1. CRITIQUE
ESSAY

2. CRITIQUE
A critique evaluates a resource. It requires both
critical reading and analysis in order to present
the strengths and weaknesses of a particular
resource for readers. The critique includes your
opinion of the work. Because of the analytics
involved, a critique and a summary are not the
same.

3. Critique vs. Summary
Critique vs. Summary
Critique Summary
Gives an overview of key concepts discussed in the work Yes Yes
Includes introduction, body, and conclusion paragraphs Yes Sometime
s
Names the author and title of the work to be discussed Yes Yes
Provides your opinion of the work Yes No
Identifies gaps in the resource and/or research that the author missed Yes No
Requires close reading of a text Yes No
Requires you to analyze the text Yes No
May use supporting evidence from the text, such as quotes, to support your
interpretation
Yes No

4. PREPARING
TO WRITE A
CRITIQUE

5. Tips for Success:
First, and most importantly, make sure that the
item you have selected aligns with your
assignment.
Once you select your source, you'll want to read
through the entire resource at least twice.

6. Tips for Success:
If you've ever watched a movie or read
a book more than once, you probably
noticed things the second, third, or
even fourth time through that you didn't
pick up on when you made the first
pass through it.

7. Tips for Success:
Reading to write a critique requires that
same level of repeated exposure to the
work you're trying to analyze so that
you notice those small details and
have the opportunity to reflect on them.

8. Read first for
understanding.
You must have a broad
understanding of what the
resource is about before you
can evaluate its effectiveness.

9. Read again for depth.
Make notes, and ask yourself
the key questions on this guide
to help further your
understanding.

10. Tips for Success:
Once you have made some notes,
take a break. It helps when you
can let the ideas "breathe" so that
you have time to reflect. You'll
write a stronger critique if you give
yourself plenty of time.

11. TO
ASK

12. QUESTIONS TO ASK
As you read, consider the following questions:
• Do a bit of research on the author. What are the
author's credentials?
– What else have they written? Can you find other articles
written by them in library databases, or just on the web at
large?
– Are they qualified to offer expert opinions on the topic?
Do they have experience in the field?
– Can you locate information about what others in the field
say about the author?

13. QUESTIONS TO ASK
•What kind of research do they use to
support their claims?
–Are they providing and citing other expert
opinions?
–If they ran a study to support a claim, is
the method of research appropriate to the
information provided?

14. QUESTIONS TO ASK
• Is there any evidence of bias or conflict of
interest, either in the resource itself or in
the author's personal background?
• Does the resource make general claims
without much evidence to support them?
• How current is the publication? Are the
ideas presented there still relevant to the
field?

15. A
CRITIQUE
ESSAY

16. PARTS OF A CRITIQUE ESSAY
There are 4 distinct components to a critique,
and those are the:
• Introduction
• Summary
• Critique
• Conclusion

17. INTRODUCTION
An effective introduction:
• Provides a quick snapshot of background
information readers may need in order to follow
along with the argument
• Defines key terminology as needed
• Ends with a strong argument (thesis)

18. SUMMARY
A summary is a broad overview of what is discussed in a source. In a
critique essay, writers should always assume that those reading the essay
may be unfamiliar with the work being examined. For that reason, the
following should be included early in the paper:
• The name of the author(s) of the work
• The title of the work
• A quick overview of the
• Main ideas presented in the work
• Arguments presented in the work
• Any conclusions presented in the work

19. CRITIQUE
The critique is your evaluation of the resource. A strong critique:
• Discusses the strengths of the resource
• Discusses the weaknesses of the resource
• Provides specific examples (direct quotes, with proper citation) as
needed to support your evaluation
• Discusses anything else pertinent to your evaluation, including
– The accuracy of the resource
– Any bias found within the resource
– The relevance of the resource
– The clarity of the resource

20. CRITIQUE
A critique is your opinion of
the text, supported by
evidence from the text.

21. CONCLUSION
A conclusion has three main functions in an
essay. A conclusion will:
• Summarize the main ideas presented in the
essay
• Remind readers of the thesis (argument)
• Draw the paper to a close