WRITING A

REACTION
PAPER, REVIEW
AND CRITIQUE
What is a Reaction Paper?
Is a type of written assignment, which
requires personal opinion and conclusions
on a given article or abstract. The first
part of your paper should contain
information on the author and the topic.
You need to write down the main ideas
and highlight the main points of the
paper.
 Guidelines for Writing the Reaction
Paper/Review/Critique
1.VALUE COMMUNICATED
A.Sound Critical Judgment
B.A fair and balanced assessment of
situations or events, people and
things.
2. BASIC CONTENT
A.Ranges from an off-hand gut reaction, favorable
or unfavorable, merely expressive of emotion to
a more rational impersonal critical analysis that
seriously communicates some value, ethical or
moral, some hidden or forgotten truth, and some
aesthetic delight.
B.May take the form of a reflection, an appeal, a
protest, a tribute or denunciation, a speculation.
1.FOR HUMAN SITUATIONS
a. A brief description of the event.
b.People involved, their roles and contributions.
c. Other driving forces, in the open or hidden and
unsuspected.
d.Implications and consequences.
e.Assessment and prognostication.
f. Some offered solutions.
2. FOR CULTURAL AFFAIRS, PEOPLE, WORKS,
PERFORMANCES:
a. The central purposes of the event or product.
b.The means, devices, strategies employed to
achieve the purposes.
c. An evaluation of the achievement: success or
failure.
d.The significance beyond mere entertainment of
the event or product in ethical and/or aesthetic
terms, its timeliness or timelessness.
3. MODES OF ORDERING (Any of the following)
a. From the event/performance/artifact/work presented and
described/narrated in themselves to the writer’s critical
evaluation of the entire event, show or work in a sequence of
its elements.
b. Discussion that intersperses critical comments between
mention or description of the details of the event, show or
work.
c. From a cover statement giving an over-all judgment of the
event, show or piece to a discussion of each angle, aspect or
element of the event, show or work illustrating or providing
evidence for the evaluative cover statement.
BASIC QUALITIES OF A GOOD REACTION PAPER
a.Gives a fair and balanced social commentary.
b.Provides relevant and accurate factual
information on the situation.
c.Exhibits by means of thorough and in-depth
analysis an appreciation of context (including
time, place, people, involvement, their
motivation, and actuations.
d. Makes a clear distinction, through
language, between what is actual and
what is probable or possible.
e. Exhibits a deep sense of humanity and
an understanding of the human situation
even while expressing disapproval or
disagreement most intensely.
BASIC QUALITIES OF AN ADEQUATE CRITICAL
JUDGEMENT
a. Provides accurate and relevant information on
the event, show, or work.
b.Exhibits full appreciation of the purpose behind
the event, show, or work.
c. Shows a clear understanding of the means
(strategies, techniques, devices, etc.) and their
appropriateness and power in achieving the
purpose.
d. Exhibits fairness and balance in the judgment
made.
e. Projects incisive and profound insights into its:
1. Analysis of the event on artifact.
2. Interpretation of the underlying meaning or
significance of the event or artifact, and
3. Appreciation of the values “moral and/or
aesthetic) unfolded in every detail of the event
or artifact.