WRITING A BALANCED REVIEW/REACTION reactions, opinions, and connections to other texts

PAPER or wider issues.

WHAT IS A REACTION PAPER? Conclusion: The conclusion should summarize the

main points of the paper and offer final thoughts or
A reaction paper is academic writing wherein a recommendations.
person is expected to write about his or her total
experience in relation to the event or reading Here are some potential topics that could
material. It is necessary to a writer not just to write inspire a reaction paper:
the usual details of the text being analyzed but also
the give reaction to it.  An academic article or book that you read for a
class
A reaction paper is a form of paper writing in which  A news article or editorial about a current event
the writer expresses his/her ideas and opinions  ATED talk or other educational video
about what has been read or seen.  A poem or short story
 A piece of artwork or photography
Reaction Paper should consist of four main  A music video or song lyrics
parts:
WHAT IS A REVIEW PAPER?
 Introduction
 Body A review paper is presents a balanced review of a
 Conclusions particular topic so that a person who is not an
 List of citations and sources expert on the subject will understand it.

IN WRITING A REACTION PAPER, DO THE A review paper is a succinct review of a specific

FOLLOWING: topic that provides sufficient and in-depth
interpretation and synthesis of published work.
 Identify the author and title of the work and
include in parentheses the publisher and Review Paper should consist of four general
publication date. For magazines, give the date sections:
of publication.
 Write an informative summary of the material.  Introduction
 Condense the content of the work by  The body of the paper
highlighting its main points and keeping the  Conclusion and future directions
supporting points.  Literature cited
 Use direct quotations from the work to illustrate
important ideas. When you review an article, you must answer
 Summarize the material so that the reader gets these questions:
a general sense of all key aspects of the  What is this about?
original work.  Why is the topic important?
 Do not discuss in great detail any single aspect  What was done?
of the work, and do not neglect to mention other  Key result (or what happened?)
equally important points.  What was unanswered (according to the
 Also, keep the summary objective and factual. authors?)
Do not include in the first part of the paper your
personal reaction to the work If you need to write a Review Paper but don't
REACTION PAPER know where to start, keep some of these:

Introduction: The introduction of a reaction paper  Choose a topic that is not too broad and not too
should provide context for the text being responded narrow for the type of review you would like to
to and a clear thesis statement that previews the write. If you want to write a shorter review, pick
main points of the poper. a narrower topic. But if you are going to write a
longer review or you'd like to explore a more
Summary: The summary section should briefly general area of interest, choose a topic that is
summarize the key points of the text. wide enough so that you will be able to find
enough articles to discuss.
Analysis: The analysis section should provide the  A review is meant to be a survey of the current
writer's critical response to the text, including state of a field - and the less you know about a
 field or topic at the outset, the more work you're  graphic designs (e.g., posters, billboards,
going to have to do in order to have an commercials, and digital media)
authoritative voice that can provide insight
about the research that has been done. Reaction papers and review usually range in
length from 250 to 750 words. They are not simply
STEPS IN WRITING A REVIEW PAPER summaries but are critical assessments, analyses,
or evaluation of different works. As advanced forms
1. Check the journal's aims and scope of writing, they involve your skills in critical thinking
and recognizing arguments. Reviewers do not
2.Define your scope simply rely on mere opinions; rather, they use both
3. Finding sources to evaluate proofs and logical reasoning to substantiate their
comments. They process ideas and theories,
4. Writing your title, abstract and revisit, and extend ideas in a specific field of study,
and present an analytical response to a book or
keywords article.

