Learning to analyze and think critically is important.It will allow you to judge the validity of news articles and conduct thoughtful research for the rest of your life and it will also help with schoolwork.A good analysis requires a summary, annotations, and examination of the article's writer.
Step 1: Don't write anything down when you read the article once.
The first reading should be used to learn and understand the content.
Step 2: Look up any terms that you don't know anything about.
Before you begin analyzing your article, make sure you understand all the concepts.
Step 3: A short three to four sentence summary of the article is needed.
You may need to re-read it if you can't do it.
Step 4: If it is easy to explain the article aloud, consider it.
The outline and content of the article can be explained in non-technical language.
Step 5: Take a photo of the article.
You can print it out.If you're not familiar with a note taking program, you should do it by hand.If you have page numbers, you can cite the article correctly in your analysis.
Step 6: You should read the article again to understand the concepts.
You will want to mark in the margins as you read.
Step 7: The thesis should be highlighted in the article.
This is the main argument that the writer is making.As you decide how successful the author was in convincing their audience, your analysis will refer back to this thesis.
Step 8: There are underline concepts throughout the article.
As you go along, make notes about the supporting points in the margins.Look for methods, evidence, and results in a scientific paper.Most scientific papers have this structure.
Step 9: Make notes of concepts that are not fully proven or explained.
During the writing process, these annotations will save you time.
Step 10: The summary or abstract should be written.
This can serve as your introduction if you are writing an analysis essay.
Step 11: Research the writer of the article.
Whether their opinions are part of an area of expertise will be determined by their qualifications.The author is a primary or secondary source in historical articles.Do you think the author could be guilty of bias?You should state if the author was able to stay objective as they relayed news to the audience.
Step 12: The audience of the article can be established.
Do you think the author was well-received by the audience?If the audience is the general public, but the author uses very technical terms, it may not be a convincing article.
Step 13: The purpose of the article needs to be determined.
The author is trying to prove something.The author can answer questions later.
Step 14: How successful was the author in proving the thesis?
State examples include successful or failed arguments.Go through the article to see how cohesive their arguments were.To find quotations or questions about the validity of an argument, refer back to your annotations.
Step 15: The article needs to be compared to other articles on the same topic.
If you're asked to read more than one article, you can look at another article in a different way.Which argument was more convincing?
Step 16: Write the questions that were left unanswered.
If the author could have done more to improve their article, then they should.
Step 17: The article matters to the reader and the world as a whole.
You should discuss the topic at this point.Some classes want the reader's opinion, while others want a scientific critique.
Step 18: If you used citations in your article you should create a works cited page.