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Want to Write a Review? Here’s Advice From New York Times Critics.

In four short videos, A.O. Scott, Maya Phillips, Jon Pareles and Jennifer Szalai share with students their tips for writing reviews.

By Callie Holtermann and C. Ross Flatt

Note: Our Student Review Contest is open from Nov. 10 to Dec. 15.

You probably have a slew of opinions on the books, movies, video games and music you love and loathe. With some patience and attention, you can turn these opinions into a piece of written criticism: a review.

Advice from experts might help. To support students who are interested in writing their own reviews, whether for our annual review contest or just for fun, we asked Times critics who work in four different genres to share their advice.

In the four short videos below, you’ll learn more about how to explain your opinion, persuade a reader, consider a work’s context and examine the artist’s intent. For each video, we provide reflection questions to help students apply the advice to their own writing.

Explain your opinion.

A.O. Scott , a chief film critic at The Times, told us that a review should share the writer’s opinion and explain why he or she feels that way. An opinion alone is not enough, he said: “The only way you get anyone else interested in it is if you can explain it.”

Some questions to consider after watching the video:

Think of a work of film, music, art or writing that you reacted to strongly. What is your opinion of that work?

Why do you have that opinion? What evidence could you use to support your opinion?

What other information about the work might be useful to someone else who wants to learn more about it? How could you help an interested reader?

Persuade the reader.

Maya Phillips , a critic at large who reviews theater, poetry and other works of art and culture, stresses that a review is simply a piece of persuasive writing. She urges students who are new to review writing to use their visceral responses to drive their arguments.

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How to Write a Review on Google: A Step-by-Step Guide

Writing a review on Google is a straightforward process. It allows you to share your experiences with a business, place, or service, providing valuable feedback for others. After reading this overview, you’ll know exactly how to leave a review on Google.

Step by Step Tutorial: How to Write a Review on Google

Before you start writing your review, it’s important to know why we do it. Reviews help others make informed decisions and can also give businesses insight into what they’re doing right or wrong.

Step 1: Sign in to your Google account

Make sure you’re logged into your Google account, as you’ll need to be signed in to leave a review.

When you’re signed in, Google knows that you’re a real person, and it lends credibility to your review. It also allows you to manage your reviews and keep track of where you’ve left feedback.

Step 2: Search for the business you want to review

Type the name of the business into the Google search bar or find it on Google Maps.

Google has made it easy to find businesses. If you recently visited the place, it might even show up in your search history or on your maps timeline, making it even easier to locate.

Step 3: Click on the ‘Write a Review’ button

On the business’s Google listing, you’ll see a button or link that says ‘Write a Review.’

The ‘Write a Review’ button is usually found at the bottom of the business’s Google listing or in the reviews section. It’s prominent and easy to find.

Step 4: Rate the business and write your review

Select the number of stars you want to give the business and type your review into the text box.

Be honest and specific in your review. The best reviews include both what you liked and what you think could be improved. Remember, your feedback can really help others.

Step 5: Publish your review

After you’ve written your review, click the ‘Post’ button to share it with the world.

Once you hit ‘Post,’ your review will be live for everyone to see. You can always go back and edit it if you need to make changes.

After you post your review, it will be publicly visible on the business’s Google listing. Other users will be able to read your feedback, and the business might even respond to your comments.

Tips for Writing a Review on Google

Make your review detailed and specific.
Be honest but also fair and respectful.
Mention specific employees if they provided exceptional service.
Avoid using offensive language or personal attacks.
Check your spelling and grammar before posting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i edit my review after posting it.

Yes, you can edit your review after posting it by finding it in your Google account and selecting the ‘Edit’ option.

Editing your review is simple and can be done any time if you feel like you need to add or change something.

What should I do if a business responds to my review?

If a business responds to your review, you can read their message and choose whether to reply or not.

It’s always nice to see businesses interacting with their customers, and a response might give you new insights or resolve any issues you had.

Can I leave a review without a Google account?

No, you need a Google account to leave a review, as it helps verify that reviews are coming from real users.

Creating a Google account is easy and free, and it allows you to take full advantage of all Google services.

How many stars should I give in my review?

The number of stars you give should reflect your overall experience with the business, where 1 star is very poor, and 5 stars is excellent.

Be thoughtful when choosing your star rating, as it can significantly impact a business’s overall rating.

Can I leave a review for any business?

You can leave a review for any business that has a Google listing, which is most businesses these days.

If you can’t find the business you’re looking for, it might not have a Google listing yet, or it might be listed under a different name.

Sign in to your Google account.
Search for the business.
Click ‘Write a Review.’
Rate and write your review.
Publish your review.

Writing a review on Google is a powerful way to voice your opinion about a business. Not only does it help other customers, but it also holds businesses accountable for their level of service. Whether you had a positive or negative experience, your review can lead to improvements and help the business to grow and adapt. In today’s digital age, where online presence is everything, your review has the potential to make a real impact. So, the next time you feel strongly about a service or place you’ve visited, take a few minutes to write a review on Google. It’s simple, it’s impactful, and it helps create a transparent and informed community.

Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read over 50 million times.

After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.

His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.

Read his full bio here.

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Reviews are critical appraisals published either online or in a newspaper or magazine. Traditionally, a review was of a book, concert, film or perhaps television show.However, now they are increasingly used online for far more purposes, including rating and assessing purchases, tradespeople, restaurants, venues, and events.

This page describes how to write a good review: that is, one that other people find helpful in considering whether to purchase, view, read or visit. It explains what you should include, the tone you should aim to achieve, and also what you should leave out.

What is a Review?

The term ‘review’ can be used in several different ways.

For the purposes of this page, we mean a critical appraisal of something , whether a book, television programme, online purchase, or holiday.

Review vs. Literature Review

The term ‘review’ is also used in writing for a literature review. This is a scan through the existing literature on a topic, to identify the current state of knowledge, and find a gap to research.

There is more about that in our page Researching and Writing a Literature Review .

The purpose of a review is to advise others whether to visit/buy/watch/read/otherwise engage with the subject of your review. It can also be used by businesses to see how they can improve.

It follows that a good review is one that other people find helpful in making their decision, or that helps the business to improve.

In writing a review, you should therefore consider what information people need to make that decision.

There is more about this in our page on Know Your Audience .

Tips for Writing a Good Review

1. describe the experience.

Don’t be tempted to just say ‘This was fine’. Describe the experience.

More helpful reviews provide more information, so that readers know what they might experience—and can judge for themselves.

One-word reviews: don’t

A review that simply says ‘great’, ‘no problems’ or ‘avoid’ is not helpful, because it does not give any context. Was it busy? Was it quiet? How can readers judge whether their experience will be similar?

Take time to provide a bit of context and a bit more information, to help your readers.

2. Make your recommendation clear

Readers look at reviews to help them decide whether to visit, buy, read, watch, attend or even date! This is the main takeaway from any review.

A good review therefore makes the writer’s recommendation very clear.

Some review sites allow you to leave a star rating—but even with that, make sure that you sum up by giving a recommendation at the start or end of what you write.

3. Give the reasons for your recommendation

A recommendation is useful—but it is not enough on its own. People want to make their own decisions, drawing on other people’s experience.

Explain the thinking and reasons behind your recommendation to support that process.

For example:

I don’t recommend this top. I often buy from here, and the sizing usually works well for me, but this one was a very strange shape, and really didn’t fit well.

This tells readers that:

You have experience of this shop, and you have bought from there before.
That even if they have also shopped there before, and the fit is usually good, this may not be suitable.

4. Offer an alternative if possible

If you are not recommending something, it can be helpful to readers to offer an alternative that might work better.

I didn’t like this film for [reasons]. I wanted to see it because other reviewers said it was like [second film]. However, if you like [second film], I recommend watching [third film] or [fourth film] instead, as I think they are more [amusing/family-friendly/scary/other reason].

This gives readers somewhere else to look—and also tells them whether their taste is likely to chime with yours.

“Not his/her best”

Some of the most useful reviews are those from people who are very familiar with a particular writer/film-maker. They can offer a comparison with other books or films by the same person—and therefore point readers/viewers towards something they may prefer.

5. Don’t be relentlessly negative—aim for constructive feedback

Almost nothing is completely negative, or irredeemable.

If you are leaving a customer review, especially if it is mostly negative, try to be constructive in your feedback. Suggest what could have been better, and how things could have been improved.

If it just wasn’t to your taste, then make that clear—and recognise that this is not the fault of the venue/writer/anyone else.

This book is well-written, but it’s not really my taste. I have a bit of an on-off relationship with this genre, and this one was definitely ‘off’ for me. If you love the genre, you’ll probably love the book, because it’s fairly typical. However, if you’re looking for something a bit different, then maybe look elsewhere.

The approach you should be aiming towards is respectful , especially if you can’t be nice.

Even if you didn’t like it, other people might—and you are often talking about someone’s livelihood here. Assume they were doing their best, and give them the option to improve.

Should reviews be funny?

Is a good review funny?

Some of the best-known reviews—the ones that go viral—are wildly funny. Google sugar-free gummi bears review for some samples.

Many such reviews have been viewed thousands of times, and upvoted thousands of times. They get attention—which is good—and they are helpful to potential buyers—also good.

Can you write a good review that is also funny? Clearly the answer is yes.

Is funniness essential to a good review? No.

All that is necessary for a good review is that it provides the right information to help people make their decision.

6. Be specific and honest

Many reviews that go viral do so because of the response from the subject of the review. At this point, it becomes clear that the review writer was either lying, or feeling extremely entitled when they visited and/or wrote the review.

Always be specific about what you experienced—and always be truthful.

For example, it is unhelpful to say “ That was the worst customer service I have ever experienced! Don’t go!

Instead, you might say:

“ We were kept waiting for 30 minutes for a table, despite having made a reservation some days ago. The waiting staff then took ages to take our order. The restaurant was extremely busy, but I don’t think that’s an excuse – you shouldn’t have that many covers if you can’t serve them all, and you certainly shouldn’t allow people in if you don’t have a table free. ”

Being truthful also means not exaggerating. If you say you were waiting for 30 minutes, make sure that you really were waiting for that long!

7. Don’t include personal information—either yours or theirs

It is a very bad idea to include your own personal information in a review, or anything about individuals at the business—and you also shouldn’t include any information about any other business either.

This means no plugs for a neighbouring restaurant, or your own catering business, or anything like that. It also means not mentioning any employees by name—even if you say something very positive about them.

It is also a very bad idea to leave reviews about somewhere you have worked on any site except something like Glassdoor.

8. Proofread your review to check it makes sense

You should always proofread something that is intended for publication. This includes reviews.

Check your review over before you hit ‘post’ or ‘send’. Look for spelling and grammar errors, and make sure that the sentences are kept fairly short.

If you are leaving a review on a website, copy your text into a word processing package, and use the spellcheck and grammar check tools before posting.

Better still, write it in a word processing tool first, so you can read it over more easily.

There is more about this in our page on Proofreading and Editing .

Reviews are for two purposes: to help other people decide whether to read, visit, watch, attend or buy, based on your experience, and to provide businesses with feedback that will help them to improve.

If what you are saying will not achieve either of those, then DON’T SAY IT.

Continue to: Understanding and Interpreting Online Product Reviews Offering Constructive Criticism

See also: Writing for the Internet How to Complain, Effectively Clarity in Writing

How To Write A Review: Cambridge B2 First

How to Write a Review - Cambridge B2 First | Oxford House Barcelona

Posted on 24/07/2019
Categories: Blog
Tags: B2 First , Cambridge Exams , FCE , First Certificate , Resources to learn English , Writing

Students who are taking their B2 First Certificate exam (FCE) will be asked to do two pieces of writing within an 80 minute time limit. Part 1 is always an essay . Part 2 is where you can get a bit more creative. You might, for example, be asked to write a letter, a report or a review, all of which have their own style and set guidelines.

When writing a review it can be difficult to know where to start. But don’t be afraid! We are here to help you every step of the way.

Remember a review could be for a book, a film, a magazine, a restaurant or even a product .

Three steps to writing a great review

Let’s start with something simple. Imagine. You turn over the page to your writing part 2 and you see this question:

Question taken from Cambridge Assessment English website . (Feb 2018)

Step One: Make a plan

The first thing to do is to make a plan, just like we did in our B2 First essay guidelines .

Think of a book you read in which the main character behaved in a surprising way. This could be surprising in a good way, where the character does something amazing and helps somebody. Or maybe there’s a twist at the end and the character does something really shocking. Either way take some time to really think about your choice.

E.g. I’m going to choose The Great Gatsby, because I had to read the book 3 times when I was at school and I’ve seen the film so I feel like I know it really well .

The structure

Next, think of the structure. Consider all the parts of the question and use that to help organise your review. Make notes about the following:

An interesting title
A catchy introduction
A summary of the plot
A surprising moment
Your recommendation

Remember you’re going to want to separate these with clear paragraphs that are going to help the examiner read to the end without getting a headache.

You also need to consider the tone and how the review should sound to the reader. Remember this is for a magazine. Think about all the magazines you like to read. You want to sound chatty and grab the reader’s attention, but not bore them to sleep. Think semi-formal but friendly!

Useful Vocabulary

Now brainstorm some useful vocabulary for your chosen book, including lots of adjectives. Avoid using boring adjectives like good or bad . It’s much more exciting to say ‘amazing’ and ‘disappointing’ or ‘ terrific ’ and ‘terrible’ .

Here’s some more useful vocabulary to get you started:

superficial / deceptive / fascinating / unbelievable / rich / lonely / kind / reserved/ to be set in / to be written by / prosperity / characters / jazz age / protagonist / atmosphere / author / chapter / ending / fictional towns / prohibition / novel / on the outskirts / sad story.

Your next step is to think of some linking phrases. These are going to help tie together your thoughts and bring your review to life!

Overall if you like…
I was pleasantly surprised by…
In fact…
What I disliked the most was…
The book contains…
As well as…
This well-written book…
Unbelievably…

Step Two: Write it

Once you have a solid plan, writing your review should be easy!

First start with an interesting title. E.g. The Unexpected Anti-Hero. It relates to both the book that’s being reviewed and the question. It’s also short and snappy .

Next write an engaging introduction. Maybe start with a rhetorical question, for example:

Are you a fan of the Jazz Age? Then this is the book for you!

Or a general statement about the book that will hook the reader:

The Great Gatsby is a classic, with many twists and turns.

You could also give some background information. Here we use the past simple:

The Great Gatsby was written by F.S.Fitzgerald and is set in prosperous Long Island in 1922.

