Seminar in Natural Science
Critique Essay
Now that we've been analyzing and discussing science news articles together for several weeks this semester, you're ready to pick out your own article and systematically critique it on paper. This essay assignment embodies one of the key skills our class is meant to foster: the logical and critical analysis of scientific information pitched at a general audience.
Directions
Pick one of the lengthier feature articles from the Science section of the New York Times and write an essay of 3-5 double-spaced pages (using 1" margins and 12-point font size) which (1) briefly describes the source and summarizes its content, (2) critically analyzes the article's content, point-of-view, argument, objectivity, representation of science, use of metaphor/analogy, writing style, etc. Note: you may choose either an informational or argumentative article, but please do not analyze an interview, a letter to editor, or the shorter pieces from sub-sections such as Q&A, Observatory, Vital Signs, etc. At the end of your analysis, provide a full citation for the article in MLA format (a separate sheet is not necessary). Finally, attach a copy of the article to your summary.
Other Options
- You don't have to limit yourself to the Science section of the Times, necessarily. Good science-related articles occasionally show up in other sections of the paper throughout the week, so if you can access the Times online, you might do a search for a particular subject that interests you. Also, you may locate a science article in another newspaper (e.g., the Chicago Tribune or the Sun-Times, as long as it has enough substance to reward close analysis.
- If you like, you can structure your critique as a comparison/contrast essay by picking two articles to analyze from two different sources. This would give you a chance to evaluate how well different writers/news sources cover scientific news, how they represent the scientific process to their readers, and how clearly they communicate technical information. For this option, you might pick two articles with different approaches, or compare a high quality to a low quality article. Finally, while you don't have to pick articles on the exact same subject (though that would be convenient), it would be easier for you in their subjects are "in the same ballpark," so to speak.
Helpful Hints
Describing and summarizing the article: What type of article is this? Who is the primary audience for the source? How technical is it? Briefly summarize (using your own words) the content of the article in a paragraph near the beginning of your essay.
Critiquing the article: Here you shift from summarizing to evaluating the news report. This discussion should constitute the bulk of your essay. Use the updated handout (Word document) on Analyzing Media Articles about Science that we used in class as a way to generate ideas, but don't feel limited by the handout. (If you can think of other questions to ask or points to raise, do so!) Overall, you should be thinking about the strengths and weaknesses of the article, how objective it is, how it uses examples, what kind of credibility the author establishes, how effectively it communicates scientific information, and what kind of comment it makes (either explicitly or implicitly) about the scientific process itself.
Organization and focus: Make sure your essay is clearly organized around the points you want to make--don't simply follow the organization of the article itself, as that may lead you to summarize instead of analyzing the information. Make sure you have at least a brief intro to your essay, which sets out your overall "take" on the article. Finally, make sure each paragraph is focused on one major point, and back up those points with examples from the article. Indicate clearly when you are quoting or paraphrasing.
A note on the examples: The two sample articles I'm giving you were written for a somewhat different assignment (they had a 2-3 page limit, and they had to explicitly connect the source they were analyzing with the reading material for that day's class), but they are generally well written and give you a basic idea of what it means to analyze a source instead of just summarizing it. Don't imitate them; just use them to make sure you're in the ballpark with your essay.
Associate Professor
University College
Roosevelt University
Mike Bryson's Home Page
Map of Antarctica, where I did field work as part of a Woods Hole Oceangraphic Institute research group in 1991.
Last updated 03/14/02