ArticleCritiqueGuidelinesRubric.pdf

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Article Critique

General Directions

Using all library databases available, locate a journal article related to school leadership. Read it carefully and reflect on it, then follow the attached guidelines and rubric to help craft your critique. Articles should not be older than two years old.

Reading and Thinking:

• Read the article SLOWLY. Don't criticize anything just yet. Try to really understand the author's logic rather than questioning it.

• Mark key points and transitions as you read. Try to isolate at least one central point in each paragraph.

• Review introductory and closing sections closely. Think about how the author moves from opening statements to conclusions via the body of the article.

Writing:

• Begin your written analysis with a blanket statement summarizing what the author does in the article. Sometimes the author explicitly gives you his or her agenda in the introduction and/or in the conclusion. You should be able to relay this in one or (maybe) two sentences.

• Summarize the key ideas used by the author in achieving his or her agenda. Look at the parts of the article you have marked. Try to indicate how the author progresses from idea to idea in the article.

• List important evidence used to support key ideas in the article. Indicate why the author finds this evidence convincing.

Critiquing:

• Carefully describe any biased, illogical, or inappropriate use of evidence in the article. Take into account the author's purpose and perspective, as any apparent misuse of evidence may be attributable to these factors.

• Note any avoidable lack of evidence in the article.

• Note the strong points of the article.

Finalizing:

• Proofread your writing. Read it aloud. Try to use active verbs and concise modifiers.

• Verify that your analysis would be helpful to someone who hadn't read the article. Don't assume that your reader can intuit what you mean by anything.

Grading Rubric

Component Unacceptable Acceptable Target

At the top of the page, write your article

Reference has more than 1 APA error.

(0 points)

Reference follows APA format, with 1 error.

(1 point)

Reference carefully follows APA format,

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Component Unacceptable Acceptable Target

reference in APA format.

with no errors. (2 points)

Summary Key points and

evidence to support those points is clearly

presented

Summary of article is inadequate or too

brief; does not identify main points; fails to include appropriate evidence to support

points. (0 points)

Acceptable summary of information that

describes the article’s premise; evidence is included. (2 points)

Excellent summary of relevant information that clearly describe the article’s premise; evidence is included.

(4 points)

Critique Incomplete critique; lacks reflection and

sound analysis of the chosen article; no

clear connections are made to evidence

gather from the article. (0 points)

Complete critique; shows an adequate

level of reflection and analysis; may lack

connections to evidence gathered

from the article. (2 points)

Complete, well-formed critique; shows a

thoughtful, reflective, in-depth analysis of

chosen article. (4 points)

Professional Presentation

Writing involves many grammatical errors

(more than 3). (0 points)

Writing involves few grammatical errors (no more than 2). (1 point)

Writing is free of all writing errors.

(2 points)