The second paragraph should summarise the plot (note – we usually describe a story in present tense ):

Gatsby is a mysterious character, he has big extravagant parties, and we never know if we can trust him.

The third paragraph is where we introduce the surprising moment and reveal what the main character did and why it was surprising:

The most shocking part is when…
I couldn’t believe it when…
It was so surprising when…

In the fourth paragraph, give a recommendation! Here the examiner wants to hear your overall opinion. It can be something simple:

I strongly recommend..

Or something more inventive:

I wouldn’t read the novel again because…
Everyone should read this immediately!

But don’t forget to say why!

Step Three: Check it

Now you have your winning book review it’s time to check for all those little (and big) mistakes.

Make sure you check:

You’ve answered all parts of the question.
It is easy to read.
Your spelling is correct.
You’ve used the 3rd person(s).
You have used punctuation.
There’s a variety of nouns and adjectives.
Pick a book you know quite well! Whether it’s Harry Potter or The Hunger Games , make sure you have lots to say about it!
Don’t be afraid to give both negative and positive opinions!
Experiment with using first person and try addressing the reader with ‘you’.
Read lots of real authentic reviews online, anything from holidays to music concerts, exhibitions to video games!
Remember to put some of your own personality into your review. Have some fun with it and good luck!

Follow the links for some excellent phrases and vocabulary for other types of reviews.

Restaurant Reviews

Film Reviews

TV / Theatre Reviews

Exhibition & Concert Reviews

Here are some more sample questions for you to practice on your own:

How to write a review - Example I - Cambridge B2 First | Oxford House Barcelona

Choose one and post your reviews in the comments section.

Glossary for Language Learners

Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn’t know.

Twist (n): : a sudden change in a story that you do not expect..

Chatty (adj): having a friendly style.

Avoid doing something (v): to intentionally not do something.

Terrific (adj): excellent.

Snappy (adj): concise.

Hook (v): to catch.

adj = adjective

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Writing Tips

5 Tips on How to Write a Review

4-minute read

30th December 2019

While there is plenty of interesting feedback online, writing a review is a skill. But what goes into a good review? And how can you write one? In this post, we offer five tips for writing reviews like a professional .

1. Immerse Yourself

First impressions are important, but a good review will not stop there. Whatever you’re reviewing, make sure you have experienced it fully before writing anything. And this usually means giving it a bit of time!

Listening to an album or reading a novel once, for example, will give you a sense of what it is like. But doing it two or three times will help you gain more depth of insight, giving you time to notice small details and think about what you’re reviewing from different angles. If you don’t have time for that, though, you can at least pay close attention and take notes .

2. Consider Your Audience

As well as knowing what you’re writing about, you should think about who you’re writing for. This may include the following:

Whether you’re writing for a specialist audience or the general public
How much your assumed reader is likely to know already
What kind of information your assumed reader would want to know

If reviewing an electronic device, for example, a specialist audience may want all the technical details. But a general audience will just want an easy-to-understand overview of the product.

3. Examples and Evidence

Having opinions is good. But you need to back them up with examples and evidence. For instance, in a restaurant review, it’s not enough to say that the food was “bad.” Your reader would want to know why it was bad. Were the ingredients fresh? Was it served cold? How was the overall experience? Did you raise the issue with staff at the restaurant?

Make sure to go into detail on a few points so your reader can understand why you’ve formed your opinion. Another tip is to compare whatever you’re reviewing with something similar, as this will give readers useful context.

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4. Short Is Good (Usually)

As a rule, most people won’t want to read a 20,000-word treatise before deciding whether they’ll see the most recent Adam Sandler movie . In fact, many publications require reviews to be under 300 words! Keeping your reviews focused and concise is therefore a good idea.

That said, longer reviews let you go into much more depth, so they can be more interesting and informative. But in an in-depth review, you should:

Briefly outline what you are reviewing in the first paragraph
Use the main body of the text to go into detail about your opinions
Finish with a short summary of your evaluation

The opening and closing passages will give the reader a quick overview of the review as a whole. You may even want to include a separate summary.

5. Score Systems

Many reviews come with a score out of 5, 10, or 100. This offers a quick way for readers to get a sense of how good (or bad) the thing you’ve reviewed may be. We’re tempted to say not to worry about this (review scores have been causing controversy lately). But many people find a score helpful.

We give star rating systems two out of five.

Which system to use depends on the situation. If you’re writing for a website or magazine, they may give you guidelines on how to score reviews. But if you’re self-publishing or blogging, consider creating an explainer so readers know how your rating system works.

And if you have written a review of anything, why not have one of our expert proofreaders check it to make sure your writing is the best it can be?

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17 Book Review Examples to Help You Write the Perfect Review

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Trust book recommendations from real people, not robots 🤓

Blog – Posted on Friday, Mar 29

17 book review examples to help you write the perfect review.

It’s an exciting time to be a book reviewer. Once confined to print newspapers and journals, reviews now dot many corridors of the Internet — forever helping others discover their next great read. That said, every book reviewer will face a familiar panic: how can you do justice to a great book in just a thousand words?

As you know, the best way to learn how to do something is by immersing yourself in it. Luckily, the Internet (i.e. Goodreads and other review sites , in particular) has made book reviews more accessible than ever — which means that there are a lot of book reviews examples out there for you to view!

In this post, we compiled 17 prototypical book review examples in multiple genres to help you figure out how to write the perfect review . If you want to jump straight to the examples, you can skip the next section. Otherwise, let’s first check out what makes up a good review.

Are you interested in becoming a book reviewer? We recommend you check out Reedsy Discovery , where you can earn money for writing reviews — and are guaranteed people will read your reviews! To register as a book reviewer, sign up here.

Pro-tip : But wait! How are you sure if you should become a book reviewer in the first place? If you're on the fence, or curious about your match with a book reviewing career, take our quick quiz:

Should you become a book reviewer?

Find out the answer. Takes 30 seconds!

What must a book review contain?

Like all works of art, no two book reviews will be identical. But fear not: there are a few guidelines for any aspiring book reviewer to follow. Most book reviews, for instance, are less than 1,500 words long, with the sweet spot hitting somewhere around the 1,000-word mark. (However, this may vary depending on the platform on which you’re writing, as we’ll see later.)

In addition, all reviews share some universal elements, as shown in our book review templates . These include:

A review will offer a concise plot summary of the book.
A book review will offer an evaluation of the work.
A book review will offer a recommendation for the audience.

If these are the basic ingredients that make up a book review, it’s the tone and style with which the book reviewer writes that brings the extra panache. This will differ from platform to platform, of course. A book review on Goodreads, for instance, will be much more informal and personal than a book review on Kirkus Reviews, as it is catering to a different audience. However, at the end of the day, the goal of all book reviews is to give the audience the tools to determine whether or not they’d like to read the book themselves.

Keeping that in mind, let’s proceed to some book review examples to put all of this in action.

How much of a book nerd are you, really?

Find out here, once and for all. Takes 30 seconds!

Book review examples for fiction books

Since story is king in the world of fiction, it probably won’t come as any surprise to learn that a book review for a novel will concentrate on how well the story was told .

That said, book reviews in all genres follow the same basic formula that we discussed earlier. In these examples, you’ll be able to see how book reviewers on different platforms expertly intertwine the plot summary and their personal opinions of the book to produce a clear, informative, and concise review.

Note: Some of the book review examples run very long. If a book review is truncated in this post, we’ve indicated by including a […] at the end, but you can always read the entire review if you click on the link provided.

Examples of literary fiction book reviews

Kirkus Reviews reviews Ralph Ellison’s The Invisible Man :

An extremely powerful story of a young Southern Negro, from his late high school days through three years of college to his life in Harlem.

His early training prepared him for a life of humility before white men, but through injustices- large and small, he came to realize that he was an "invisible man". People saw in him only a reflection of their preconceived ideas of what he was, denied his individuality, and ultimately did not see him at all. This theme, which has implications far beyond the obvious racial parallel, is skillfully handled. The incidents of the story are wholly absorbing. The boy's dismissal from college because of an innocent mistake, his shocked reaction to the anonymity of the North and to Harlem, his nightmare experiences on a one-day job in a paint factory and in the hospital, his lightning success as the Harlem leader of a communistic organization known as the Brotherhood, his involvement in black versus white and black versus black clashes and his disillusion and understanding of his invisibility- all climax naturally in scenes of violence and riot, followed by a retreat which is both literal and figurative. Parts of this experience may have been told before, but never with such freshness, intensity and power.

This is Ellison's first novel, but he has complete control of his story and his style. Watch it.

Lyndsey reviews George Orwell’s 1984 on Goodreads:

YOU. ARE. THE. DEAD. Oh my God. I got the chills so many times toward the end of this book. It completely blew my mind. It managed to surpass my high expectations AND be nothing at all like I expected. Or in Newspeak "Double Plus Good." Let me preface this with an apology. If I sound stunningly inarticulate at times in this review, I can't help it. My mind is completely fried.

This book is like the dystopian Lord of the Rings, with its richly developed culture and economics, not to mention a fully developed language called Newspeak, or rather more of the anti-language, whose purpose is to limit speech and understanding instead of to enhance and expand it. The world-building is so fully fleshed out and spine-tinglingly terrifying that it's almost as if George travelled to such a place, escaped from it, and then just wrote it all down.

I read Fahrenheit 451 over ten years ago in my early teens. At the time, I remember really wanting to read 1984, although I never managed to get my hands on it. I'm almost glad I didn't. Though I would not have admitted it at the time, it would have gone over my head. Or at the very least, I wouldn't have been able to appreciate it fully. […]

The New York Times reviews Lisa Halliday’s Asymmetry :

Three-quarters of the way through Lisa Halliday’s debut novel, “Asymmetry,” a British foreign correspondent named Alistair is spending Christmas on a compound outside of Baghdad. His fellow revelers include cameramen, defense contractors, United Nations employees and aid workers. Someone’s mother has FedExed a HoneyBaked ham from Maine; people are smoking by the swimming pool. It is 2003, just days after Saddam Hussein’s capture, and though the mood is optimistic, Alistair is worrying aloud about the ethics of his chosen profession, wondering if reporting on violence doesn’t indirectly abet violence and questioning why he’d rather be in a combat zone than reading a picture book to his son. But every time he returns to London, he begins to “spin out.” He can’t go home. “You observe what people do with their freedom — what they don’t do — and it’s impossible not to judge them for it,” he says.

The line, embedded unceremoniously in the middle of a page-long paragraph, doubles, like so many others in “Asymmetry,” as literary criticism. Halliday’s novel is so strange and startlingly smart that its mere existence seems like commentary on the state of fiction. One finishes “Asymmetry” for the first or second (or like this reader, third) time and is left wondering what other writers are not doing with their freedom — and, like Alistair, judging them for it.

Despite its title, “Asymmetry” comprises two seemingly unrelated sections of equal length, appended by a slim and quietly shocking coda. Halliday’s prose is clean and lean, almost reportorial in the style of W. G. Sebald, and like the murmurings of a shy person at a cocktail party, often comic only in single clauses. It’s a first novel that reads like the work of an author who has published many books over many years. […]

Emily W. Thompson reviews Michael Doane's The Crossing on Reedsy Discovery :

In Doane’s debut novel, a young man embarks on a journey of self-discovery with surprising results.

An unnamed protagonist (The Narrator) is dealing with heartbreak. His love, determined to see the world, sets out for Portland, Oregon. But he’s a small-town boy who hasn’t traveled much. So, the Narrator mourns her loss and hides from life, throwing himself into rehabbing an old motorcycle. Until one day, he takes a leap; he packs his bike and a few belongings and heads out to find the Girl.

Following in the footsteps of Jack Kerouac and William Least Heat-Moon, Doane offers a coming of age story about a man finding himself on the backroads of America. Doane’s a gifted writer with fluid prose and insightful observations, using The Narrator’s personal interactions to illuminate the diversity of the United States.

The Narrator initially sticks to the highways, trying to make it to the West Coast as quickly as possible. But a hitchhiker named Duke convinces him to get off the beaten path and enjoy the ride. “There’s not a place that’s like any other,” [39] Dukes contends, and The Narrator realizes he’s right. Suddenly, the trip is about the journey, not just the destination. The Narrator ditches his truck and traverses the deserts and mountains on his bike. He destroys his phone, cutting off ties with his past and living only in the moment.

As he crosses the country, The Narrator connects with several unique personalities whose experiences and views deeply impact his own. Duke, the complicated cowboy and drifter, who opens The Narrator’s eyes to a larger world. Zooey, the waitress in Colorado who opens his heart and reminds him that love can be found in this big world. And Rosie, The Narrator’s sweet landlady in Portland, who helps piece him back together both physically and emotionally.

This supporting cast of characters is excellent. Duke, in particular, is wonderfully nuanced and complicated. He’s a throwback to another time, a man without a cell phone who reads Sartre and sleeps under the stars. Yet he’s also a grifter with a “love ‘em and leave ‘em” attitude that harms those around him. It’s fascinating to watch The Narrator wrestle with Duke’s behavior, trying to determine which to model and which to discard.

Doane creates a relatable protagonist in The Narrator, whose personal growth doesn’t erase his faults. His willingness to hit the road with few resources is admirable, and he’s prescient enough to recognize the jealousy of those who cannot or will not take the leap. His encounters with new foods, places, and people broaden his horizons. Yet his immaturity and selfishness persist. He tells Rosie she’s been a good mother to him but chooses to ignore the continuing concern from his own parents as he effectively disappears from his old life.

Despite his flaws, it’s a pleasure to accompany The Narrator on his physical and emotional journey. The unexpected ending is a fitting denouement to an epic and memorable road trip.

The Book Smugglers review Anissa Gray’s The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls :

I am still dipping my toes into the literally fiction pool, finding what works for me and what doesn’t. Books like The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray are definitely my cup of tea.

Althea and Proctor Cochran had been pillars of their economically disadvantaged community for years – with their local restaurant/small market and their charity drives. Until they are found guilty of fraud for stealing and keeping most of the money they raised and sent to jail. Now disgraced, their entire family is suffering the consequences, specially their twin teenage daughters Baby Vi and Kim. To complicate matters even more: Kim was actually the one to call the police on her parents after yet another fight with her mother. […]

Examples of children’s and YA fiction book reviews

The Book Hookup reviews Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give :

♥ Quick Thoughts and Rating: 5 stars! I can’t imagine how challenging it would be to tackle the voice of a movement like Black Lives Matter, but I do know that Thomas did it with a finesse only a talented author like herself possibly could. With an unapologetically realistic delivery packed with emotion, The Hate U Give is a crucially important portrayal of the difficulties minorities face in our country every single day. I have no doubt that this book will be met with resistance by some (possibly many) and slapped with a “controversial” label, but if you’ve ever wondered what it was like to walk in a POC’s shoes, then I feel like this is an unflinchingly honest place to start.

