CRITERIA FOR WRITING A REVIEW OF A SCHOLARLY ARTICLE Instructions: Write at least a three-page, double-spaced review. Add a bibliography page. Create a Word Document. Label it: Last Name, SR Essay. Submit it to your assignment folder when completed. At the top of the page, place your name, date, and Review of Scholarly Article. Select ONE scholarly secondary source journal article from the Required Reading List for Weeks Five through Eight. (Note: not encyclopedia articles.) The list of suggested topics appears in Week 6 with these instructions. Read the article several times. Learn the topic by reading the other material in that weeks lessons. You will want to refer to those readings (primary and secondary sources, including a lecture if available). Place the complete bibliographic reference for the scholarly journal article, including page numbers, as your title. Here is an example: deGraaf, Lawrence B. Race, Sex, and Region: Black Women in the American West, 1850-1920. Pacific Historical Review, 49, 2 (May 1980): 285-313. Questions to Ask and Answer When Reading a Journal Article: Who is the author? What are his/her scholarly credentials and qualifications? What else has he/she written on the topic? If you need help, ask the UMGC librarian. What is the purpose of the article? Be able to describe its purpose in two succinct sentences. This article explores the role of African American women in the Trans-Mississippi West from 1850 to 1920. It examines the relationship among race, sex, and place in order to [answer this part of the question. . . ]. What is the authors central argument? Does he/she set forth a particular theory? If so, be able to explain it in three clear sentences. What evidence the primary and secondary resources does the author employ to develop his/her argument (or thesis)? Be able to describe them. Would it be wise to check one or two of the sources? Do the examples (statistics, charts, case notes) support the authors argument? From reading the other sources for the week, how does the authors work fit into the general scholarship? Analyze this. (In your written review, you may wish to reference other reading on the topic you have completed.) How well does the author advance our knowledge of the subject? How clear is the authors writing? When writing the review: Create an introductory statement about the article to set the direction for your paper. If you can develop a thesis, that will enhance your essay. Identify the article and describe its purpose. Identify the author and explain his/her credentials. Write a summary of the argument and evidence (at least 1.5 full pages). If the author advances a new theory or a particular point of view, explain that here also. Remember to describe the authors source material.
