The Critique

 

A critique is your informed opinion, an offering of your valuable judgment.  Your judgment is worth knowing if your opinion is formed by your careful attention to the fundamental elements of the subject being critiqued.  Your opinion is also formed by your imagination -- that is, your ability to imagine what a better or the best experience of the subject would be like.  Finally, your opinion is formed by drawing on your own experience and the experience of others regarding the subject. 

 

Critique Checklist

 

1. Is the title of the article you are reviewing placed in quotations? Are the title and author mentioned in the first or second sentence of your critique?

 

2. Have you offered a 2-3 sentence explanation of the importance of your topic?  Have you explained to your reader why he or she should care about this issue?

 

3. Have you summarized the article you are reviewing briefly, objectively and completely?  Have you mentioned main points and sub-points?  Do you include telling (significant) and memorable examples and quotations?

 

4. As you write your opinion on the issue and on the article itself, have you included some of the following? 

 

What were the author's purposes in writing this article?  Consider the techniques he or she uses to inform, persuade (and possibly) entertain you.  Do you find any logical fallacies?  [Attention]

 

Is there some aspect of the topic which he or she should have considered?  [Imagination]

 

Have you read other or better articles on this topic? Do you have personal knowledge of this topic? [Experience]

 

5. Do you conclude by indicating whether you (mostly) agree or (mostly) disagree with the author?