In Angie Thomas’s debut novel, Starr Carter bursts on to the YA scene with both heart-wrecking and heartwarming sincerity. This author is definitely one to watch.

♥ Review: The hype around this book has been unquestionable and, admittedly, that made me both eager to get my hands on it and terrified to read it. I mean, what if I was to be the one person that didn’t love it as much as others? (That seems silly now because of how truly mesmerizing THUG was in the most heartbreakingly realistic way.) However, with the relevancy of its summary in regards to the unjust predicaments POC currently face in the US, I knew this one was a must-read, so I was ready to set my fears aside and dive in. That said, I had an altogether more personal, ulterior motive for wanting to read this book. […]

The New York Times reviews Melissa Albert’s The Hazel Wood :

Alice Crewe (a last name she’s chosen for herself) is a fairy tale legacy: the granddaughter of Althea Proserpine, author of a collection of dark-as-night fairy tales called “Tales From the Hinterland.” The book has a cult following, and though Alice has never met her grandmother, she’s learned a little about her through internet research. She hasn’t read the stories, because her mother, Ella Proserpine, forbids it.

Alice and Ella have moved from place to place in an attempt to avoid the “bad luck” that seems to follow them. Weird things have happened. As a child, Alice was kidnapped by a man who took her on a road trip to find her grandmother; he was stopped by the police before they did so. When at 17 she sees that man again, unchanged despite the years, Alice panics. Then Ella goes missing, and Alice turns to Ellery Finch, a schoolmate who’s an Althea Proserpine superfan, for help in tracking down her mother. Not only has Finch read every fairy tale in the collection, but handily, he remembers them, sharing them with Alice as they journey to the mysterious Hazel Wood, the estate of her now-dead grandmother, where they hope to find Ella.

“The Hazel Wood” starts out strange and gets stranger, in the best way possible. (The fairy stories Finch relays, which Albert includes as their own chapters, are as creepy and evocative as you’d hope.) Albert seamlessly combines contemporary realism with fantasy, blurring the edges in a way that highlights that place where stories and real life convene, where magic contains truth and the world as it appears is false, where just about anything can happen, particularly in the pages of a very good book. It’s a captivating debut. […]

James reviews Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight, Moon on Goodreads:

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown is one of the books that followers of my blog voted as a must-read for our Children's Book August 2018 Readathon. Come check it out and join the next few weeks!

This picture book was such a delight. I hadn't remembered reading it when I was a child, but it might have been read to me... either way, it was like a whole new experience! It's always so difficult to convince a child to fall asleep at night. I don't have kids, but I do have a 5-month-old puppy who whines for 5 minutes every night when he goes in his cage/crate (hopefully he'll be fully housebroken soon so he can roam around when he wants). I can only imagine! I babysat a lot as a teenager and I have tons of younger cousins, nieces, and nephews, so I've been through it before, too. This was a believable experience, and it really helps show kids how to relax and just let go when it's time to sleep.

The bunny's are adorable. The rhymes are exquisite. I found it pretty fun, but possibly a little dated given many of those things aren't normal routines anymore. But the lessons to take from it are still powerful. Loved it! I want to sample some more books by this fine author and her illustrators.

Publishers Weekly reviews Elizabeth Lilly’s Geraldine :

This funny, thoroughly accomplished debut opens with two words: “I’m moving.” They’re spoken by the title character while she swoons across her family’s ottoman, and because Geraldine is a giraffe, her full-on melancholy mode is quite a spectacle. But while Geraldine may be a drama queen (even her mother says so), it won’t take readers long to warm up to her. The move takes Geraldine from Giraffe City, where everyone is like her, to a new school, where everyone else is human. Suddenly, the former extrovert becomes “That Giraffe Girl,” and all she wants to do is hide, which is pretty much impossible. “Even my voice tries to hide,” she says, in the book’s most poignant moment. “It’s gotten quiet and whispery.” Then she meets Cassie, who, though human, is also an outlier (“I’m that girl who wears glasses and likes MATH and always organizes her food”), and things begin to look up.

Lilly’s watercolor-and-ink drawings are as vividly comic and emotionally astute as her writing; just when readers think there are no more ways for Geraldine to contort her long neck, this highly promising talent comes up with something new.

Examples of genre fiction book reviews

Karlyn P reviews Nora Roberts’ Dark Witch , a paranormal romance novel , on Goodreads:

4 stars. Great world-building, weak romance, but still worth the read.

I hesitate to describe this book as a 'romance' novel simply because the book spent little time actually exploring the romance between Iona and Boyle. Sure, there IS a romance in this novel. Sprinkled throughout the book are a few scenes where Iona and Boyle meet, chat, wink at each, flirt some more, sleep together, have a misunderstanding, make up, and then profess their undying love. Very formulaic stuff, and all woven around the more important parts of this book.

The meat of this book is far more focused on the story of the Dark witch and her magically-gifted descendants living in Ireland. Despite being weak on the romance, I really enjoyed it. I think the book is probably better for it, because the romance itself was pretty lackluster stuff.

I absolutely plan to stick with this series as I enjoyed the world building, loved the Ireland setting, and was intrigued by all of the secondary characters. However, If you read Nora Roberts strictly for the romance scenes, this one might disappoint. But if you enjoy a solid background story with some dark magic and prophesies, you might enjoy it as much as I did.

I listened to this one on audio, and felt the narration was excellent.

Emily May reviews R.F. Kuang’s The Poppy Wars , an epic fantasy novel , on Goodreads:

“But I warn you, little warrior. The price of power is pain.”

Holy hell, what did I just read??

➽ A fantasy military school

➽ A rich world based on modern Chinese history

➽ Shamans and gods

➽ Detailed characterization leading to unforgettable characters

➽ Adorable, opium-smoking mentors

That's a basic list, but this book is all of that and SO MUCH MORE. I know 100% that The Poppy War will be one of my best reads of 2018.

Isn't it just so great when you find one of those books that completely drags you in, makes you fall in love with the characters, and demands that you sit on the edge of your seat for every horrific, nail-biting moment of it? This is one of those books for me. And I must issue a serious content warning: this book explores some very dark themes. Proceed with caution (or not at all) if you are particularly sensitive to scenes of war, drug use and addiction, genocide, racism, sexism, ableism, self-harm, torture, and rape (off-page but extremely horrific).

Because, despite the fairly innocuous first 200 pages, the title speaks the truth: this is a book about war. All of its horrors and atrocities. It is not sugar-coated, and it is often graphic. The "poppy" aspect refers to opium, which is a big part of this book. It is a fantasy, but the book draws inspiration from the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Rape of Nanking.

Crime Fiction Lover reviews Jessica Barry’s Freefall , a crime novel:

In some crime novels, the wrongdoing hits you between the eyes from page one. With others it’s a more subtle process, and that’s OK too. So where does Freefall fit into the sliding scale?

In truth, it’s not clear. This is a novel with a thrilling concept at its core. A woman survives plane crash, then runs for her life. However, it is the subtleties at play that will draw you in like a spider beckoning to an unwitting fly.

Like the heroine in Sharon Bolton’s Dead Woman Walking, Allison is lucky to be alive. She was the only passenger in a private plane, belonging to her fiancé, Ben, who was piloting the expensive aircraft, when it came down in woodlands in the Colorado Rockies. Ally is also the only survivor, but rather than sitting back and waiting for rescue, she is soon pulling together items that may help her survive a little longer – first aid kit, energy bars, warm clothes, trainers – before fleeing the scene. If you’re hearing the faint sound of alarm bells ringing, get used to it. There’s much, much more to learn about Ally before this tale is over.

Kirkus Reviews reviews Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One , a science-fiction novel :

Video-game players embrace the quest of a lifetime in a virtual world; screenwriter Cline’s first novel is old wine in new bottles.

The real world, in 2045, is the usual dystopian horror story. So who can blame Wade, our narrator, if he spends most of his time in a virtual world? The 18-year-old, orphaned at 11, has no friends in his vertical trailer park in Oklahoma City, while the OASIS has captivating bells and whistles, and it’s free. Its creator, the legendary billionaire James Halliday, left a curious will. He had devised an elaborate online game, a hunt for a hidden Easter egg. The finder would inherit his estate. Old-fashioned riddles lead to three keys and three gates. Wade, or rather his avatar Parzival, is the first gunter (egg-hunter) to win the Copper Key, first of three.

Halliday was obsessed with the pop culture of the 1980s, primarily the arcade games, so the novel is as much retro as futurist. Parzival’s great strength is that he has absorbed all Halliday’s obsessions; he knows by heart three essential movies, crossing the line from geek to freak. His most formidable competitors are the Sixers, contract gunters working for the evil conglomerate IOI, whose goal is to acquire the OASIS. Cline’s narrative is straightforward but loaded with exposition. It takes a while to reach a scene that crackles with excitement: the meeting between Parzival (now world famous as the lead contender) and Sorrento, the head of IOI. The latter tries to recruit Parzival; when he fails, he issues and executes a death threat. Wade’s trailer is demolished, his relatives killed; luckily Wade was not at home. Too bad this is the dramatic high point. Parzival threads his way between more ’80s games and movies to gain the other keys; it’s clever but not exciting. Even a romance with another avatar and the ultimate “epic throwdown” fail to stir the blood.

Too much puzzle-solving, not enough suspense.

Book review examples for non-fiction books

Nonfiction books are generally written to inform readers about a certain topic. As such, the focus of a nonfiction book review will be on the clarity and effectiveness of this communication . In carrying this out, a book review may analyze the author’s source materials and assess the thesis in order to determine whether or not the book meets expectations.

Again, we’ve included abbreviated versions of long reviews here, so feel free to click on the link to read the entire piece!

The Washington Post reviews David Grann’s Killers of the Flower Moon :

The arc of David Grann’s career reminds one of a software whiz-kid or a latest-thing talk-show host — certainly not an investigative reporter, even if he is one of the best in the business. The newly released movie of his first book, “The Lost City of Z,” is generating all kinds of Oscar talk, and now comes the release of his second book, “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI,” the film rights to which have already been sold for $5 million in what one industry journal called the “biggest and wildest book rights auction in memory.”

Grann deserves the attention. He’s canny about the stories he chases, he’s willing to go anywhere to chase them, and he’s a maestro in his ability to parcel out information at just the right clip: a hint here, a shading of meaning there, a smartly paced buildup of multiple possibilities followed by an inevitable reversal of readerly expectations or, in some cases, by a thrilling and dislocating pull of the entire narrative rug.

All of these strengths are on display in “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Around the turn of the 20th century, oil was discovered underneath Osage lands in the Oklahoma Territory, lands that were soon to become part of the state of Oklahoma. Through foresight and legal maneuvering, the Osage found a way to permanently attach that oil to themselves and shield it from the prying hands of white interlopers; this mechanism was known as “headrights,” which forbade the outright sale of oil rights and granted each full member of the tribe — and, supposedly, no one else — a share in the proceeds from any lease arrangement. For a while, the fail-safes did their job, and the Osage got rich — diamond-ring and chauffeured-car and imported-French-fashion rich — following which quite a large group of white men started to work like devils to separate the Osage from their money. And soon enough, and predictably enough, this work involved murder. Here in Jazz Age America’s most isolated of locales, dozens or even hundreds of Osage in possession of great fortunes — and of the potential for even greater fortunes in the future — were dispatched by poison, by gunshot and by dynamite. […]

Stacked Books reviews Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers :

I’ve heard a lot of great things about Malcolm Gladwell’s writing. Friends and co-workers tell me that his subjects are interesting and his writing style is easy to follow without talking down to the reader. I wasn’t disappointed with Outliers. In it, Gladwell tackles the subject of success – how people obtain it and what contributes to extraordinary success as opposed to everyday success.

The thesis – that our success depends much more on circumstances out of our control than any effort we put forth – isn’t exactly revolutionary. Most of us know it to be true. However, I don’t think I’m lying when I say that most of us also believe that we if we just try that much harder and develop our talent that much further, it will be enough to become wildly successful, despite bad or just mediocre beginnings. Not so, says Gladwell.

Most of the evidence Gladwell gives us is anecdotal, which is my favorite kind to read. I can’t really speak to how scientifically valid it is, but it sure makes for engrossing listening. For example, did you know that successful hockey players are almost all born in January, February, or March? Kids born during these months are older than the others kids when they start playing in the youth leagues, which means they’re already better at the game (because they’re bigger). Thus, they get more play time, which means their skill increases at a faster rate, and it compounds as time goes by. Within a few years, they’re much, much better than the kids born just a few months later in the year. Basically, these kids’ birthdates are a huge factor in their success as adults – and it’s nothing they can do anything about. If anyone could make hockey interesting to a Texan who only grudgingly admits the sport even exists, it’s Gladwell. […]

Quill and Quire reviews Rick Prashaw’s Soar, Adam, Soar :

Ten years ago, I read a book called Almost Perfect. The young-adult novel by Brian Katcher won some awards and was held up as a powerful, nuanced portrayal of a young trans person. But the reality did not live up to the book’s billing. Instead, it turned out to be a one-dimensional and highly fetishized portrait of a trans person’s life, one that was nevertheless repeatedly dubbed “realistic” and “affecting” by non-transgender readers possessing only a vague, mass-market understanding of trans experiences.

In the intervening decade, trans narratives have emerged further into the literary spotlight, but those authored by trans people ourselves – and by trans men in particular – have seemed to fall under the shadow of cisgender sensationalized imaginings. Two current Canadian releases – Soar, Adam, Soar and This One Looks Like a Boy – provide a pointed object lesson into why trans-authored work about transgender experiences remains critical.

