Critique papers require you to analyze a certain piece of writing, such as an essay, article, or book. Regardless of your major, at some point, you will probably need to write a critique paper. Critiquing professional papers is a common task among psychology students because this way, they can learn more about psychology articles and improve their writing. Students can study the way researchers conduct their experiments and discuss the results. Academic writing consultants from college-writers.com decided to help you write a good critique paper on psychology with some useful tips.
Writing Steps
Although we wrote these tips for students who write a psychology critique paper, many of these principles also apply to critique paper son other subjects, as well. The first thing you should do is to read the materials you need to analyze. We recommend that you read them carefully, taking notes or highlighting the most important information. We recommend that you follow these steps to understand what you should focus on.
1. Read the introduction
Look for the hypothesis. Is it clearly stated? Look for the necessary background information and previous research data in the introduction. The introduction may or may not provide you with answers to some basic questions, and your questions can serve as a basis for your critique paper.
2. Read the methods section
The methods section should clearly outline the study procedure. Look for information on variables that have been measured by researchers. Note questions that come to your mind while reading. When you finish reading the paper, you’ll be able to take a look at your list of questions and determine which of them still remain unanswered.
3. Read the results section
Check the graphs and tables from the results section and check whether they are labeled properly. Did the researchers collect the necessary data to measure the variables? Note your questions and highlight any elements that seem unclear or don’t make sense. When writing your critique, you’ll be able to use these questions and point out the weak spots in the original article.
4. Read the discussion section
How did the researchers interpret their results? Did the results support or disprove the hypothesis? Are their conclusions reasonable? The discussion section will certainly help you develop your own position on the subject matter.
If you agree with the conclusions drawn by the researchers, explain your position. If you don’t agree with them, explain what problems their conclusions have and provide possible alternatives. You may also point out a question that remains unanswered by the researchers.
Write Your Critique
Once you’ve done reading the article, grab your notes and write an outline that will help you understand what your critique will look like and how you should structurize it. The general structure of a psychology critique paper looks as follows:
1. Introduction
Start with a description of the journal article and its authors. Make sure to provide the key thesis or hypothesis and explain why this information is relevant.
2. Thesis statement
At the end of your introduction, present a thesis statement. It will be the main idea of your paper, briefly summarizing your main points.
3. Article summary
Provide your critique and describe any problems that you’ve found in the author’s conclusions or methods. Your critique should be focused on the author’s argument and things he or she overlooked. Pay particular attention to the way your paper is organized and make sure to include transitions between different sections. Each paragraph should only focus on one point. This way, your paper will be easy to read and easy to understand.
4. Conclusion
At the end of your critique, write an overview of the entire document, along with your reactions and conclusions.