5. Introduce the topic COMMON FORMAT

I. INTRODUCTION
6. Include critical discussion
Title or name of the subject, author or creator, date
7.Sum it up
made, and other basic information about the
REVIEW PAPER subject.
II. BODY
Introduction: The introduction should provide
context for the work being reviewed and a clear A. Summary
thesis statement that previews the main point.
Explains what the subject is. Is it a scholarly work?
Summary: The summary section should provide a A work of art? What is its purpose? What does it
brief overview of the work being reviewed.nts of the contain? What can be seen from it?
review.
B. Evaluation
Evaluation: The evaluation section should provide
Presents your judgement of the subject. How well is
an assessment of the work, including strengths and
the subject made? How do you feel about it? What
weaknesses, and should support the assessment
are its good and bad points? Is the work
with evidence from the work.
significant? May use critical approaches—
Conclusion: The conclusion should summarize the formalism, feminism, marxism, and reader’s
main points of the review and offer final thoughts or response
recommendations.
III. CONCLUSION
Here are some potential topics for a review
Tells your overall impression of the work. Includes
paper:
final judgement on the subject’s value, significance,
 A movie or TV show that you recently watched worth, or future improvements.
 A restaurant that you visited and tried the food
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN REACTION AND
 A book that you read and enjoyed (or didn't
REVIEW PAPER
enjoy)
 A new piece of technology or gadget that you Reaction Paper
purchased
 A video game that you played  presents your reasonable response to anything
seen, heard, read, or experienced
 a scholarly work (e.g., academic books and  can be made by anyone
articles)  focused on personal appreciation of the subject
 a work of art (e.g., performance art, play,  is for expression of personal judgements
dance, sports, film, exhibits)
 designs (e.g., industrial designs, furniture, Review Paper
fashion design)
 is an objective judgement of something
 focused on highlighting the good and bad points  For artworks, describe the material in simple
 gives audience an informed judgement about terms to help your audience visualize it; refrain
the subject from being vague or abstract.

GUIDELINES IN WRITING A REACTION PAPER 3. On a general note, your reaction paper’s

AND REVIEW PAPER conclusion may focus on the ff ideas

1. For articles or journals  Did the work hold your interest?

 Did the work annoy or excite you?
 Read, view, or listen to the work to be reviewed  Did the work prompt you to raise questions to
carefully to get the main topic or the concepts the author?
presented. Then, revisit the work to further  Did the work led you to some realizations>
identify its arguments or message.  Did the work remind you of another read,
 Relate the content of the work to what you viewed, or listened to in the past?
already know about the topic. This will make
you more engaged in the article or the book. STEPS IN COMPOSING A RECTION/REVIEW
 Focus on discussing how the book treats the PAPER
topic and not the topic itself. Use phrases such
as this book/work presents, and the author STEP 1: PREVIEWING
argues.  Understand the purpose of your paper
 Situate your review. This means that your  Figure out the type of response or content that
analysis should be anchored on the theories is expected from the paper.
presented by the writer or creator.  Carefully think about what you just read,
 Report the type of analysis or mode of watched, seen, or experienced. Digest the
presentation the writer/creator used and how ideas.
this type of analysis supports the arguments  Take note of your initial reactions by jotting
and claims. them down.
 Examine whether the findings are adequately  Critically evaluate what you just read, watched,
supported and how the connections between seen, or experienced by asking relevant
ideas affect the conclusions and the findings. questions.
 Suggest points for improvement of the
reasoning, explanation, presentation of ideas, 1. How do you feel about what was said?
as well as alternative methods and processes 2. Do you agree or disagree with the artist, writer,
of reasoning. character, director?
 Compare the writer’s or creator’s explanation of 3. Have you had any applicable experience?
the topic to that of another expert from the 4. Have you we all heard anything that applied to
same field. what the artist, writer, character, director said
 Point out other conclusion or interpretation that in/about the artwork, article, book, movie, or
the writer/creator missed out. Present other experience?
ideas that need to be examined. 5. Does the evidence from the artwork, article,
 Show your agreement with the writer’s or book, movie, or experience support the statements
creator’s ideas and present an explanation for that the artists, writer, character, director made?
this agreement.
STEP 2: ORGANIZING
2. For artworks and other media  Write your thesis statement
 Decide on the key points that will focus your
 When critiquing artworks or posters, make sure ideas. These will be your topic sentences.
to use speculative verbs such as evoke, create,  Develop your ideas by adding examples,
appear, and suggest, showing that your quotations, and details to your paragraphs.
interpretation of the artist’s work is just that—an  Make sure that the last sentence of each
interpretation paragraph leads into the next paragraph.
 Presume that the reader has not yet seen the  Check your thesis and make sue the topic
material you are reviewing, so make sure to sentence of each paragraph supports it.
describe it to them. For reviews of films or
plays, make sure not to spoil key events unless STEP 3: WRITING
they figure in your review, in which case always INTRODUCTION
add a disclaimer.
 Should contain all the basic information in one
or two paragraphs.
 Should include a concise, one sentence,
focused thesis.
BODY
 Should contain paragraphs that provide support
for your thesis.
 Each paragraph should contain one idea
CONCLUSION
 Can be a restatement of what you said in your
paper or a comment which focuses on your
overall reaction.
 Should NOT include new information.