To be fair, Soar, Adam, Soar isn’t just a story about a trans man. It’s also a story about epilepsy, the medical establishment, and coming of age as seen through a grieving father’s eyes. Adam, Prashaw’s trans son, died unexpectedly at age 22. Woven through the elder Prashaw’s narrative are excerpts from Adam’s social media posts, giving us glimpses into the young man’s interior life as he traverses his late teens and early 20s. […]

Book Geeks reviews Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love :

WRITING STYLE: 3.5/5

SUBJECT: 4/5

CANDIDNESS: 4.5/5

RELEVANCE: 3.5/5

ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 3.5/5

“Eat Pray Love” is so popular that it is almost impossible to not read it. Having felt ashamed many times on my not having read this book, I quietly ordered the book (before I saw the movie) from amazon.in and sat down to read it. I don’t remember what I expected it to be – maybe more like a chick lit thing but it turned out quite different. The book is a real story and is a short journal from the time when its writer went travelling to three different countries in pursuit of three different things – Italy (Pleasure), India (Spirituality), Bali (Balance) and this is what corresponds to the book’s name – EAT (in Italy), PRAY (in India) and LOVE (in Bali, Indonesia). These are also the three Is – ITALY, INDIA, INDONESIA.

Though she had everything a middle-aged American woman can aspire for – MONEY, CAREER, FRIENDS, HUSBAND; Elizabeth was not happy in her life, she wasn’t happy in her marriage. Having suffered a terrible divorce and terrible breakup soon after, Elizabeth was shattered. She didn’t know where to go and what to do – all she knew was that she wanted to run away. So she set out on a weird adventure – she will go to three countries in a year and see if she can find out what she was looking for in life. This book is about that life changing journey that she takes for one whole year. […]

Emily May reviews Michelle Obama’s Becoming on Goodreads:

Look, I'm not a happy crier. I might cry at songs about leaving and missing someone; I might cry at books where things don't work out; I might cry at movies where someone dies. I've just never really understood why people get all choked up over happy, inspirational things. But Michelle Obama's kindness and empathy changed that. This book had me in tears for all the right reasons.

This is not really a book about politics, though political experiences obviously do come into it. It's a shame that some will dismiss this book because of a difference in political opinion, when it is really about a woman's life. About growing up poor and black on the South Side of Chicago; about getting married and struggling to maintain that marriage; about motherhood; about being thrown into an amazing and terrifying position.

I hate words like "inspirational" because they've become so overdone and cheesy, but I just have to say it-- Michelle Obama is an inspiration. I had the privilege of seeing her speak at The Forum in Inglewood, and she is one of the warmest, funniest, smartest, down-to-earth people I have ever seen in this world.

And yes, I know we present what we want the world to see, but I truly do think it's genuine. I think she is someone who really cares about people - especially kids - and wants to give them better lives and opportunities.

She's obviously intelligent, but she also doesn't gussy up her words. She talks straight, with an openness and honesty rarely seen. She's been one of the most powerful women in the world, she's been a graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law School, she's had her own successful career, and yet she has remained throughout that same girl - Michelle Robinson - from a working class family in Chicago.

I don't think there's anyone who wouldn't benefit from reading this book.

Hopefully, this post has given you a better idea of how to write a book review. You might be wondering how to put all of this knowledge into action now! Many book reviewers start out by setting up a book blog. If you don’t have time to research the intricacies of HTML, check out Reedsy Discovery — where you can read indie books for free and review them without going through the hassle of creating a blog. To register as a book reviewer , go here .

And if you’d like to see even more book review examples, simply go to this directory of book review blogs and click on any one of them to see a wealth of good book reviews. Beyond that, it's up to you to pick up a book and pen — and start reviewing!

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Reviewer directory

Discovery | Reviewer | Version A | 2024-01

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Review new books and start building your portfolio.

How to write a review? | C1 Advanced (CAE)

The main purpose is to describe and express a personal opinion about something which the essay writer has experienced (e.g. a film, a holiday, a product, a website, etc.) and to give the reader a clear impression of what the item discussed is like.

Check our Writing Guide below – to see how to write a CAE review in detail.

C1 Advanced (CAE) Review: Structure

Name what you are going to be reviewing. Identify the book, restaurant or film

Describe the first thing mentioned in the task

Describe the second thing mentioned in the task

Contain your general impression and your verdict.

FCE, CAE, CPE

Practice, write & improve, c1 advanced (cae) review: writing guide.

We will use the example CAE review topic below:

You see the following announcement on a website, Great Lives:

Reviews wanted Send us a review of a book or film that focuses on somebody who has made an important contribution to society.

Did you learn anything new about the person’s life from the book or film? Did the book or film help you understand why this person made their important contribution?

Write your review (around 220 – 260 words)

Step 1: Briefly analyse your task…

The first thing is to find underline a description part , where we have to describe something like a film, book, restaurant or anything else. Next , find a discussion part where need to give opinion and or make a recommendation or suggestion.

On top of that, find the target reader who is always specified so you know exactly who you are writing for and who is going to read your review.

Reviews Wanted Send us a review of a book or film that focuses on somebody who has made an important contribution to society. (to describe)

Did you learn anything new about the person’s life from the book or film? Did the book or film help you understand why this person made their important contribution? (to answer/discuss)

Thanks to this, we have all the elements we need to write a great review below:

You need to describe: B o ok or film that focuses on somebody who has made an important contribution to society

You need to answer/discuss:

Why this person made an important contribution?
Did you learn anything new about the person’s life?

Who is the target reader: website, Great Lives

We know now that the target readers are the users of the website, so the writing style can be quite direct and informal (idioms, phrasal verbs).

Now we can start building our structure and writing a review.

Practice Tests Online

Step 2: title.

The review should start with the title, and there are several ways to write it:

imagine you’re reviewing a book you can write [Title] by [Author]
if you were reviewing a hotel you could write the [name of the hotel] – a review
or you can just write something catchy but it has to point to what you are going to review

Title (book): Green Lantern by Stephen King (by) Title (hotel): Ibiza Hotel in Barcelona – a review (a review) Title (restaurant): Taco Bell: U n forgettable experience (catchy)

we will use this title in our guide : TITLE : Mandela: Striving for Freedom — a review

Step 3: Introduction

The other function of your introduction is to engage the reader . There are certain tools we can use to achieve that for example, we can ask a rhetorical question.

It is a question that doesn’t really need an answer it is there as a stylistic feature that engages the reader and makes them interested in the topic

Make your introduction at least 2-3 sentences long.

INTRODUCTION: Have you ever been so passionate about something that you would sacrifice your very best years for it? In the film Mandela: Striving for Freedom we get not only a glimpse of Nelson Mandela’s life, but rather dive deep into who he was and how he changed a whole country . This autobiographical film, based on the book, and released in 2013, tells the amazing story of an even more extraordinary man.

– rhetorical question

– identification of reviewed item

TIP : Don’t waste your time looking for a real book or a real movie to match your review. Make it up or change the facts to suit the review, it doesn’t have to be real.

Step 4: The body paragraphs (main content)

Unlike essays, your paragraphs don’t have to be of the same length (however, should be longer than the introduction or conclusion).

Use idioms , phrasal verbs and colloquial language – informal language is appropriate for your target reader – users of the website, Great Lives

See the example below, in which we dedicate one paragraph to one point…

[Why this person made an important contribution?]

While the whole film captivated me throughout, there was one aspect that truly stood out to me. Nelson Mandela and his second wife Winnie had a one-of-a-kind relationship driving each other to continue and grow the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa even after Mr Mandela was captured and imprisoned. It is a testament to their dedication and partnership and something ‘that a lot of us can learn from.

[Did you learn anything new about the person’s life?]

Despite having a strong and driven partner in his wife, I still used to be astonished by the fact that someone would simply sacrifice themselves and give up a big part of their life to help others, but this biopic made me reconsider. Witnessing segregated society and all the racial abuse the black community had to endure during apartheid, there was no other option for Nelson Mandela than to stand up and fight for equality.

– topic-specific vocabulary

– engaging/interesting vocabulary

– relevant details

Step 5: Conclusion / Recommendations

It will contain your general impression and your verdict/recommendation .

Use this paragraph to make an objective assessment of the reviewed material. You may then recommend or dissuade your readers from seeing/attending it.

CONCLUSION: All in all, Mandela: Striving for Freedom gives some incredible insight into the life of one of the world’s most famous and influential personalities of the 20th century. It would be a shame not to watch it so I highly recommend that you check your favourite streaming service as soon as you can and I promise you won’t regret it. – recap, what you like about the film

– recommendation

See full review…

Full review.

Mandela: Striving for Freedom — a review

Have you ever been so passionate about something that you would sacrifice your very best years for it? In the film Mandela: Striving for Freedom we get not only a glimpse of Nelson Mandela’s life, but rather dive deep into who he was and how he changed a whole country. This autobiographical film, based on the book, and released in 2013, tells the amazing story of an even more extraordinary man.

All in all, Mandela: Striving for Freedom gives some incredible insight into the life of one of the world’s most famous and influential personalities of the 20th century. It would be a shame not to watch it so I highly recommend that you check your favourite streaming service as soon as you can and I promise you won’t regret it.

Check your (CAE) Review

Things to remember…

You’re writing for the public, not for your friends. Your are only interesting if you can , or make them entertaining.

People don’t read reviews in magazines in order to be bored, To be interesting, you should :

C1 Advanced (CAE) Review: Example reviews

Cae review sample 1.

You have seen this announcement on your favourite music website.

Have you ever been to an amazing concert venue?

Write a review of the best music venue in your local area and tell us about what makes it so special. Say who you would recommend it for a why?

The best entries will be published on our website.

Model answer:

The Apollo: The Theatre of Dreams

Never before have you seen such an amazing spectacle as you will see in the Apollo. It´s not only the facilities and personnel that make this venue so great, but also the amazing acoustics of such a large venue.

From the moment you enter the place there is an awe about it. All of the greatest acts of recent times have played here and you can feel the buzz as soon as you enter. The crowd are so close to the stage that they can literally feel the droplets of sweat coming off of the brows of their favourite artists, this creates an amazing connection between the musicians and the audience and I can tell you, the fans go wild!

I´d definitely recommend this venue to anyone, it has a great feel to it and the prices are at the lower end of what you would expect to pay in such a place. They also don’t go over the top on drinks prices, and through it sounds weird, it´s not all that difficult to get to the bathroom which is a plus. So, without a doubt, the next time your favourite group is playing, come on down to the Apollo, oh, and did I mention it is in London? It couldn´t get any better.

Get Your (CAE) Review Checked!

Cae review sample 2.

You see this announcement in an international magazine.

The most UPLIFTING and the biggest DOWNER . It’s sometimes hard to choose a film that fits your mood purely on the basis of the poster or the description on the cover of the DVD. That’s why we want to publish reviews of the most uplifting and the most depressing films our readers have seen, so that others know what to watch and what to avoid. Send in a review which describes the most uplifting film you’ve ever seen and the one you found the biggest downer. Make sure you give reasons for your choices.

Write your review in 220-260 words in an appropriate style.

A tale of two films

If I were to present two of the most contrasting films about overcoming adversity it would be The Blind Side (2009) and Doctor Zhivago (1965). Whereas the former left me with a huge grin on my face, sadly, the latter left me feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders.

Doctor Zhivago , directed by five-time Oscar winner David Lean, is set in the Bolshevik revolution and follows the title character, who must adapt to the new order while pining for Lara, the beautiful wife of a political campaigner. The director succeeded in creating a film that is thoroughly engaging but full of gritty realism, cruelty and tragic irony. Take the tissues!

The Blind Side , which is based on a true story, is also a bit of a tearjerker, in a completely different way. Starring Sandra Bullock, who won an Academy Award for her portrayal of a rich white mother in Tennessee who takes a homeless black teenager under her roof. Understandably, the gentle giant thinks he isn’t good at anything but his new mother sees his potential to become a football star and part of the family. The plot is based on a true story, making it all the more touching.

I would strongly recommend The Blind Side . It will appeal to a range of people and is a great choice for a movie night. Although Doctor Zhivago is a classic, I think it has more of a niche audience and is best saved for when you want a dose of gloom!

C1 Advanced (CAE) Review: Example topics

Cae example topic 1.

You see the the following announcement on a website, Great Lives:

REVIEWS WANTED Send us a review of a book or a film focusses on somebody who has made an important contribution to society.

Write your review in 220-260 words

CAE Example topic 2

You see this announcement in an international magazine called Cinefilia.

THE MOST UPLIFTING AND THE BIGGEST DOWNER. It’s sometimes hard to choose a film that fits your mood purely on the basis of the poster or the description on the cover of the DVD. That’s why we want to publish reviews of the most uplifting and the most depressing films our readers have seen, so that others know what to watch and what to avoid. Send in a review which describes the most uplifting film you’ve ever seen and the one you found the biggest downer. Make sure you give reasons for your choices.

Write your review in 220-260 words in an appropriate style.

CAE Example topic 3

You see the following announcement in a magazine:

SEND US YOUR REVIEW

Have you read a book or seen a film that has a central character whose life is affected by an event or decision they make early in the story What did you learn about the person’s character? Did the book or flim help you to understand how the person was affected by this event or decision? Send us your review for our next issue

Write your review for the magazine readers. (220-260 words)

C1 Advanced (CAE) Review: Tips

Think about what you are trying to achieve and the structure of your review.
You should also start a new paragraph for every item/aspect you are addressing in your review.
Include a final recommendation or evaluation
Don’t forget! The target reader is specified in the question, so the candidate knows not only what register is appropriate, but also has an idea about the kind of information to include.

C1 Advanced (CAE) Review: Writing Checklist

After writing your text, you can check it yourself using the writing checklist below.

How to do that? Simply check your text/email by answering the questions one by one:

Have I covered all the key information required by the task?
Have I written only information which is relevant to the task?
Have I developed the basic points in the task with my own ideas?

Communicative Achievement

Have I achieved the main purpose(s) of the text (for example, explaining, persuading, suggesting, apologising, comparing, etc.)?
Have I used a suitable mix of fact and opinion?
Have I used a suitable style and register (formal or informal) for the task?

Organisation

Have I used paragraphs appropriately to organise my ideas?
Have I used other organisational features appropriately for the genre of the text (for example, titles, headings, openings, closings, etc.)?
Is the connection between my ideas clear and easy for the reader to follow? (For example, have I used appropriate linking words, pronouns, etc. to refer to different things within the text?)
Are the ideas balanced appropriately, with suitable attention and space given to each one?
Have I used a wide range of vocabulary?
Have I avoided repeating the same words and phrases?
Have I used a range of simple and more complex grammatical structures?
Have I correctly used any common phrases which are relevant to the specific task or topic?
Is my use of grammar accurate?
Is my spelling accurate?

C1 Advanced (CAE) Review: Grading

Try to include some sophisticated language in your review. But: you can think of some cool words and expressions before you go into the exam!

