Article Reviews like a small essay

The academic journal articles – available on iLearn:

Hartman, Edwin (2006). Can We Teach Character? An Aristotelian Answer.
Academy of Management Learning & Education, 5(1), 68–81.

Malnight, Thomas W. et al. (2019). Put Purpose at the Core of Your Strategy.
Harvard Business Review, Sept/Oct, 70–79.

writing requirement
 Formatting
o 2 typed pages, single–space, 10pt font, Times New Roman, justified
margins
 Heading
o Include the bibliographic information of the article
 Introduction
o Identify what your review intends to do
o Include the author & title again
o Include a very brief overview of the article, its purpose, & your
reaction/evaluation
 Background Information
o Place the article/book in context and discuss the criteria/reason for judging
the article/book
 Summary
o Discuss the main points of the article/book, quoting & paraphrasing key
ideas from the author
1 Book Reviews: Justice and Grow the Pie will follow the format of the ‘article review’ and will be three
pages.

 Evaluation
o Your evaluation, consider the following –
 How well the article/book achieves its goal
 What is the central lesson of the article/book
 What are the article/book’s strengths and shortcomings
 What personal experiences have you related to the subject
 Conclusion
o Provide a final overview
o Suggested recommendations for further research
o Why this reading matters

Writing Criteria

The following criteria should be used as a guideline for critical writing. The general format can
also provide help with organizing in–class essay exams, however, my advice for your exams is:
“get deep, quick”.

An "A" essay:
1. Clearly and completely responds to the question, demonstrating sophisticated critical
analysis.
2. Contains a clear and specific thesis statement (located at the end of the introduction).
3. Reflects a strong correspondence between the thesis statement and topic sentences.
4. Uses clear focused arguments, supported by evidence, with appropriate citations.
5. May offer unique arguments or analysis that others missed.
6. Is well organized with few errors in sentence structure, spelling and mechanics.
7. Incorporates complex sentences and smooth transitions, moderate to high thought–per–
sentence and –paragraph counts, and specific arguments from the applicable reading
assignments.
8. Contains a complete and informative reference page.

A "B" essay:
1. Adequately responds to the question but at a less sophisticated level.
2. Has a clear thesis sentence, but the thesis statement is weaker than in an "A" paper.
3. Advances solid arguments and supplies adequate evidence or examples for each.
4. Is clear and generally well written, with few errors, proper citations, and a reference page.
5. May gloss over important points or generalize where a more specific analysis is expected.

A "C" essay: Does not meet two or more of the first four criteria for a "B", but answers the
question. Often these papers are too vague or broad, or do not supply adequate evidence.

A "D" essay: Attempts to answer the question, but leaves large gaps in developing the arguments
or analyzing the reading materials.

An "F" paper: Plagiarism or failure to do the paper as assigned.

Some Notes on Writing Graduate Caliber Essays:

1) Always cite work that you paraphrase or quote (including page numbers and web addresses).
2) Never “cut and paste” or directly copy a phrase with three or more words from an internet or
electronic source without using quotations and citing the source.
3) Paraphrasing and using a citation to credit the original author is preferable to using direct
quotes when you are not trying to make a specific point about the quote itself. As a general
rule, you should have at least one source cited in each supporting paragraph in the body of your essay. (The number and breadth of specific citations is a solid indication of whether you

have brought sufficient evidence to bear on your analysis—more is better.)