La Consolacion University Philippines

City of Malolos, Bulacan

GRADUATE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

Journal Article Review Format and Guidelines

A. Format: Around 300-400 words, typed, use 1.5 spacing. Absolute limit is 500 words. Check your
word counters in WP or Word.

Please refer to following document formatting standards:

a. Paper
i. Size: 8.5 x 11
ii. Orientation: Portrait (except for special diagrams)
iii. Substance: 20

b. Spacing: 1.5 inches

c. Indentation: 1 inch

d. Margins:

i. Top: 1 inch
ii. Left: 1.5 inches
iii. Bottom: 1 inch
iv. Right: 1 inch
v. Gutter: 0
vi. Header: 0.5
vii. Footer: 0.5

e. Font

i. Sizes
1. Heading: 12 (Bold) , Align Left
2. Body : 11
 ii. Type: Times New Roman

iii. Color: Black (Automatic)

f. Pagination

i. TopRight (no extra characters)

B. Guidelines for Structuring JOURNAL ARTICLE REVIEW

A journal article review is a common assignment in the graduate school. Reviewing journal
articles is an important assignment on its own or as part of a much larger research paper.
Generally APA journal article reviews will follow certain conventions. Articles should be from
peer-reviewed or scholarly journals and relate to the field of study.

Instruction:
Step 1
Read the entire article. Many journal articles can be quite complex and use complicated
wording and statistics. You may need to read the article a few times before you get a full
grasp of it. As you read, keep in mind questions such as:

A. What is this trying to say?

How clearly is the message getting through?
How readable (word choice, language etc) is it?
How accurate is the information?
How useful did you find this information

B. Identify the purpose of the article.

C. Tell what the research question is and explain why it is interesting and important. Give
your overall impression.

Step 2

Write your introduction paragraph, which should cite the source article and give a brief
sketch of what it was about. You don't have to cover this in detail -- going through a few
main points is fine.

Step 3

Explain why the article is relevant. This should be one to three paragraphs, depending on
the length of the article. Why is the information in it important and how would it be of use
 to its readers? This may or may not be in the introductory paragraph, depending on how
you structure your review.

Step 4

Discuss the meaning or implication of the results of the study that the article is about. This
should be one to two paragraphs. This is where you offer your opinion on the article.
Discuss any flaws with the article, how you think it could have been better and what you
think it all means.

Body (Analysis)

-- Briefly describe the methods, design of the study, how many subjects were involved,
what they did, the variables, what was measured, and where the research was conducted.

-- Describe the results / what was found.

-- Write an analytical summary of the main findings, arguments, or conclusions of the

article / study.

-- Discuss the strengths and usefulness of the article / study.

-- Discuss the weaknesses, limitations, or problems of the article / study.

-- Discuss what you learned from the article and if you recommend it to other students.

-- Support your analysis with quotations and/or specific examples throughout.

Step 5

Write one paragraph discussing how the author could expand on the results, what the
information means in the big picture, what future research should focus on or how future
research could move the topic forward. Discuss how knowledge in the area could be
expanded.

Step 6

Move on to your critique of the article. This is the meat of your essay. Did you think the
article was good or bad? Why? Refer back to the questions in step 3. If you have answered
all of them. Support your argument.

Step 7

A quick conclusion restating why you would or would not recommend this article.
 -- Summarize the previous discussion.

-- Make a final judgement on the value of the article.

-- State what you learned from the article.

-- Comment on the future or implications of the research

Grading of Papers:

Papers will be graded on a scale of 10 pts. based on the following criteria:

1. appropriate relation between observation and concept ----- 3pts

2. quality of analysis, use of technical and critical thinking-------3pts
3. quality of insight and originality of interpretation---------------4pts

Prepared by:

Keno C. Piad, DIT