Keep control of your language – don’t forget simple things like the third person singular ‘s’.

However, don’t stick only to really simple forms. You need to show that you know higher level forms like past perfect and third conditional.

Start with a heading so you don’t forget to mention the name of the thing you’re reviewing.

Put each content point in a separate paragraph.

Finish with your recommendation.

Vary the length of your sentences – some short, some long – to make the Review more interesting.

Always think about the Target Reader.

Are they going to learn enough in your Review to make a decision about the book?

The Target Reader’s time is precious. Keep them entertained!

At a most basic level, does your Review look like one? Is it written like one?

You should be able to get all 5 content points. Make sure to cover everything in the rubric.

Remember, nothing that you write has to be real or honest. If it’s easier to make something up, do that.

Would you pass C1 Advanced (CAE)?

C1 advanced (cae) review: useful phrases.

We will finish it with some useful vocabulary mostly used to organize information. Although it is taking a shortcut, if you learn several expressions for each paragraph in each type of text that could be on your exam, you will certainly be able to create a very consistent and well-organized text.

What I liked

What I liked most was ….. The thing I liked most was …. I was pleasantly surprised by ….. ….. would appeal to ….. If you get a chance to ….

What I disliked

What I disliked most was ….. I was disappointed by …… I was disappointed with ….. I was very disappointed by ….. I was very disappointed with ….

Reviews of books:

main character is set in comedy science fiction thriller romance comedy: author written by chapter factual fiction unbelievable bestseller chapter ending

Reviews of films, tv programmes, plays:

lead role star role star star actor star actress starring secondary role He plays a ……. She plays a ……. written by …. is set in ….. based on a true story …. believable true to life not very believable far-fetched comedy romance science fiction ending

Reviews of hotels, restaurants, etc:

location service setting attractive setting disappointing setting owned by run by head chef (restaurant) waiters (restaurant) staff ……. staff at reception …….(hotel hotel facilities …. reasonable prices ….. good value for money ….. excellent value for money ….. expensive a bit expensive overpriced not worth the money poor value for money always fully booked book in advance

The script seemed rather conventional/predictable to me. The plot struck me as completely bizarre/absurd/incomprehensible The characters are appealing and true to life The dancers were quite brilliant/amateurish

Recommendations

I would strongly encourage you not to miss/not to waste your money on… I would definitely recommend seeing/visiting/reading/having a look at …

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Knowledge Base

Methodology

How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates

How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates

Published on January 2, 2023 by Shona McCombes . Revised on September 11, 2023.

What is a literature review? A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources on a specific topic. It provides an overview of current knowledge, allowing you to identify relevant theories, methods, and gaps in the existing research that you can later apply to your paper, thesis, or dissertation topic .

There are five key steps to writing a literature review:

Search for relevant literature
Evaluate sources
Identify themes, debates, and gaps
Outline the structure
Write your literature review

A good literature review doesn’t just summarize sources—it analyzes, synthesizes , and critically evaluates to give a clear picture of the state of knowledge on the subject.

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What is the purpose of a literature review, examples of literature reviews, step 1 – search for relevant literature, step 2 – evaluate and select sources, step 3 – identify themes, debates, and gaps, step 4 – outline your literature review’s structure, step 5 – write your literature review, free lecture slides, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions, introduction.

Quick Run-through
Step 1 & 2

When you write a thesis , dissertation , or research paper , you will likely have to conduct a literature review to situate your research within existing knowledge. The literature review gives you a chance to:

Demonstrate your familiarity with the topic and its scholarly context
Develop a theoretical framework and methodology for your research
Position your work in relation to other researchers and theorists
Show how your research addresses a gap or contributes to a debate
Evaluate the current state of research and demonstrate your knowledge of the scholarly debates around your topic.

Writing literature reviews is a particularly important skill if you want to apply for graduate school or pursue a career in research. We’ve written a step-by-step guide that you can follow below.

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See an example

Writing literature reviews can be quite challenging! A good starting point could be to look at some examples, depending on what kind of literature review you’d like to write.

Example literature review #1: “Why Do People Migrate? A Review of the Theoretical Literature” ( Theoretical literature review about the development of economic migration theory from the 1950s to today.)
Example literature review #2: “Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines” ( Methodological literature review about interdisciplinary knowledge acquisition and production.)
Example literature review #3: “The Use of Technology in English Language Learning: A Literature Review” ( Thematic literature review about the effects of technology on language acquisition.)
Example literature review #4: “Learners’ Listening Comprehension Difficulties in English Language Learning: A Literature Review” ( Chronological literature review about how the concept of listening skills has changed over time.)

You can also check out our templates with literature review examples and sample outlines at the links below.

Download Word doc Download Google doc

Before you begin searching for literature, you need a clearly defined topic .

If you are writing the literature review section of a dissertation or research paper, you will search for literature related to your research problem and questions .

Make a list of keywords

Start by creating a list of keywords related to your research question. Include each of the key concepts or variables you’re interested in, and list any synonyms and related terms. You can add to this list as you discover new keywords in the process of your literature search.

Social media, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok
Body image, self-perception, self-esteem, mental health
Generation Z, teenagers, adolescents, youth

Search for relevant sources

Use your keywords to begin searching for sources. Some useful databases to search for journals and articles include:

Your university’s library catalogue
Google Scholar
Project Muse (humanities and social sciences)
Medline (life sciences and biomedicine)
EconLit (economics)
Inspec (physics, engineering and computer science)

You can also use boolean operators to help narrow down your search.

Make sure to read the abstract to find out whether an article is relevant to your question. When you find a useful book or article, you can check the bibliography to find other relevant sources.

You likely won’t be able to read absolutely everything that has been written on your topic, so it will be necessary to evaluate which sources are most relevant to your research question.

For each publication, ask yourself:

What question or problem is the author addressing?
What are the key concepts and how are they defined?
What are the key theories, models, and methods?
Does the research use established frameworks or take an innovative approach?
What are the results and conclusions of the study?
How does the publication relate to other literature in the field? Does it confirm, add to, or challenge established knowledge?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the research?

Make sure the sources you use are credible , and make sure you read any landmark studies and major theories in your field of research.

You can use our template to summarize and evaluate sources you’re thinking about using. Click on either button below to download.

Take notes and cite your sources

As you read, you should also begin the writing process. Take notes that you can later incorporate into the text of your literature review.

It is important to keep track of your sources with citations to avoid plagiarism . It can be helpful to make an annotated bibliography , where you compile full citation information and write a paragraph of summary and analysis for each source. This helps you remember what you read and saves time later in the process.

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To begin organizing your literature review’s argument and structure, be sure you understand the connections and relationships between the sources you’ve read. Based on your reading and notes, you can look for:

Trends and patterns (in theory, method or results): do certain approaches become more or less popular over time?
Themes: what questions or concepts recur across the literature?
Debates, conflicts and contradictions: where do sources disagree?
Pivotal publications: are there any influential theories or studies that changed the direction of the field?
Gaps: what is missing from the literature? Are there weaknesses that need to be addressed?

This step will help you work out the structure of your literature review and (if applicable) show how your own research will contribute to existing knowledge.

Most research has focused on young women.
There is an increasing interest in the visual aspects of social media.
But there is still a lack of robust research on highly visual platforms like Instagram and Snapchat—this is a gap that you could address in your own research.

There are various approaches to organizing the body of a literature review. Depending on the length of your literature review, you can combine several of these strategies (for example, your overall structure might be thematic, but each theme is discussed chronologically).

Chronological

The simplest approach is to trace the development of the topic over time. However, if you choose this strategy, be careful to avoid simply listing and summarizing sources in order.

Try to analyze patterns, turning points and key debates that have shaped the direction of the field. Give your interpretation of how and why certain developments occurred.

If you have found some recurring central themes, you can organize your literature review into subsections that address different aspects of the topic.

For example, if you are reviewing literature about inequalities in migrant health outcomes, key themes might include healthcare policy, language barriers, cultural attitudes, legal status, and economic access.

Methodological

If you draw your sources from different disciplines or fields that use a variety of research methods , you might want to compare the results and conclusions that emerge from different approaches. For example:

Look at what results have emerged in qualitative versus quantitative research
Discuss how the topic has been approached by empirical versus theoretical scholarship
Divide the literature into sociological, historical, and cultural sources

Theoretical

A literature review is often the foundation for a theoretical framework . You can use it to discuss various theories, models, and definitions of key concepts.

You might argue for the relevance of a specific theoretical approach, or combine various theoretical concepts to create a framework for your research.

Like any other academic text , your literature review should have an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion . What you include in each depends on the objective of your literature review.

The introduction should clearly establish the focus and purpose of the literature review.

Depending on the length of your literature review, you might want to divide the body into subsections. You can use a subheading for each theme, time period, or methodological approach.

As you write, you can follow these tips:

Summarize and synthesize: give an overview of the main points of each source and combine them into a coherent whole
Analyze and interpret: don’t just paraphrase other researchers — add your own interpretations where possible, discussing the significance of findings in relation to the literature as a whole
Critically evaluate: mention the strengths and weaknesses of your sources
Write in well-structured paragraphs: use transition words and topic sentences to draw connections, comparisons and contrasts

In the conclusion, you should summarize the key findings you have taken from the literature and emphasize their significance.

When you’ve finished writing and revising your literature review, don’t forget to proofread thoroughly before submitting. Not a language expert? Check out Scribbr’s professional proofreading services !

This article has been adapted into lecture slides that you can use to teach your students about writing a literature review.

Scribbr slides are free to use, customize, and distribute for educational purposes.

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If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Sampling methods
Simple random sampling
Stratified sampling
Cluster sampling
Likert scales
Reproducibility

Statistics

Null hypothesis
Statistical power
Probability distribution
Effect size
Poisson distribution

Research bias

Optimism bias
Cognitive bias
Implicit bias
Hawthorne effect
Anchoring bias
Explicit bias

A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources (such as books, journal articles, and theses) related to a specific topic or research question .

It is often written as part of a thesis, dissertation , or research paper , in order to situate your work in relation to existing knowledge.

There are several reasons to conduct a literature review at the beginning of a research project:

To familiarize yourself with the current state of knowledge on your topic
To ensure that you’re not just repeating what others have already done
To identify gaps in knowledge and unresolved problems that your research can address
To develop your theoretical framework and methodology
To provide an overview of the key findings and debates on the topic

Writing the literature review shows your reader how your work relates to existing research and what new insights it will contribute.

The literature review usually comes near the beginning of your thesis or dissertation . After the introduction , it grounds your research in a scholarly field and leads directly to your theoretical framework or methodology .

A literature review is a survey of credible sources on a topic, often used in dissertations , theses, and research papers . Literature reviews give an overview of knowledge on a subject, helping you identify relevant theories and methods, as well as gaps in existing research. Literature reviews are set up similarly to other academic texts , with an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion .

An annotated bibliography is a list of source references that has a short description (called an annotation ) for each of the sources. It is often assigned as part of the research process for a paper .

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How to write a review article?

In the medical sciences, the importance of review articles is rising. When clinicians want to update their knowledge and generate guidelines about a topic, they frequently use reviews as a starting point. The value of a review is associated with what has been done, what has been found and how these findings are presented. Before asking ‘how,’ the question of ‘why’ is more important when starting to write a review. The main and fundamental purpose of writing a review is to create a readable synthesis of the best resources available in the literature for an important research question or a current area of research. Although the idea of writing a review is attractive, it is important to spend time identifying the important questions. Good review methods are critical because they provide an unbiased point of view for the reader regarding the current literature. There is a consensus that a review should be written in a systematic fashion, a notion that is usually followed. In a systematic review with a focused question, the research methods must be clearly described. A ‘methodological filter’ is the best method for identifying the best working style for a research question, and this method reduces the workload when surveying the literature. An essential part of the review process is differentiating good research from bad and leaning on the results of the better studies. The ideal way to synthesize studies is to perform a meta-analysis. In conclusion, when writing a review, it is best to clearly focus on fixed ideas, to use a procedural and critical approach to the literature and to express your findings in an attractive way.

The importance of review articles in health sciences is increasing day by day. Clinicians frequently benefit from review articles to update their knowledge in their field of specialization, and use these articles as a starting point for formulating guidelines. [ 1 , 2 ] The institutions which provide financial support for further investigations resort to these reviews to reveal the need for these researches. [ 3 ] As is the case with all other researches, the value of a review article is related to what is achieved, what is found, and the way of communicating this information. A few studies have evaluated the quality of review articles. Murlow evaluated 50 review articles published in 1985, and 1986, and revealed that none of them had complied with clear-cut scientific criteria. [ 4 ] In 1996 an international group that analyzed articles, demonstrated the aspects of review articles, and meta-analyses that had not complied with scientific criteria, and elaborated QUOROM (QUality Of Reporting Of Meta-analyses) statement which focused on meta-analyses of randomized controlled studies. [ 5 ] Later on this guideline was updated, and named as PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses). [ 6 ]

Review articles are divided into 2 categories as narrative, and systematic reviews. Narrative reviews are written in an easily readable format, and allow consideration of the subject matter within a large spectrum. However in a systematic review, a very detailed, and comprehensive literature surveying is performed on the selected topic. [ 7 , 8 ] Since it is a result of a more detailed literature surveying with relatively lesser involvement of author’s bias, systematic reviews are considered as gold standard articles. Systematic reviews can be diivded into qualitative, and quantitative reviews. In both of them detailed literature surveying is performed. However in quantitative reviews, study data are collected, and statistically evaluated (ie. meta-analysis). [ 8 ]

Before inquring for the method of preparation of a review article, it is more logical to investigate the motivation behind writing the review article in question. The fundamental rationale of writing a review article is to make a readable synthesis of the best literature sources on an important research inquiry or a topic. This simple definition of a review article contains the following key elements:

The question(s) to be dealt with
Methods used to find out, and select the best quality researches so as to respond to these questions.
To synthetize available, but quite different researches

For the specification of important questions to be answered, number of literature references to be consulted should be more or less determined. Discussions should be conducted with colleagues in the same area of interest, and time should be reserved for the solution of the problem(s). Though starting to write the review article promptly seems to be very alluring, the time you spend for the determination of important issues won’t be a waste of time. [ 9 ]

The PRISMA statement [ 6 ] elaborated to write a well-designed review articles contains a 27-item checklist ( Table 1 ). It will be reasonable to fulfill the requirements of these items during preparation of a review article or a meta-analysis. Thus preparation of a comprehensible article with a high-quality scientific content can be feasible.

