Writing the

Reaction
Paper/Review/
Critique
Critiques or reviews help develop
in the writer the following:
1. Knowledgeof the work’s subject area or
related works;
2. Understandingof the work’s purpose, intended
audience, development of argument, structure
of evidence or creative style;
3. Recognition of strengths and weaknesses of
the work
Creative Works- novels, exhibits,
film, images, or poetry
Research- monographs, journal
articles, systematic reviews,
theories
Media- news reports, feature
articles
Step in writing a Critique:
 Study the work being reviewed or critiqued;
 Write down important parts of the work;
 Develop an understanding of the main argument
or purpose being expressed in the work;
 Consider how the work relates to a broader
issue or context
Introductory part:
1. Namethe work being reviewed as well as the date it
was created and the name of the author/ creator.
2. Describe the main argument or purpose of the work.
3. Explain the context in which the work was created.
4. Have
a concluding sentence that signposts what your
evaluation of the work will be.
Body
Explain the summary
and evaluation of the
subject being reviewed
or critiqued.
Conclusion
 Provide a statement indication the
overall evaluation of the work
 Give a summary of the key reasons
identified during the critical evaluation,
why this evaluation was formed
 Give a recommendation for improvement
on the work
Question that could help provide a
good review or critique:
 Who is the creator? Is the work presented objectively or subjectively?
 What are the aims of the work? Were the aims achieved?
 What techniques, styles, media were used in the work? Are they
effective in portraying the purpose?
 What assumptions underlie the work? Do they affect validity?
 What types of evidence or persuasion are used? Has evidence been
interpreted fairly?
 How is the work structured? Does it favour a particular interpretation or
point of view? Is it effective?
 Does the work enhance understanding of key ideas or theories? Does the
work engage (or fail to engage) with key concepts or other works in the
discipline?
 Forming
Opinion based
on Facts
Opinion
Ajudgment, viewpoint, or
statement about matters
commonly considered to be
subjective.
Facts
Verifiable and can
be objectively
proven to have
occurred.
 Steps in forming your opinion
based on facts:
Clearlystate your opinion on the issue
Ask yourself why you hold your belief
Research the issue
Consider the tone of your writing
 Example:
This is the best plan
because it is better than
others.
Example:
No one would vote
for that candidate.
Some phrases used in stating an opinion:
 It seems that…
 In my opinion…
I am of the opinion that…
 My personal view is that…
 In my experience…
I might be wrong but…
I think/ believe that…
I am convinced that…
Kinds of Evidences to Support
Claims
Facts
Examples
Support from authority (testimony)
Statistics
Citing Sources to Support Claims:
 Referencing Books
 Referencing Personal Communication
 Referencing Electronic Sources
 Referencing Organization as Author
 Referencing with the Same Last Name
 Referencing Two or More Works in the Same Parenthesis
 Referencing Personal Communication
 Referencing Unknown Letter
 Referencing Unknown Author
 Referencing Sources with no Page Number
 Referencing Sacred or Classical Text
Referencing
Books
1. One work by one
author
Author surname and
year of publication
2. One work by two authors

Always cite both names every

time the reference appears
Connect the last names of a
multiple author work with an
ampersand
3. One work by three, four
and five authors
Cite all authors the first time the
reference occurs
All further references, include
only the surname of the first
author followed by et al. and the
year in parenthesis
4. One work by six or more authors

 Cite only the surname of the first author

followed by et al. and the year for the first
and all subsequent citations
 In the reference list, provide the initials
and surnames of the first six authors, and
shorten any remaining authors to et al.
5. Cite the few words of the reference list
entry (usually the title) and the year.

 (Beverage Preferences, 1978) book

 Preferences, a (“Cocoa Beats Tea,” 2007) article
 Use double quotation marks around the title of an article or chapter.
 Italicize the title of a periodical, book, brochure, or report.
6. Secondary citations
You read Freud, who quoted a work by
Dickinson, and you want to cite
Dickinson, but you didn’t read her work.
Dickinson (as cited in Freud, 1930)
In the References, you list Freud’s work
Referencing
Personal
Communication
a.Letters, class lectures, e-mail
interviews etc.
b.Cite in-text only – not in reference
list
c.Pattern: (B. Emerson personal
communication, November 15,
2007)
Referencing Electronic Sources
Indicate the page, chapter, figure, table, or
equation at the appropriate point in the text
Always give page numbers for quotations
The words “page” and “chapter” are
abbreviated
If the electronic source does not provide
page numbers, use the paragraph number
preceded by the paragraph symbol or the
abbreviation “para”
 If the paragraph and page number are not
visible, cite the heading and the number of the
paragraph following it to direct the reader to
the location of the material.
 If you cannot find an author, cite the first few
words of the reference list entry (usually the
title and year
 When possible, cite electronic sources,
including online sources, as you would any other
source, giving the author and the year.
Referencing Organization as Author

FirstCitation – Ex. (Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention
CDC, 2009)
Later Citations – Ex. (CDC, 2009)
Referencing with the same last name

To avoid confusion, use initials

with the last names if your
reference list includes two or
more authors with the same
last name.
Referencing Two
or More Works in
the Same
Parenthesis
When your parenthetical citation
names two or more works, put them
in the same order that they appear in
the reference list, separated with
semicolons
Referencing Personal Communication
Personal interviews, memos,
letters, e-mail, and similar
unpublished communications
should be cited in the text only,
not in the reference list. (Use
the first initial with the last
name in parenthesis.)
Referencing unknown author

 If no author is named, mention the title of the source in the signal phrase or
give the first word or two of the title in the parentheses.
Referencing Sources with no Page
Number
 APA ordinary requires page numbers for quotations, summaries, and
paraphrases. When an electronic source lacks stable numbered pages, include
paragraph numbers or headings to help readers locate the particular passage
being cited
 If the source has numbered paragraphs, use the paragraph number preceded
by the abbreviation “para.” (Hall, 2008, para. 5)
 If the source contains heading, cite the appropriate heading in parentheses;
you may also indicate the paragraph under the heading that you are referring
to, even if the paragraphs are not numbered.
Referencing Sacred or Classical Text

 Identify the text, the version or edition you used, and the relevant part
(chapter, verse, line). It is not necessary to include the source in the
reference list
Reference List (Bibliography)

1. Provides bibliographic information so readers can find sources themselves.

2. Each entry includes this basic information
a. Author’s name
b. Date of Publication
c. Title of Work
d. Other publication information, such as source of work, page numbers
e. Start the reference list on a new page
f. Type the word ‘References’ center top of page
h. arrange alphabetically
i. If same first author- arrange by year of publication
Acceptable Abbreviation for Reference
List Entries
Abbreviation Reference List Entry
chap. chapter
ed. edition
Rev. ed. revised edition
2nd ed. Second edition
Ed. (Eds.) Editor (Editors)
Trans. Translator(s)
n.d. no date
p. (pp.) page (pages)
Vol. Volume (as in Vol. 4)
vols. volumes (as in 4 vols.)
No. Number
Pt. Part
Tech Rep. Technical Report
Suppl. Supplement