firm conclusions. If that’s the situation, you should talk about why further analysis is required.
Structure of the Critical Review
There is no set structure for critical reviews (for example, you could recap and then analyse, or you could merge these two components), but the article should consider the following elements:
- Introduction: The initial section should introduce your reader to the novel/article you will be discussing, as well as your own assessment of the book. Address the name and author of the novel, as well as a short summary of the author’s claim.
- Summary: Use this portion to acquaint the audience with the author’s point of view. Illustrate the author’s position on the subject, as well as the key points he or she makes to support the case. Interpret the author’s findings on the subject.
- Critique of the Article or Book: It is the crucial part of the thesis.
Note that you are not writing on whether or not you approve of the author’s thought; rather, it is your right to set how successful the author’s point is.
- Is the writing legible? Is the author’s style of writing obvious, or does it add needless ambiguity to his or her reasoning?
- How persuasive is the author’s point? Does the author’s key points adequately support the claim? Is the point structured rationally?
- Conclusion: In your conclusion, you will restate the key points of your review . The conclusion is also a good place to offer your overall assessment of the book or story. You may also make closing remarks about the book’s importance to the field or potential future research directions.
Steps to Write a Critical Review
- Plan your approach to the report: Make your criteria clear, demarcate which portion of the review is going to be the summary and which portion will be the evaluation.
- Take Notes: read through the text and take notes about the primary questions, the aim of the article, the methods used, the provided evidence, they key findings.
- Evaluate the text: Figure out the text’s ability to answer the relevant topic or any new interpretations. The length of the text, the concluding statements of the text, whether they are conclusive or preliminary.
- Write and proofread: Stay focused on the criteria of your evaluation, read and re read your text. Check for grammatical errors, sentence structure and extent of coverage.
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