A Critical Reading Guide
| A Focused Explanation |
Is the explanation focused? 
Summarize: Tell the writer, in one sentence, what you understand the concept to mean and why it is important or useful. Praise: Give an example of something in the draft that you think will especially interest the intended readers. Critique: Tell the writer about any confusion or uncertainty you have about the concept’s meaning, importance, or usefulness. Indicate if the focus could be clearer or more appropriate for the intended readers or if the explanation could have a more interesting focus. |
| A Clear, Logical Organization |
Is the explanation easy to follow?
Summarize: Look at the way the essay is organized by making a scratch outline. Praise: Give an example of where the essay succeeds in being readable—for instance, in its overall organization, forecast of topics, or use of transitions. Critique: Identify places where readability could be improved—for example, the beginning made more appealing, a topic sentence made clearer, or transitions or headings added. |
| Appropriate Explanatory Strategies |
Is the concept explained effectively?
Summarize: Note which explanatory strategies the writer uses, such as definition, comparison, example, cause-effect, or process analysis. Praise: Point to an explanatory strategy that is especially effective, and highlight research that is particularly helpful in explaining the concept. Critique: Point to any places where a definition is needed, where more (or better) examples might help, or where another explanatory strategy could be improved or added. Note where a visual (such as a flowchart or graph) would make the explanation clearer. |
| Smooth Integration of Sources |
Are the sources incorporated into the essay effectively?
Summarize: Note each source mentioned in the text, and check to make sure it appears in the list of works cited, if there is one. Highlight signal phrases and in-text citations, and identify appositives used to provide experts’ credentials. Praise: Give an example of the effective use of sources—a particularly well-integrated quotation, paraphrase, or summary that supports and illustrates the point. Note any especially descriptive verbs used to introduce information. Critique: Point out where experts’ credentials are needed. Indicate quotations, paraphrases, or summaries that could be more smoothly integrated or more fully interpreted or explained. Suggest verbs in signal phrases that may be more appropriate. |
Before concluding your review, be sure to address any of the writer’s concerns that have not already been addressed.
Making Comments Electronically Most word processing software offers features that allow you to insert comments directly into the text of someone else’s document. Many readers prefer to make their comments this way because it tends to be faster than writing on hard copy, and space is virtually unlimited; it also eliminates the process of deciphering handwritten comments. Where such features are not available, simply typing comments directly into a document in a contrasting color can provide the same advantages.