reaction paper example

reaction paper example

Analyzing and Critiquing Academic Works: A Guide to Writing Reaction Papers

1. Introduction to Reaction Papers

Why do so many courses require reaction papers as an assignment? Why are reaction papers good tools for evaluating scholarly works? Why are they effective vehicles for developing your critical abilities and writing? All these questions and many others are answered in this resource unit. You will learn several meanings of the term “critical,” several purposes of “critical” writing, and several styles of critiquing various forms of academic materials. After deciding which media or which genres are the objects of your analysis, you will learn to apply the specialized skills necessary for response to any work of scholarship. These skills involve a close examination of key features of the work itself, together with your reflections about what you have seen, heard, or read.

A large number of academic writing tasks are possible because many individuals, working in numerous scholarly and professional fields, devote time to research projects and write up the results. These written reports come in many forms: dissertation or thesis, research article, technical report, case study, book chapter. Moreover, individual reports can be combined into unique collections: conference proceedings, monographs, textbooks, edited collections, reference works. The range of resources identifies significant academic works in a wide range of fields, as well as leading scholars in the area. As you continue your studies, you work with these materials to achieve your professional and academic goals, and respond critically to the works as you develop your scholarship. Writing reactions to academic works is an essential part of that process.

2. Key Components of a Reaction Paper

Identify the writer’s purpose and goals: The writer conducted the project for some purposes, both general and specific. Often the general purpose is advancing knowledge or contributing to the field in some way. Sometimes the author has to meet a social or political need. Either way, what are the goals the writer sets out to achieve? Again you must relay these understandings to the reader.

Present the thesis and discuss its themes: The academic project began with the writer’s interest in a particular question or problem. If it’s a good project, the author formulated a solution or useless problem and answered it well, demonstrating how different areas of investigation blended into a satisfying explanation. Your first task is to find out what the project was all about, and that means reading the introduction, the abstract, or the first chapter. Then you need to put the thesis in your own words. What question is the writer asking? What answer is being proposed? You must clearly indicate whether the writer is working with multiple theses.

Courtesy to the author: As you proceed from giving the author’s name, indicate respect for the preparation, research, and diligence behind the scholarly effort. Acknowledge the expertise the person demonstrated in putting the work together, and show your gratitude for the insights the person has given to you.

Identify the title and author of the work: At the beginning of your paper, give the full title of the work you have read and the name of the author. Your instructor should know which text you are examining by simple reference to this information.

3. Structuring Your Analysis and Critique

Thematic analysis alone usually makes a weak critique. Book reviews that only say “This is about the D-Day invasion” or “This is about Stalin’s terror in the thirties” describe a book’s content but do not critique it. A student who writes a paragraph about the author’s main points, another about the student’s main points, and a closing paragraph will not be writing a critique. Your paper should contain a central argument. Before I read a word of your paper, your title and subtitles should tell me your argument. This argument is what will set your paper apart from (and hopefully above) the others in the class. It is the theme that travels throughout your work to tie it all together. Each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence that condenses its entire content into a single statement. The point of this topic sentence is to advance the theme that will run throughout the paper.

Critiques should be structured somewhat like academic essays, but they are not research papers. Both research papers and critiques have titles and subtitles that indicate the nature of the paper and its main parts. The titles should orient the reader with the general topic or subject, the name of the work being analyzed, and the central argument the paper will make about the work. Avoid using titles or subtitles such as “Factors Leading to the War” or leading with subtitles such as “Introduction”. These titles and subtitles are too general, not relevant in critiquing the book or article, and are no more appropriate to a critique than “The War.” If you must use such subtitles, make them specific: “Factors Leading to the War According to Smith” and “Factors Leading to the War According to Brown.” Subtitles such as “Introduction,” “Biography,” “Summary,” etc., should not appear in your paper.

4. Tips for Writing a Strong Reaction Paper

Start with just a few bullet points of notes or ideas about the article or book in question. First off, write down any general points or summary statements that you might make about the work you have selected. Get these on the paper first, before you delve into specific details of any kind. This will give you a general outline to fill in and develop as you’re reading, and you can refer back to them to help shape your focus at any time you find your thoughts need nudging in a particular direction. If you have particular questions in advance, write them down ahead of time and try to answer them as you go. Try to answer them mostly holistically in four components. First, interpret what the authors are trying to say. Second, scrutinize their models of evidence and claims. Third, analyze their logical strengths and weaknesses, ultimately providing aims for future research. Fourth, consider applied analysis and future work. To do this, try answering each of these questions for each part of the paper: What is the paper/book about? What is the main argument that the author presents? What evidence does the author rely upon? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the author’s argument? The following sections can help you develop these holistic views into nuanced areas of intellectual engagement.

One of the most useful and efficient ways to both become acquainted with relevant bodies of literature and engage more deeply with a specific paper is to write a reaction paper. Here are some things to think about when pondering and writing a reaction paper. Consider following them directly or allowing them to inspire you in general without necessarily strictly adhering to them. Tailoring your reaction to your own personality and learning style is of the utmost importance. Overall coherence and clarity of communication should be your first priority.

The following sections can help you create an effective argument and analyze and critique academic works in a way that will contribute substantively to the development of the literature. Although the context for creating a reaction paper can change, the process could prove instructive in a broad range of scholarly interactions.