How to Write a Review Article

Introduction 

The format of the review article allows students and researchers to analyze the work of various experts from different fields of study. Many research scholars review and analyze the work of their peer experts for originality, clarity, and making a contribution to the field of study. Today, we’ll discuss what is a review article; the types of article reviews, and how to write a review article. 

What is an Article Review? 

The review article also goes by the name of literature review, and it’s the analysis of already published work on the same topic. It offers an outline of the current thinking on the theme. However, the goal of the review article is to offer a critical evaluation of the available data from the existing knowledge and research. It points out the new potential areas for research to do next. Sometimes, the review article offers a different conclusion from the available data. In short, we can say that the review article does the following things; 

• Offers comprehensive analysis and basis on the particular topic 
• Clarifies the current foundation of knowledge 
• Points out the gaps in the current knowledge and paves the way for upcoming future research 
• Outlines the research techniques and methodologies 
• Offers comparison study, critique, analysis, classification, and summary 
• The comparison, analysis, and assessment utilize various theories, research, and ideas to discuss the subject area 
• It doesn’t add new information, but an analysis of the existing work 

Research Article vs. Article Review 

A research paper comprises the original work and point of view of the author. The length of the research article depends on the journal policies and their submission guidelines. 

However, the review article is a critical evaluation of the already published work. The length of the review article is much shorter than the research paper, but it also has to follow the guidelines of the journal. 

Types of Article Review 

Before jumping into the writing process of how to write a review article, it’s important to mentions the types of the review article. Some of the main types of the review article are as follows; 

Journal Article Review 

The journal article review analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of the already published work, just like any other review. Only an expert writer could offer such an interpretation and analysis that would reveal the value of the article. 

Research Article Review 

The research article review analyzes the information and research method used by the researcher in terms of critical evaluation. 

Science Article Review 

The science article review deals with anything relevant to the field of science. Scientific articles usually add detailed background information to the subject, and it would make it easier for you to thoroughly analyze the article. 

Pre-Writing Process 

If you’re writing a review article for the very first time, then it may baffle you to wonder where to start. The main two steps that you should keep in mind are as follows; 

Step 1

• Summarizing: you should study the general information, claims, ideas, and the main points 
• Defining Positive Points: keeping in mind the insightful observations of the author, ideas, and recognizing strong aspects
• Finding Gaps: you have to check whether the author has provided sufficient information to supports the arguments or not, gaps in the information, and contradictions 
• Recognizing Unanswered Questions: here you have to find any unanswered questions

Step 2

• You start by studying the abstract introductory part of the paper, title, headings, sub-headings, opening lines, paragraphs, and conclusion 
• After that, you should read the introduction and the conclusion, and you’ll find some areas where the author has mentioned all of its main points. Those points would help to comprehend the author’s point of view. 
• Finally, you study the whole article with all of its detail 

How to Write a Review Article 

It’s time to discuss how to write a review article, some of the main steps are as follows;  

Title 

First of all, you have to give the title to your work and it should reflect your analysis. The title could be declarative, descriptive, and interrogative. 

Cite the Article 

After that, you should develop a suitable citation for the article. The important thing in the citation is to follow the style of the citation as required by the journal or instructor. For instance, the MLM style of the citation is as follows; 

Last name of Author and first name. “Title of the Article.” Journal’s title and the publication date; page/s. Print 

Example:

“Abraham John. “The World of Dreams.” Virginia Quarterly 60.2(1991): 125-67. Print 

Article Identification 

After the citation, you should give identification to your reviewed article, and this information usually comes in the first paragraph of the article. It includes the following; 

• Title of the Article 
• Author name 
• Journal title 
• Publication year 

Example: 

The report, “Poverty increases school drop-outs,” written by Brian Faith – a health officer – in 2000 

Introduction 

Before writing anything, you should keep in mind the template, and organize your thoughts. 

• If you don’t know how to start the review article, you should start the introduction with your thesis of the review 
• Summary and main points of the article 
• Focus on the positive points of the publication 
• Start the criticism of the publication by pointing out the gaps, unanswered questions, disparities, and contradictions 

Summarize the Article 

You should write the summary of the article and revise the point of view of the author. Don’t forget to mention the facts and findings of the publication, and write the author’s name in the conclusion. 

Critique 

You should begin the criticism by presenting the strengths and weaknesses of the article and appreciate the knowledgeable contributions of the author in the field. After that, you should mention the contradictions and gaps you’ve found in the article. 

You should make your standpoint clear at this stage, whether you’re supporting the author’s assertion or not. While doing so, you should justify your argument with relevant facts, theories, and other studies. You can use templates and rubrics to grade and evaluate the performance of the person who wrote the article. 

Conclusion 

In the conclusion section, you should revise your critical analysis to make sure that it’s relevant, valid, and accurate. Suggest some points about future research and studies. 

Some of the main points that you should keep in mind before submitting the article are as follows; 

• While reading the article, you should point out the main points, and those points are the main argument, and what evidence the authors have used to support those arguments. 
• You should use evidence to point out something while writing the review, instead of using the direct quotations
• After using the evidence and making the quote, then make the direct quote. Take your time to evaluate the article 
• Every time you’re using some quotation for a reference point, you should make sure to use the parenthetical citation 
• Proofread and edit your article a few days later, it would help you to see your mistakes. 

Format & Structure of the Review Article 

• Pre-Title Page
• Corresponding Author Detail (optional)
• Running head
• Summary page
• Title Page 
• Introduction 
• Body 
• Work Citation/References 
• Suggested Reading Page (optional) 
• Tables & Figures 

Conclusion: How to Write a Review Article 

After an in-depth study of how to write a review article, we’ve concluded that writing an academic review article requires a lot of research, reading, and analysis. If you want to learn about writing a review article, then you should follow and practice the abovementioned steps.