PRISMA statement: A 27-item checklist

Title
	Title	1 Identify the article as a systematic review, meta-analysis, or both
Summary
	Structured summary	2 Write a structured summary including, as applicable, background; objectives; data sources; study eligibility criteria, participants, treatments, study appraisal and synthesis methods; results; limitations; conclusions and implications of key findings; and systematic review registration number
Introduction
	Rationale	3 Explain the rationale for the review in the context of what is already known
	Objectives	4 Provide an explicit statement of questions being addressed with reference to participants, interventions, comparisons, outcomes, and study design (PICOS)
Methods
	Protocol and registration	5 Indicate if a review protocol exists, if and where it can be accessed (such as a web address), and, if available, provide registration information including the registration number
	Eligibility criteria	6 Specify study characteristics (such as PICOS, length of follow-up) and report characteristics (such as years considered, language, publication status) used as criteria for eligibility, giving rationale
	Sources of Information	7 Describe all information sources in the survey (such as databases with dates of coverage, contact with study authors to identify additional studies) and date last searched
	Survey	8 Present the full electronic search strategy for at least one major database, including any limits used, such that it could be repeated
	Study selection	9 State the process for selecting studies (that is, for screening, for determining eligibility, for inclusion in the systematic review, and, if applicable, for inclusion in the meta-analysis)
	Data collection process	10 Describe the method of data extraction from reports (such as piloted forms, independently by two reviewers) and any processes for obtaining and confirming data from investigators
	Data items	11 List and define all variables for which data were sought (such as PICOS, funding sources) and any assumptions and simplifications made
	Risk of bias in individual studies	12 Describe methods used for assessing risk of bias in individual studies (including specification of whether this was done at the study or outcome level, or both), and how this information is to be used in any data synthesis
	Summary measures	13 State the principal summary measures (such as risk ratio, difference in means)
	Synthesis of outcomes	14 For each meta-analysis, explain methods of data use, and combination methods of study outcomes, and if done consistency measurements should be indicated (ie P test)
	Risk of bias across studies	15 Specify any assessment of risk of bias that may affect the cumulative evidence (such as publication bias, selective reporting within studies).
	Additional analyses	16 Describe methods of additional analyses (such as sensitivity or subgroup analyses, meta-regression), if done, indicating which were pre-specified.
Results
	Study selection	17 Give numbers of studies screened, assessed for eligibility, and included in the review, with reasons for exclusions at each stage, ideally with a flow diagram.
	Study characteristics	18 For each study, present characteristics for which data were extracted (such as study size, PICOS, follow-up period) and provide the citation.
	Risk of bias within studies	19 Present data on risk of bias of each study and, if available, any outcome-level assessment (see item 12)
	Results of individual studies	20 For all outcomes considered (benefits and harms), present, for each study, simple summary data for each intervention group and effect estimates and confidence intervals, ideally with a forest plot (a type of graph used in meta-analyses which demonstrates relat, ve success rates of treatment outcomes of multiple scientific studies analyzing the same topic)
	Syntheses of resxults	21 Present the results of each meta-analyses including confidence intervals and measures of consistency
	Risk of bias across studies	22 Present results of any assessment of risk of bias across studies (see item 15).
	Additional analyses	23 Give results of additional analyses, if done such as sensitivity or subgroup analyses, meta-regression (see item 16)
Discussion
	Summary of evidence	24 Summarize the main findings, including the strength of evidence for each main outcome; consider their relevance to key groups (such as healthcare providers, users, and policy makers)
	Limitations	25 Discuss limitations at study and outcome level (such as risk of bias), and at review level such as incomplete retrieval of identified research, reporting bias
	Conclusions	26 Provide a general interpretation of the results in the context of other evidence, and implications for future research
Funding
	Funding	27 Indicate sources of funding or other support (such as supply of data) for the systematic review, and the role of funders for the systematic review

Contents and format

Important differences exist between systematic, and non-systematic reviews which especially arise from methodologies used in the description of the literature sources. A non-systematic review means use of articles collected for years with the recommendations of your colleagues, while systematic review is based on struggles to search for, and find the best possible researches which will respond to the questions predetermined at the start of the review.

Though a consensus has been reached about the systematic design of the review articles, studies revealed that most of them had not been written in a systematic format. McAlister et al. analyzed review articles in 6 medical journals, and disclosed that in less than one fourth of the review articles, methods of description, evaluation or synthesis of evidence had been provided, one third of them had focused on a clinical topic, and only half of them had provided quantitative data about the extend of the potential benefits. [ 10 ]

Use of proper methodologies in review articles is important in that readers assume an objective attitude towards updated information. We can confront two problems while we are using data from researches in order to answer certain questions. Firstly, we can be prejudiced during selection of research articles or these articles might be biased. To minimize this risk, methodologies used in our reviews should allow us to define, and use researches with minimal degree of bias. The second problem is that, most of the researches have been performed with small sample sizes. In statistical methods in meta-analyses, available researches are combined to increase the statistical power of the study. The problematic aspect of a non-systematic review is that our tendency to give biased responses to the questions, in other words we apt to select the studies with known or favourite results, rather than the best quality investigations among them.

As is the case with many research articles, general format of a systematic review on a single subject includes sections of Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion ( Table 2 ).

Structure of a systematic review


Introduction	Presents the problem and certain issues dealt in the review article
Methods	Describes research, and evaluation process Specifies the number of studies evaluated orselected
Results	Describes the quality, and outcomes of the selected studies
Discussion	Summarizes results, limitations, and outcomes of the procedure and research

Preparation of the review article

Steps, and targets of constructing a good review article are listed in Table 3 . To write a good review article the items in Table 3 should be implemented step by step. [ 11 – 13 ]

Steps of a systematic review


Formulation of researchable questions	Select answerable questions
Disclosure of studies	Databases, and key words
Evaluation of its quality	Quality criteria during selection of studies
Synthesis	Methods interpretation, and synthesis of outcomes

The research question

It might be helpful to divide the research question into components. The most prevalently used format for questions related to the treatment is PICO (P - Patient, Problem or Population; I-Intervention; C-appropriate Comparisons, and O-Outcome measures) procedure. For example In female patients (P) with stress urinary incontinence, comparisons (C) between transobturator, and retropubic midurethral tension-free band surgery (I) as for patients’ satisfaction (O).

Finding Studies

In a systematic review on a focused question, methods of investigation used should be clearly specified.

Ideally, research methods, investigated databases, and key words should be described in the final report. Different databases are used dependent on the topic analyzed. In most of the clinical topics, Medline should be surveyed. However searching through Embase and CINAHL can be also appropriate.

While determining appropriate terms for surveying, PICO elements of the issue to be sought may guide the process. Since in general we are interested in more than one outcome, P, and I can be key elements. In this case we should think about synonyms of P, and I elements, and combine them with a conjunction AND.

One method which might alleviate the workload of surveying process is “methodological filter” which aims to find the best investigation method for each research question. A good example of this method can be found in PubMed interface of Medline. The Clinical Queries tool offers empirically developed filters for five different inquiries as guidelines for etiology, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis or clinical prediction.

Evaluation of the Quality of the Study

As an indispensable component of the review process is to discriminate good, and bad quality researches from each other, and the outcomes should be based on better qualified researches, as far as possible. To achieve this goal you should know the best possible evidence for each type of question The first component of the quality is its general planning/design of the study. General planning/design of a cohort study, a case series or normal study demonstrates variations.

A hierarchy of evidence for different research questions is presented in Table 4 . However this hierarchy is only a first step. After you find good quality research articles, you won’t need to read all the rest of other articles which saves you tons of time. [ 14 ]

Determination of levels of evidence based on the type of the research question


I	Systematic review of Level II studies	Systematic review of Level II studies	Systematic review of Level II studies	Systematic review of Level II studies
II	Randomized controlled study	Crross-sectional study in consecutive patients	Initial cohort study	Prospective cohort study
III	One of the following: Non-randomized experimental study (ie. controlled pre-, and post-test intervention study) Comparative studies with concurrent control groups (observational study) (ie. cohort study, case-control study)	One of the following: Cross-sectional study in non-consecutive case series; diagnostic case-control study	One of the following: Untreated control group patients in a randomized controlled study, integrated cohort study	One of the following: Retrospective cohort study, case-control study (Note: these are most prevalently used types of etiological studies; for other alternatives, and interventional studies see Level III
IV	Case series	Case series	Case series or cohort studies with patients at different stages of their disease states

Formulating a Synthesis

Rarely all researches arrive at the same conclusion. In this case a solution should be found. However it is risky to make a decision based on the votes of absolute majority. Indeed, a well-performed large scale study, and a weakly designed one are weighed on the same scale. Therefore, ideally a meta-analysis should be performed to solve apparent differences. Ideally, first of all, one should be focused on the largest, and higher quality study, then other studies should be compared with this basic study.

Conclusions

In conclusion, during writing process of a review article, the procedures to be achieved can be indicated as follows: 1) Get rid of fixed ideas, and obsessions from your head, and view the subject from a large perspective. 2) Research articles in the literature should be approached with a methodological, and critical attitude and 3) finally data should be explained in an attractive way.

How to write a review: structure, rules and examples

The Writing Center • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Book Reviews

What this handout is about.

This handout will help you write a book review, a report or essay that offers a critical perspective on a text. It offers a process and suggests some strategies for writing book reviews.

What is a review?

A review is a critical evaluation of a text, event, object, or phenomenon. Reviews can consider books, articles, entire genres or fields of literature, architecture, art, fashion, restaurants, policies, exhibitions, performances, and many other forms. This handout will focus on book reviews. For a similar assignment, see our handout on literature reviews .

Above all, a review makes an argument. The most important element of a review is that it is a commentary, not merely a summary. It allows you to enter into dialogue and discussion with the work’s creator and with other audiences. You can offer agreement or disagreement and identify where you find the work exemplary or deficient in its knowledge, judgments, or organization. You should clearly state your opinion of the work in question, and that statement will probably resemble other types of academic writing, with a thesis statement, supporting body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Typically, reviews are brief. In newspapers and academic journals, they rarely exceed 1000 words, although you may encounter lengthier assignments and extended commentaries. In either case, reviews need to be succinct. While they vary in tone, subject, and style, they share some common features:

First, a review gives the reader a concise summary of the content. This includes a relevant description of the topic as well as its overall perspective, argument, or purpose.
Second, and more importantly, a review offers a critical assessment of the content. This involves your reactions to the work under review: what strikes you as noteworthy, whether or not it was effective or persuasive, and how it enhanced your understanding of the issues at hand.
Finally, in addition to analyzing the work, a review often suggests whether or not the audience would appreciate it.

Becoming an expert reviewer: three short examples

Reviewing can be a daunting task. Someone has asked for your opinion about something that you may feel unqualified to evaluate. Who are you to criticize Toni Morrison’s new book if you’ve never written a novel yourself, much less won a Nobel Prize? The point is that someone—a professor, a journal editor, peers in a study group—wants to know what you think about a particular work. You may not be (or feel like) an expert, but you need to pretend to be one for your particular audience. Nobody expects you to be the intellectual equal of the work’s creator, but your careful observations can provide you with the raw material to make reasoned judgments. Tactfully voicing agreement and disagreement, praise and criticism, is a valuable, challenging skill, and like many forms of writing, reviews require you to provide concrete evidence for your assertions.

Consider the following brief book review written for a history course on medieval Europe by a student who is fascinated with beer:

Judith Bennett’s Ale, Beer, and Brewsters in England: Women’s Work in a Changing World, 1300-1600, investigates how women used to brew and sell the majority of ale drunk in England. Historically, ale and beer (not milk, wine, or water) were important elements of the English diet. Ale brewing was low-skill and low status labor that was complimentary to women’s domestic responsibilities. In the early fifteenth century, brewers began to make ale with hops, and they called this new drink “beer.” This technique allowed brewers to produce their beverages at a lower cost and to sell it more easily, although women generally stopped brewing once the business became more profitable.

The student describes the subject of the book and provides an accurate summary of its contents. But the reader does not learn some key information expected from a review: the author’s argument, the student’s appraisal of the book and its argument, and whether or not the student would recommend the book. As a critical assessment, a book review should focus on opinions, not facts and details. Summary should be kept to a minimum, and specific details should serve to illustrate arguments.

Now consider a review of the same book written by a slightly more opinionated student:

Judith Bennett’s Ale, Beer, and Brewsters in England: Women’s Work in a Changing World, 1300-1600 was a colossal disappointment. I wanted to know about the rituals surrounding drinking in medieval England: the songs, the games, the parties. Bennett provided none of that information. I liked how the book showed ale and beer brewing as an economic activity, but the reader gets lost in the details of prices and wages. I was more interested in the private lives of the women brewsters. The book was divided into eight long chapters, and I can’t imagine why anyone would ever want to read it.

There’s no shortage of judgments in this review! But the student does not display a working knowledge of the book’s argument. The reader has a sense of what the student expected of the book, but no sense of what the author herself set out to prove. Although the student gives several reasons for the negative review, those examples do not clearly relate to each other as part of an overall evaluation—in other words, in support of a specific thesis. This review is indeed an assessment, but not a critical one.

Here is one final review of the same book:

One of feminism’s paradoxes—one that challenges many of its optimistic histories—is how patriarchy remains persistent over time. While Judith Bennett’s Ale, Beer, and Brewsters in England: Women’s Work in a Changing World, 1300-1600 recognizes medieval women as historical actors through their ale brewing, it also shows that female agency had its limits with the advent of beer. I had assumed that those limits were religious and political, but Bennett shows how a “patriarchal equilibrium” shut women out of economic life as well. Her analysis of women’s wages in ale and beer production proves that a change in women’s work does not equate to a change in working women’s status. Contemporary feminists and historians alike should read Bennett’s book and think twice when they crack open their next brewsky.

This student’s review avoids the problems of the previous two examples. It combines balanced opinion and concrete example, a critical assessment based on an explicitly stated rationale, and a recommendation to a potential audience. The reader gets a sense of what the book’s author intended to demonstrate. Moreover, the student refers to an argument about feminist history in general that places the book in a specific genre and that reaches out to a general audience. The example of analyzing wages illustrates an argument, the analysis engages significant intellectual debates, and the reasons for the overall positive review are plainly visible. The review offers criteria, opinions, and support with which the reader can agree or disagree.

Developing an assessment: before you write

There is no definitive method to writing a review, although some critical thinking about the work at hand is necessary before you actually begin writing. Thus, writing a review is a two-step process: developing an argument about the work under consideration, and making that argument as you write an organized and well-supported draft. See our handout on argument .

