How to Write a Comprehensive Review

What is a research paper or article worth? The answer to this depends on many factors. But the short answer is: if you’re conducting a comprehensive review, you’re essentially assessing an article’s worth.

Research is critical to the evolution of modern science. By writing a research article, you’re immortalizing that research so others may continue it and build on top of it for many years to come. However, there’s a risk of not being published without a comprehensive review.

This article teaches you everything you should know when preparing to write a review and how to write a comprehensive one.

What You Should Know When Preparing for a Review

A comprehensive review requires a well-structured presentation of arguments and a high level of in-depth analysis because, in an article, you deal with a lot of reading, comparing, and contrasting. You want to start by reading the article quickly to get an idea of the main points, check the structure, and ensure it meets the requirements.

Next, you’ll want to think about how effectively the author proved their main points and arguments. Pay close attention to the article’s methods and materials to ensure the author’s arguments are defensible and support their ideas. Conduct any necessary research to validate the author’s main points. To do this, you may use database searches like Google Scholar and PubMed (focus on publications that are three years old at most).

Finally, you’ll want to read through the article again. Decide whether you will read the article from start to finish or by following these steps:

• Start by reading the title, introductory part, headings, subheadings, abstract, opening sentences, and the conclusion. The beginning and end of an article are where the author includes the main points and arguments, so you’ll get a good idea of the main points by reading these parts first
• Then read the entire article once again.

Regardless of your choice, take detailed notes on inconsistencies, points that require further clarification, unanswered questions, or major areas of concern while reading (you’ll use these later). Note how the article comes across to a reader and ensure you touch on the following points:

• Did the author stay on topic?
• Does the article state the issue(s), idea(s), and claim(s) right off the bat? And are they clear?
• What kind of support does the article provide? (a credible solution, case studies, illustrations, etc.)
• Are the sources legitimate and properly cited?
• Is the author contributing to knowledge advancement? Has the topic been approached before, or is the author responding to another author’s work?

Types of Review

It’s important to distinguish between different types of review because this determines how you’ll conduct your research to provide a top-notch review. Some reputable peer-reviewed journals include review articles, and they can even have a lot of citations and a high impact factor. Below are the different types of review articles.

Journal Article Review

This type of review outlines the strengths and weaknesses of a publication. You must demonstrate the article’s value through a thorough analysis and interpretation.

Research Article Review

Slightly different from a journal review, a research article review evaluates the research method and compares it to the article’s analysis and critique.

Scientific Article Review

This type of review involves the review of any article within the realm of science. Scientific publications may include more information on the background necessary to help you provide a more comprehensive review.

How to Write a Comprehensive Review

Now you’re ready to start writing! Start a review by including a title (declarative, descriptive, or interrogative). Before moving on to the intro of your review, cite and identify the article, and include:

• The article’s title
• The author
• The journal’s title (if applicable)
• Year of publication.

Source

Intro

Having a definite structure is crucial if you want your review to be as comprehensive as possible; therefore, you can outline your review or use a paper review template to organize your notes coherently. In the intro, you want to start by touching on the main strengths and weaknesses and include:

• Introducing the research topic and why there’s a need for it within the respective community or organization
• Summarizing the main points and relevant facts of the article
• Highlighting the positives (is the question interesting or vital, are the author’s methods appropriate?)
• Methodological flaws
• Critiques of any present gaps in research, unanswered questions, contradictions, or issues pertinent to future studies

Body

The body is the main part of your review and should include comparisons and thorough analysis. At this point, include any previous notes you took while preparing for the review. There isn’t a word limit to this part of the review, but you must include as much or as little detail as each article deserves, paying special attention to:

• Qualitative vs. quantitative approaches
• The article’s specific objective or purpose
• The conclusion and its importance
• Chronology.    

Conclusion

For the conclusion, revisit your findings, critiques, and the article’s critical points while maintaining the focus established in the intro. Ensure the conclusion is short and to the point.

Post-Review

Now that your review is complete, check for errors, bad grammar, or awkwardly-phrased sentences. If your review is poorly written, it’ll be considered irrelevant, even if your ideas are qualitative.Remember to always be respectful of another author’s work. Refrain from writing a bad review, even if there are points that you disagree with or that anger or frustrate you. Instead, show examples of any errors or inconsistencies you find and politely suggest ideas about other aspects of the author’s research for their future works.

Orvium Makes it Simple For Reviewers

If writing a comprehensive review feels overwhelming at first, you may choose to look at other researchers’ or scholars’ article reviews. Or, better yet, consider using Orvium! You can increase your interactions and engage with researchers and reviewers within your community and beyond. Orvium is the platform for all your publishing needs. You also have a chance to collaborate, showcase your profile, and track your impact on our platform. Want even more tips and tricks? Check out our blog.