If you have ever been asked to review a journal article and stared at a blank page, a good article review example is the fastest way to understand the task. An article review is a short paper where you summarize one research article and then judge it: what the authors did well, where their methods were weak, and whether their conclusions hold up. In this guide, you will see a complete article review example in APA format, with a sample summary, a sample critique, and a sample conclusion you can model in your own work. By the end, you will know the four parts every review needs and the mistakes that cost students marks.
In This Guide
What Is an Article Review?
An article review is a short academic paper in which you describe and evaluate a single research article. Your job is not to repeat everything the article says. It is to show that you understood the study and can think about it critically. Professors assign reviews because they want to see whether you can tell strong evidence from weak evidence.
An Article Review Is Not Just a Summary
A summary only retells what the authors did. A review goes one step further and gives your judgment. You explain whether the research question was important, whether the methods fit the question, and whether the results support the claims. A review without judgment is only half done, and a review without a summary leaves the reader lost. You need both parts, kept in balance.
Where You Will Meet Article Reviews
Article reviews appear in many courses, from psychology and nursing to business and education. They also show up inside longer projects. When you learn how to write a dissertation, for example, you will review many articles as part of your literature review, and a dissertation proposal usually starts with a short review of the most important earlier studies. Even a short piece like how to write a term paper often asks you to review one or two sources before you build your own argument.
The Structure of an Article Review
Most article reviews follow the same four-part structure. Once you know it, you can plan any review in a few minutes.
1. The Citation and Introduction
Start with the full reference of the article in APA format, then introduce the study in two or three sentences. State the research question, the field it belongs to, and why the topic matters. End your introduction with one sentence that gives your overall judgment, so the reader knows where your review is heading.
2. The Summary
Summarize the study in your own words: what the authors wanted to find out, how they studied it, what they found, and what they concluded. Keep this part short, usually about one third of your review. Do not copy sentences from the article, and do not add your opinions here. Save your judgment for the next part.
3. The Critique
This is the heart of the review. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the study, focusing on the methods and the results. Was the sample large enough? Did the measures fit the question? Are there other explanations for the findings? Be specific and fair: point out what was done well before you discuss what was weak, and support every point with evidence from the article itself.
4. The Conclusion and Overall Assessment
Finish with a short paragraph that sums up your judgment. Say whether the study is a useful contribution, who should read it, and what future research should do next. Keep it brief and do not introduce new criticism here that you did not discuss earlier.
Article Review Example (APA)
Here is a short article review example you can model. It reviews a study about sleep and exam results, and it follows the four-part structure above.
The APA Reference Entry
Every APA review starts with the reference entry for the article you reviewed. It looks like this:
Author, A. A., and Author, B. B. (Year). Title of the article in sentence case. Title of the Journal in Title Case, volume(issue), page range. https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/xxxx
Replace each part with the real details of your article, and check the exact punctuation in the APA guide at Purdue OWL (https://owl.purdue.edu/) before you submit.
Sample Summary Paragraph
The study asked whether students who sleep longer the night before an exam score higher than students who sleep less. The authors surveyed 200 first-year students, recorded their sleep the night before a midterm, and compared sleep length with exam scores. They found that students who slept at least seven hours scored higher on average than students who slept fewer than six hours. The authors concluded that sleep length is linked to exam performance, at least for first-year students.
Sample Critique Paragraph
The study has a clear question and a sensible design, and the sample of 200 students is large enough to support the main comparison. However, the study measured sleep with a single self-report question, so students may have misremembered how long they slept. The study also cannot prove that sleep caused the higher scores, because students who sleep more may also study more or feel less stressed. Future research should measure sleep with a sleep diary or a wearable device and control for study time.
Sample Concluding Assessment
Overall, the study is a useful first step that shows a link between sleep and exam scores, but its evidence is not strong enough to support firm advice. It is worth reading for anyone interested in student health, and it points clearly to the next study that needs to be done.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Only Summarizing, Never Evaluating
The most common mistake is writing a review that only retells the article. If your paper has no judgment, it is a summary, not a review. Aim for roughly one third summary and two thirds critique and assessment.
Being Vague Instead of Specific
Weak reviews say things like “the methods were bad” without explaining why. Strong reviews name the problem: the sample was small, the measure was unreliable, or the conclusion went further than the data allowed. One specific point is worth more than five vague ones.
Ignoring the Methods Section
Many students focus only on the results, but the methods decide whether the results can be trusted. Always read how the study was done before you judge what it found. If you cannot explain the method in one sentence, read that section again.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should an article review be?
It depends on your assignment, so always check the instructions first. Many undergraduate reviews are 1,000 to 2,000 words, while shorter reviews for weekly coursework can be 500 to 800 words. When no length is given, aim for enough space to summarize the study fairly and discuss its main strengths and weaknesses.
Do I need to read the whole article before reviewing it?
Yes. Read the full article at least once, including the methods and results sections, before you start writing. A review based only on the abstract is easy for a professor to spot, because abstracts leave out the details you need for a fair critique.
What is the difference between an article review and a literature review?
An article review evaluates one single article in depth. A literature review surveys many articles on a topic and shows how they fit together, usually as one chapter of a longer paper. An article review is narrow and deep; a literature review is broad and comparative.
How do I cite the article I am reviewing in APA?
Give the full reference entry at the start of your review, and use normal in-text citations every time you mention the authors’ ideas, for example (Author, Year). If you quote the article directly, add the page number as well. The APA guide at Purdue OWL shows the exact format for journal articles.
Can I disagree with the article in my review?
Yes, disagreeing is part of a good review, as long as you give reasons and evidence. Explain exactly which claim you question and why, using details from the study itself or from other research. A respectful, evidence-based disagreement earns more marks than empty praise.
Need Help With an Article Review?
If your review deadline is close or you are unsure whether your critique is strong enough, expert guidance can help. Get help planning the structure, checking your summary against the original article, and editing your draft so your judgment comes across clearly. You can check the price in advance with the free calculator on the service page.
- Article Review Help: Guidance, structure help, and editing support for article reviews in any subject.
About the Author
This guide was written by the Dissertation Writing Services USA research team — PhD-level researchers and academic editors who help US students plan, structure, and polish their academic work.