What follows is a series of questions to focus your thinking as you dig into the work at hand. While the questions specifically consider book reviews, you can easily transpose them to an analysis of performances, exhibitions, and other review subjects. Don’t feel obligated to address each of the questions; some will be more relevant than others to the book in question.

What is the thesis—or main argument—of the book? If the author wanted you to get one idea from the book, what would it be? How does it compare or contrast to the world you know? What has the book accomplished?
What exactly is the subject or topic of the book? Does the author cover the subject adequately? Does the author cover all aspects of the subject in a balanced fashion? What is the approach to the subject (topical, analytical, chronological, descriptive)?
How does the author support their argument? What evidence do they use to prove their point? Do you find that evidence convincing? Why or why not? Does any of the author’s information (or conclusions) conflict with other books you’ve read, courses you’ve taken or just previous assumptions you had of the subject?
How does the author structure their argument? What are the parts that make up the whole? Does the argument make sense? Does it persuade you? Why or why not?
How has this book helped you understand the subject? Would you recommend the book to your reader?

Beyond the internal workings of the book, you may also consider some information about the author and the circumstances of the text’s production:

Who is the author? Nationality, political persuasion, training, intellectual interests, personal history, and historical context may provide crucial details about how a work takes shape. Does it matter, for example, that the biographer was the subject’s best friend? What difference would it make if the author participated in the events they write about?
What is the book’s genre? Out of what field does it emerge? Does it conform to or depart from the conventions of its genre? These questions can provide a historical or literary standard on which to base your evaluations. If you are reviewing the first book ever written on the subject, it will be important for your readers to know. Keep in mind, though, that naming “firsts”—alongside naming “bests” and “onlys”—can be a risky business unless you’re absolutely certain.

Writing the review

Once you have made your observations and assessments of the work under review, carefully survey your notes and attempt to unify your impressions into a statement that will describe the purpose or thesis of your review. Check out our handout on thesis statements . Then, outline the arguments that support your thesis.

Your arguments should develop the thesis in a logical manner. That logic, unlike more standard academic writing, may initially emphasize the author’s argument while you develop your own in the course of the review. The relative emphasis depends on the nature of the review: if readers may be more interested in the work itself, you may want to make the work and the author more prominent; if you want the review to be about your perspective and opinions, then you may structure the review to privilege your observations over (but never separate from) those of the work under review. What follows is just one of many ways to organize a review.

Introduction

Since most reviews are brief, many writers begin with a catchy quip or anecdote that succinctly delivers their argument. But you can introduce your review differently depending on the argument and audience. The Writing Center’s handout on introductions can help you find an approach that works. In general, you should include:

The name of the author and the book title and the main theme.
Relevant details about who the author is and where they stand in the genre or field of inquiry. You could also link the title to the subject to show how the title explains the subject matter.
The context of the book and/or your review. Placing your review in a framework that makes sense to your audience alerts readers to your “take” on the book. Perhaps you want to situate a book about the Cuban revolution in the context of Cold War rivalries between the United States and the Soviet Union. Another reviewer might want to consider the book in the framework of Latin American social movements. Your choice of context informs your argument.
The thesis of the book. If you are reviewing fiction, this may be difficult since novels, plays, and short stories rarely have explicit arguments. But identifying the book’s particular novelty, angle, or originality allows you to show what specific contribution the piece is trying to make.
Your thesis about the book.

Summary of content

This should be brief, as analysis takes priority. In the course of making your assessment, you’ll hopefully be backing up your assertions with concrete evidence from the book, so some summary will be dispersed throughout other parts of the review.

The necessary amount of summary also depends on your audience. Graduate students, beware! If you are writing book reviews for colleagues—to prepare for comprehensive exams, for example—you may want to devote more attention to summarizing the book’s contents. If, on the other hand, your audience has already read the book—such as a class assignment on the same work—you may have more liberty to explore more subtle points and to emphasize your own argument. See our handout on summary for more tips.

Analysis and evaluation of the book

Your analysis and evaluation should be organized into paragraphs that deal with single aspects of your argument. This arrangement can be challenging when your purpose is to consider the book as a whole, but it can help you differentiate elements of your criticism and pair assertions with evidence more clearly. You do not necessarily need to work chronologically through the book as you discuss it. Given the argument you want to make, you can organize your paragraphs more usefully by themes, methods, or other elements of the book. If you find it useful to include comparisons to other books, keep them brief so that the book under review remains in the spotlight. Avoid excessive quotation and give a specific page reference in parentheses when you do quote. Remember that you can state many of the author’s points in your own words.

Sum up or restate your thesis or make the final judgment regarding the book. You should not introduce new evidence for your argument in the conclusion. You can, however, introduce new ideas that go beyond the book if they extend the logic of your own thesis. This paragraph needs to balance the book’s strengths and weaknesses in order to unify your evaluation. Did the body of your review have three negative paragraphs and one favorable one? What do they all add up to? The Writing Center’s handout on conclusions can help you make a final assessment.

Finally, a few general considerations:

Review the book in front of you, not the book you wish the author had written. You can and should point out shortcomings or failures, but don’t criticize the book for not being something it was never intended to be.
With any luck, the author of the book worked hard to find the right words to express her ideas. You should attempt to do the same. Precise language allows you to control the tone of your review.
Never hesitate to challenge an assumption, approach, or argument. Be sure, however, to cite specific examples to back up your assertions carefully.
Try to present a balanced argument about the value of the book for its audience. You’re entitled—and sometimes obligated—to voice strong agreement or disagreement. But keep in mind that a bad book takes as long to write as a good one, and every author deserves fair treatment. Harsh judgments are difficult to prove and can give readers the sense that you were unfair in your assessment.
A great place to learn about book reviews is to look at examples. The New York Times Sunday Book Review and The New York Review of Books can show you how professional writers review books.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Drewry, John. 1974. Writing Book Reviews. Boston: Greenwood Press.

Hoge, James. 1987. Literary Reviewing. Charlottesville: University Virginia of Press.

Sova, Dawn, and Harry Teitelbaum. 2002. How to Write Book Reports , 4th ed. Lawrenceville, NY: Thomson/Arco.

Walford, A.J. 1986. Reviews and Reviewing: A Guide. Phoenix: Oryx Press.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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How to write a literature review in 6 steps

What is a literature review?

How to write a literature review, 1. determine the purpose of your literature review, 2. do an extensive search, 3. evaluate and select literature, 4. analyze the literature, 5. plan the structure of your literature review, 6. write your literature review, other resources to help you write a successful literature review, frequently asked questions about writing a literature review, related articles.

A literature review is an assessment of the sources in a chosen topic of research.

A good literature review does not just summarize sources. It analyzes the state of the field on a given topic and creates a scholarly foundation for you to make your own intervention. It demonstrates to your readers how your research fits within a larger field of study.

In a thesis, a literature review is part of the introduction, but it can also be a separate section. In research papers, a literature review may have its own section or it may be integrated into the introduction, depending on the field.

➡️ Our guide on what is a literature review covers additional basics about literature reviews.

Identify the main purpose of the literature review.
Do extensive research.
Evaluate and select relevant sources.
Analyze the sources.
Plan a structure.
Write the review.

In this section, we review each step of the process of creating a literature review.

In the first step, make sure you know specifically what the assignment is and what form your literature review should take. Read your assignment carefully and seek clarification from your professor or instructor if needed. You should be able to answer the following questions:

How many sources do I need to include?
What types of sources should I review?
Should I evaluate the sources?
Should I summarize, synthesize or critique sources?
Do I need to provide any definitions or background information?

In addition to that, be aware that the narrower your topic, the easier it will be to limit the number of sources you need to read in order to get a good overview of the topic.

Now you need to find out what has been written on the topic and search for literature related to your research topic. Make sure to select appropriate source material, which means using academic or scholarly sources , including books, reports, journal articles , government documents and web resources.

➡️ If you’re unsure about how to tell if a source is scholarly, take a look at our guide on how to identify a scholarly source .

Come up with a list of relevant keywords and then start your search with your institution's library catalog, and extend it to other useful databases and academic search engines like:

Google Scholar
Science.gov

➡️ Our guide on how to collect data for your thesis might be helpful at this stage of your research as well as the top list of academic search engines .

Once you find a useful article, check out the reference list. It should provide you with even more relevant sources. Also, keep a note of the:

authors' names
page numbers

Keeping track of the bibliographic information for each source will save you time when you’re ready to create citations. You could also use a reference manager like Paperpile to automatically save, manage, and cite your references.

Read the literature. You will most likely not be able to read absolutely everything that is out there on the topic. Therefore, read the abstract first to determine whether the rest of the source is worth your time. If the source is relevant for your topic:

Read it critically.
Look for the main arguments.
Take notes as you read.
Organize your notes using a table, mind map, or other technique.

Now you are ready to analyze the literature you have gathered. While your are working on your analysis, you should ask the following questions:

What are the key terms, concepts and problems addressed by the author?
How is this source relevant for my specific topic?
How is the article structured? What are the major trends and findings?
What are the conclusions of the study?
How are the results presented? Is the source credible?
When comparing different sources, how do they relate to each other? What are the similarities, what are the differences?
Does the study help me understand the topic better?
Are there any gaps in the research that need to be filled? How can I further my research as a result of the review?

Tip: Decide on the structure of your literature review before you start writing.

There are various ways to organize your literature review:

Chronological method : Writing in the chronological method means you are presenting the materials according to when they were published. Follow this approach only if a clear path of research can be identified.
Thematic review : A thematic review of literature is organized around a topic or issue, rather than the progression of time.
Publication-based : You can order your sources by publication, if the way you present the order of your sources demonstrates a more important trend. This is the case when a progression revealed from study to study and the practices of researchers have changed and adapted due to the new revelations.
Methodological approach : A methodological approach focuses on the methods used by the researcher. If you have used sources from different disciplines that use a variety of research methods, you might want to compare the results in light of the different methods and discuss how the topic has been approached from different sides.

Regardless of the structure you chose, a review should always include the following three sections:

An introduction, which should give the reader an outline of why you are writing the review and explain the relevance of the topic.
A body, which divides your literature review into different sections. Write in well-structured paragraphs, use transitions and topic sentences and critically analyze each source for how it contributes to the themes you are researching.
A conclusion , which summarizes the key findings, the main agreements and disagreements in the literature, your overall perspective, and any gaps or areas for further research.

➡️ If your literature review is part of a longer paper, visit our guide on what is a research paper for additional tips.

➡️ UNC writing center: Literature reviews

➡️ How to write a literature review in 3 steps

➡️ How to write a literature review in 30 minutes or less

The goal of a literature review is to asses the state of the field on a given topic in preparation for making an intervention.

A literature review should have its own independent section. You should indicate clearly in the table of contents where it can be found, and address this section as “Literature Review.”

There is no set amount of words for a literature review; the length depends on the research. If you are working with a large amount of sources, then it will be long. If your paper does not depend entirely on references, then it will be short.

Most research papers include a literature review. By assessing the available sources in your field of research, you will be able to make a more confident argument about the topic.

Literature reviews are most commonly found in theses and dissertations. However, you find them in research papers as well.

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How to Write a 5-Star Review That's Actually Helpful (and Looks Real)

Online reviews are a huge part of how we spend money nowadays, and nothing makes people hit that “Order Now” button like a 5-star review. Unfortunately, good reviews are so easily bought and faked that they often drown out the legit ones—even if they’re equally positive.

If you’re trying to write a helpful, glowing review, the best thing you can do is stand out from the pack. Your first goal should be to write something that people can read, so The Golden Rule of Reviews— get to the point —still applies. Besides that, these four criteria will ensure your review has a purpose.

How specific should a 5-star review be?

A slew of contextless 4- and 5-star reviews doesn’t look promising; it looks scammy. If you’re leaving a great review, anyone who reads it will want to know why—so tell them.

What specifically made the food and service at a new restaurant so great? If you were pleasantly surprised by how quickly an online order arrived, how long did it take to ship? Why does this particular item work so well for you? Would it work the same for everyone, or does it depend on individual factors like shoe size, skin, hair type, or body shape? Don’t write a whole novel, but be sure to include details like these.

Write like a regular person, not a copywriter

I’m a copywriter, so I’m allowed to say this: So many online reviews are actually ad copy in a trench coat and Groucho Marx glasses. It’s not even subtle. This wouldn’t be a problem if the vast majority of these reviews didn’t also contain a line about receiving the product for free in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. Wink .

Getting free stuff in exchange for a review is fine, to be clear, but whether or not you paid for the product in question is irrelevant if your review is just multiple paragraphs of regurgitated marketing buzzwords. Readers can get that on the company’s website. It’s much better to keep your language natural and specific and the overall review brief; bogus reviews never quite manage all three.

Add the right context to your review

With highly personal things like clothes, shoes, and cosmetics, “good” is relative. If you’re at all able to do so, include some relevant, non-identifying information about yourself to explain why you like something so much. Shoes are the perfect example: A 5-star review that says a size 9 1/2 fit perfectly is fine; one that also mentions the reviewer normally wears a size 10 in Nike women’s sneakers is gold . It gives the reader some basis for comparison, which makes their choices easier.

Not all comparisons are useful, however. Complimenting one thing by trashing another is never a good look. You’re not reviewing that other bar across town, so why bring it up at all—let alone for the express purpose of talking shit. It makes you look petty and mean, but more importantly, it’s useless.

Never identify workers by name

At some point, people decided that the best way to reward a service worker for a job well done is to tattle on them to their boss, but like, in a positive way. Although this can work in some scenarios, a public, online review is definitely not one of them. If you absolutely must compliment a specific person, contact the business directly or save it for an online customer satisfaction survey. The right people will still hear about your great interaction with Tina, but the rest of the internet won’t.

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How to Write a Movie Review

Last Updated: May 13, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Marissa Levis . Marissa Levis is an English Teacher in the Morris County Vocational School District. She previously worked as an English director at a tutoring center that caters to students in elementary and middle school. She is an expert in creating a curriculum that helps students advance their skills in secondary-level English, focusing on MLA formatting, reading comprehension, writing skills, editing and proofreading, literary analysis, standardized test preparation, and journalism topics. Marissa received her Master of Arts in Teaching from Fairleigh Dickinson University. There are 14 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 5,631,926 times.

