Writing a comprehensive review is harder than it sounds! Authors must be sensitive to the particulars of the tasks, who the audience will be, and their overall purpose in sharing ideas. The Ask a Tech Teacher crew put together a basic guide for accomplishing this in a balanced, clear manner:
Tips and Tricks to Write a Comprehensive Review
Students working on research papers are well aware of the significance of a review. But evaluating a piece of work can be quite tough for those new to the field. ‘What is a review?’ is the first question that comes to your mind. Simply put, a review is an assessment of an article’s worth.
That being said, it is clear that writing such pieces will not be a cakewalk. Websites like MyAssignmenthelp.com have samples that can help you learn how to write one. However, students generally skip such samples and leave after availing of their cheap essay writing services.
What does one imply when they say ‘write a comprehensive review’? Cambridge University defines a comprehensive review as “a systematic, scientifically designed review of a defined literature base that employs the rigor of original research in an effort to limit outcome bias.”
This post aims to take a deep dive into the concept along with some expert tips to write a remarkable comprehensive review.
What Makes a Comprehensive Review Good Enough?
Students tend to make the mistake of being influenced by other authors’ views. A few things differentiate a good review from a bad one. Here’s an insight into them:
- Originality
It is common to come across reviews of movies and books that seem identical. You cannot afford to make such mistakes. One of the crucial elements of a good comprehensive review is its originality.
An evaluation is not about sharing some key points about a particular piece. It is crucial to share your views on the particular piece. The write-up cannot be a copy of existing reviews or be too influenced by them.
- Advances in thinking and knowledge
Comprehensive reviews must influence more thinking on the topic. It challenges existing ideas and shares insight into specific areas of study. So, when you write one, ensure you have done your research well.
Don’t make the mistake of stating facts in your papers. Remember, a good review must offer a new perspective and make people think. It is highly recommended to refer to samples on websites like MyAssignmenthelp.com.
- Theory-based
Keeping a review original does not mean skipping all existing content. Your ideas must have a base. Readers must find your review interesting and understand the theory on which it is based.
You also have to keep in mind the subject you are exploring. Reviews vary from one subject to another. For instance, comprehensive reviews in psychology will mostly be theory-based.
- Evidence-based
“The book fails to keep up with the main theme.” Before passing such verdicts, share some evidence to support the same. You cannot pass judgment and expect your readers to accept it without any evidence.
The evidence helps form the base of an analysis and differentiates a good from a bad one. So, to make a mark, research well and find data to support your review.
- Accurate, comprehensive, and rigorous
A good evaluation must have accurate information and be easily understandable for the readers. There are instances where reviews have been rejected because of missing information. Analyzing the topic will help you find accurate information and use them for crafting perfect reviews.
You must follow a systematic approach to your review to make a mark. Sharing too much information is unnecessary, but don’t miss the important ones.
- Recommendations for further research
As mentioned earlier, reviews must make people think and investigate the topic. Your review must have the right elements to pave the way for more research. For example, a review of online education must have scope for more investigation.
You must write some concluding statements that make readers look for more information. A good review can never be a verdict. Instead, it must share a detailed insight and leave the topic open for future discussion.
- Stimulating debate
Writing a good review is not only about sharing facts and figures. You must also share some points that stimulate debate among theorists. You can relate to situations where you fought with your friends over a certain review. Good reviews on movies you didn’t like can trigger a debate between friends.
Similarly, when you are working on an academic review section, consider stating points that can trigger debates. But don’t just go on saying things to trigger debate; instead, share data and information to make people think.
Your academic curriculum is not only about essays and assignments; there’s more to it. You have to work on comprehensive reviews as part of your curriculum. So, how to write one? The following section has some expert tips and tricks for you.
Best Ways to Write a Comprehensive Review
How to write a good review? Most of you have struggled to find the correct answer. Considering comprehensive reviews to be a crucial part of your academics, it is necessary to know the best ways to write one. Here’s how you can nail a comprehensive review:
- Define your question
Most students have a habit of skipping to the main section without looking into the question. A good analysis must add some value to the existing content and shed light on future possibilities. It is not possible to evaluate a piece of work if you don’t understand the question well. Hence, start by going through the topic before you write the piece.
- Identify credible sources
If you are evaluating a topic or any other piece of writing, it is crucial to find credible sources to support your views. When you are investigating a certain piece of work, you will come across various information on it. You have to identify credible sources before you move on to use them in your write-up. Experts also suggest students to conduct another search after they are done writing the document.
- Take notes
A common mistake students make is that they skip noting down the information they come across. It is highly recommended that you take notes while doing research. It will help you use the right data while working on the document. Taking notes is the best way to ensure you have enough data to properly evaluate a piece.
- Describe the title, abstract, and introduction
You have to follow a perfect structure while writing the review. The first thing to do is draft a title, abstract, and introduction. Writing these sections will help you maintain a perfect structure and write the paper accordingly. It will help create a roadmap and complete your write-up on time.
- Be unbiased and critical
A review depends on how well you use the data. That doesn’t mean you highlight a particular piece of information more than others. You cannot be biased towards a source just because that has information according to your perspective. The article must not sound based on data from any particular website. Also, be critical about the data you choose to craft a perfect review article.
- Include a good summary
Once you are done evaluating a piece of work, ensure to end it with a good conclusion. The last section of the piece must contain a take-home message and also share the restrictions of a study. You need to pave the way for further research on the same topic.
- Ask for feedback
It’s good to be confident, but don’t neglect the chance to make your write-up better. To do so, ask for feedback from your peers and professors. It will help you make things better and submit a perfect analysis.
- Check the guidelines
It is crucial to abide by the guidelines. When you complete writing your paper, go through the guidelines again and check if all are followed perfectly. Experts associated with websites like MyAssignmenthelp.com can help you with it. You can get assistance in addition to availing cheap essay writing services from them.
Endnote:
Analyzing a piece of work can be quite stressful. However, if you know the correct ways to write such papers, things will be easy. There are quite a few things to consider while writing one, as shown above. So, when you are assigned with such tasks, pay attention to detail and follow the tips mentioned above to ease the process.
Here’s the sign-up link if the image above doesn’t work:
Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-12 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice, CSTA presentation reviewer, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, contributor to NEA Today, and author of the tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.
That’s quite interesting. I am not a student but I could certainly learn to write better reviews, especially for books with extensive factual content.
Interesting. I don’t do these sorts of reviews, but I do find reviews challenging.