Whether a movie is a rotten tomato or a brilliant work of art, if people are watching it, it's worth critiquing. A decent movie review should entertain, persuade and inform, providing an original opinion without giving away too much of the plot. A great movie review can be a work of art in its own right. Read on to learn how to analyze a movie like a professional film critic, come up with an interesting thesis, and write a review as entertaining as your source material.

Sample Movie Reviews

Writing an Intro for a Movie Review

Step 1 Start with a compelling fact, quote, or opinion on the movie.

Comparison to Relevant Event or Movie: "Every day, our leaders, politicians, and pundits call for "revenge"– against terrorist groups, against international rivals, against other political parties. But few of them understand the cold, destructive, and ultimately hollow thrill of revenge as well as the characters of Blue Ruin. "
Review in a nutshell: "Despite a compelling lead performance by Tom Hanks and a great soundtrack, Forrest Gump never gets out of the shadow of its weak plot and questionable premise."
Context or Background Information: " Boyhood might be the first movie made where knowing how it was produced–slowly, over 12 years, with the same actors–is just as crucial as the movie itself."

Step 2 Give a clear, well-established opinion early on.

Using stars, a score out of 10 or 100, or the simple thumbs-up and thumbs-down is a quick way to give your thoughts. You then write about why you chose that rating.
Great Movie: ABC is the rare movie that succeeds on almost every level, where each character, scene, costume, and joke firing on all cylinders to make a film worth repeated viewings."
Bad Movie: "It doesn't matter how much you enjoy kung-fu and karate films: with 47 Ronin, you're better off saving your money, your popcorn, and time."
Okay Movie: "I loved the wildly uneven Interstellar far more than I should have, but that doesn't mean it is perfect. Ultimately, the utter awe and spectacle of space swept me through the admittedly heavy-handed plotting and dialogue."

Step 3 Support your opinions with evidence from specific scenes.

Great: "Michael B. Jordan and Octavia Spencer's chemistry would carry Fruitvale Station even if the script wasn't as good. The mid-movie prison scene in particular, where the camera never leaves their faces, shows how much they can convey with nothing but their eyelids, the flashing tension of neck muscles, and a barely cracking voice."
Bad: " Jurassic World's biggest flaw, a complete lack of relatable female characters, is only further underscored by a laughably unrealistic shot of our heroine running away from a dinosaur – in heels."
Okay: "At the end of the day, Snowpiercer can't decide what kind of movie it wants to be. The attention to detail in fight scenes, where every weapon, lightbulb, and slick patch of ground is accounted for, doesn't translate to an ending that seems powerful but ultimately says little of substance."

Does the film reflect on a current event or contemporary issue? It could be the director's way of engaging in a bigger conversation. Look for ways to relate the content of the film to the "real" world.
Does the film seem to have a message, or does it attempt to elicit a specific response or emotion from the audience? You could discuss whether or not it achieves its own goals.
Does the film connect with you on a personal level? You could write a review stemming from your own feelings and weave in some personal stories to make it interesting for your readers.

Composing Your Review

Step 1 Follow your thesis paragraph with a short plot summary.

When you name characters in your plot summary, list the actors' names directly afterward in parenthesis.
Find a place to mention the director's name and the full movie title.
If you feel you must discuss information that might "spoil" things for readers, warn them first.

Step 2 Start to talk about the film’s technical and artistic choices.

Cinematography: " Her is a world drenched in color, using bright, soft reds and oranges alongside calming whites and grays that both build, and slowly strip away, the feelings of love between the protagonists. Every frame feels like a painting worth sitting in."
Tone: "Despite the insane loneliness and high stakes of being stuck alone on Mars, The Martian's witty script keeps humor and excitement alive in every scene. Space may be dangerous and scary, but the joy of scientific discovery is intoxicating."
Music and Sound: " No Country For Old Men's bold decision to skip music entirely pays off in spades. The eerie silence of the desert, punctuated by the brief spells of violent, up-close-and-personal sound effects of hunter and hunted, keeps you constantly on the edge of your seat."
Acting: "While he's fantastic whenever he's on the move, using his cool stoicism to counteract the rampaging bus, Keanu Reeves can't quite match his costar in the quiet moments of Speed, which falter under his expressionless gaze."

Keep your writing clear and easy to understand. Don't use too much technical filmmaking jargon, and make your language crisp and accessible.
Present both the facts and your opinion. For example, you might state something such as, "The Baroque background music was a jarring contrast to the 20th century setting." This is a lot more informative then simply saying, "The music was a strange choice for the movie."

Step 4 Use plenty of examples to back up your points.

Great: "In the end, even the characters of Blue Ruin know how pointless their feud is. But revenge, much like every taut minute of this thriller, is far too addictive to give up until the bitter end.""
Bad: "Much like the oft-mentioned "box of chocolates", Forest Gump has a couple of good little morsels. But most of the scenes, too sweet by half, should have been in the trash long before this movie was put out."
Okay: "Without the novel, even revolutionary concept, Boyhood may not be a great movie. It might not even be "good.” But the power the film finds in the beauty of passing time and little, inconsequential moments – moments that could only be captured over 12 years of shooting – make Linklater's latest an essential film for anyone interested in the art of film."

Polishing Your Piece

Ask yourself whether your review stayed true to your thesis. Did your conclusion tie back in with the initial ideas you proposed?
Decide whether your review contains enough details about the movie. You may need to go back and add more description here and there to give readers a better sense of what the movie's about.
Decide whether your review is interesting enough as a stand-alone piece of writing. Did you contribute something original to this discussion? What will readers gain from reading your review that they couldn't from simply watching the movie?

Studying Your Source Material

Step 1 Gather basic facts about the movie.

The title of the film, and the year it came out.
The director's name.
The names of the lead actors.

Step 2 Take notes on the movie as you watch it.

Make a note every time something sticks out to you, whether it's good or bad. This could be costuming, makeup, set design, music, etc. Think about how this detail relates to the rest of the movie and what it means in the context of your review.
Take note of patterns you begin to notice as the movie unfolds.
Use the pause button frequently so you make sure not to miss anything, and rewind as necessary.

Step 3 Analyze the mechanics of the movie.

Direction: Consider the director and how he or she choose to portray/explain the events in the story. If the movie was slow, or didn't include things you thought were necessary, you can attribute this to the director. If you've seen other movies directed by the same person, compare them and determine which you like the most.
Cinematography: What techniques were used to film the movie? What setting and background elements helped to create a certain tone?
Writing: Evaluate the script, including dialogue and characterization. Did you feel like the plot was inventive and unpredictable or boring and weak? Did the characters' words seem credible to you?
Editing: Was the movie choppy or did it flow smoothly from scene to scene? Did they incorporate a montage to help build the story? And was this obstructive to the narrative or did it help it? Did they use long cuts to help accentuate an actor's acting ability or many reaction shots to show a group's reaction to an event or dialogue? If visual effects were used were the plates well-chosen and were the composited effects part of a seamless experience? (Whether the effects looked realistic or not is not the jurisdiction of an editor, however, they do choose the footage to be sent off to the compositors, so this could still affect the film.)
Costume design: Did the clothing choices fit the style of the movie? Did they contribute to the overall tone, rather than digressing from it?
Set design: Consider how the setting of the film influenced its other elements. Did it add or subtract from the experience for you? If the movie was filmed in a real place, was this location well-chosen?
Score or soundtrack: Did it work with the scenes? Was it over/under-used? Was it suspenseful? Amusing? Irritating? A soundtrack can make or break a movie, especially if the songs have a particular message or meaning to them.

Expert Q&A

If you don't like the movie, don't be abusive and mean. If possible, avoid watching the movies that you would surely hate. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Understand that just because the movie isn't to your taste, that doesn't mean you should give it a bad review. A good reviewer helps people find movie's they will like. Since you don't have the same taste in movies as everyone else, you need to be able to tell people if they will enjoy the movie, even if you didn't. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Structure is very important; try categorizing the different parts of the film and commenting on each of those individually. Deciding how good each thing is will help you come to a more accurate conclusion. For example, things like acting, special effects, cinematography, think about how good each of those are. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about writing, check out our in-depth interview with Marissa Levis .

↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_literature/writing_about_film/terminology_and_starting_prompts.html
↑ https://www.spiritofbaraka.com/how-write-a-movie-review
↑ https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/9-tips-for-writing-a-film-review/
↑ https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/writing-help/top-tips-for-writing-a-review
↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/summary-using-it-wisely/
↑ https://twp.duke.edu/sites/twp.duke.edu/files/file-attachments/film-review-1.original.pdf
↑ https://www.dailywritingtips.com/7-tips-for-writing-a-film-review/
↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_literature/writing_about_film/film_writing_sample_analysis.html
↑ https://learning.hccs.edu/faculty/onnyx.bei/dual-credit/movie-review-writing-guide
↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/conclusions/
↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/how-to-write-a-movie-review/
↑ https://gustavus.edu/writingcenter/handoutdocs/editing_proofreading.php
↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/editing-and-proofreading/
↑ https://edusson.com/blog/how-to-write-movie-review

About This Article

To write a movie review, start with a compelling fact or opinion to hook your readers, like "Despite a great performance by Tom Hanks, Forrest Gump never overcomes its weak plot." Then, elaborate on your opinion of the movie right off the bat so readers know where you stand. Once your opinion is clear, provide examples from the movie that prove your point, like specific scenes, dialogue, songs, or camera shots. To learn how to study a film closely before you write a review, scroll down! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How To Write A Review In English?

Writing a review can be a great way to share your experiences and opinions with others, whether you’re reviewing a product, service, restaurant, movie, or book. Reviews can also be a valuable resource for people trying to make purchasing or entertainment decisions. However, it can be challenging, especially if English is not your first language. This article will tell you how to write a review and provide helpful tips, including valuable vocabulary and phrases for positive and negative reviews.

Types of Reviews: 4 Main Categories to Write About

In the modern world of the Internet, we can hardly do anything without reading other people’s opinions. So we visit websites like the well-known TrustPilot to find companies and products we can trust. And you don’t have to be a critic to write a good review. It is enough to share your honest opinion about what you want to discuss. But before doing it, let’s see the main types of reviews you can write.

Product reviews. It includes every physical item you can buy, use, and review afterward – for example, clothes, make-up products, electronics, household appliances, etc.
Service reviews. This category includes different services – hotels, restaurants, airlines, beauty salons, cars and apartment rentals , etc.
Entertainment reviews. You can share your thoughts about concerts, festivals, galleries, museums, movies, games, etc.
App and program reviews. As you can guess from its name, you can review online applications, video games, software, etc.

We can continue this list indefinitely, but you have already got the point. You can share your thoughts about anything. But today, we want to tell you how to write a great review. And we will start with some general tips that can help you be honest and respectful when sharing your opinion about things you like or dislike. So keep reading to find out more.

Practical Tips for Writing a Good Review

Even if you don’t like the product you will review, you still need to be respectful and polite. To achieve this, we’ve prepared a list of useful tips that will help you master any review, regardless of your proficiency level or attitude toward the things you discuss. Here are some of them.

Be honest. Your review should be a fair reflection of your experience, whether it was positive or negative. Avoid exaggerating or downplaying it, and try to provide an objective assessment of the product or service.
Use specific examples and details to support your opinion. It will make your review more informative and credible.
Avoid being too vague or too specific. Be descriptive enough to give readers an idea of what to expect, but avoid going into unnecessary detail.
Write for your audience. Consider your audience and what they might be looking for in a review. For example, if you’re leaving a comment on a restaurant, your audience might be interested in the food, atmosphere, and service.
Edit and proofread your review. Check for spelling and grammar errors, and make sure your text is easy to read.

Now that you know how to write great reviews and remain polite and respectful, it is time to discuss some grammar. And the first thing we will explore is the general structure of any review. It will simplify your life and help you easily share your thoughts about anything.

The General Structure for Writing a Review

So, you’ve decided to write a review, but you have no idea where to start and how to end it. If it’s familiar to you, keep reading. Below, you will find an indicative structure suitable for different types of reviews.

Start with an introduction that gives an overview of what you’re talking about and sets the stage for your review. You can provide some background information and context if necessary.
Describe the product, service, or experience that you’re reviewing. This is where you can submit more detailed information about the features, benefits, and drawbacks.
Share your opinion about the product or service. Here you can honestly assess what you liked and disliked and why.
Wrap up your review with a conclusion, summarizing your main points and providing a final recommendation. You can also suggest who might benefit from the product or service, or who might want to avoid it.

These are some general tips on how to give a review. And now, it is time to be more specific. We’ve already mentioned that reviews can be positive or negative. But what is the difference between them? Let’s find out together.

All You Need to Know About Positive and Negative Reviews

Positive reviews are generally written when you got some good experience with the product or service you are discussing. The tone of such a review is primarily upbeat and enthusiastic, and the purpose of it is to share the positive aspects of the product or service with others.

On the other hand, we write negative reviews to discuss a bad experience with something. These reviews sound more critical and sometimes frustrating or angry. They are usually made to warn others about the adverse aspects of the product or service. Negative thoughts often highlight the product or service’s flaws, poor quality, or lack of value for money.

When writing a review, it’s essential to remember that both positive and negative reviews can be helpful to others, as long as they are honest and informative. So, whether you like or dislike the product, focus on providing specific examples and details to support your opinion, and be respectful and fair in your assessment.

How To Write Good Reviews: Useful Phrases

To make this article even more valuable, we’ve provided you with some common phrases you can use for writing reviews. Here are the expressions and sentences suitable for introductions, descriptions, and sharing a personal opinion.

I recently tried out…

This phrase is an excellent way to start a review, whether it is positive or negative. As we said, it is always better to start with the introduction, and this sentence will immediately show your readers what product you’re talking about. For example:

I recently tried out the new Maybelline mascara and was surprised by its quality.

I recently tried this overhyped application, which wasn’t as good as I expected.

I had high hopes for this product, and I was/wasn’t disappointed.

This phrase is another excellent choice if you still don’t know how to write review introductions. You can use it for both good and bad experiences. For example:

I had high hopes for this serum, and I wasn’t disappointed. My skin has never been clearer.

I had high hopes for the new season of Game of Thrones, and honestly, I was slightly disappointed.

The quality of the product/service is exceptional.

Now it is time to move to the next stage of our review – description. This phrase suits positive experiences when complimenting a product or service. For example:

I visited the Boho restaurant yesterday, and I was impressed. The quality of the service and food is exceptional.

We stayed at this hotel years ago, but I still remember that the quality of service was exceptional.

I was impressed by the attention to detail.

This phrase is also suitable for the description part of the structure. And, as you can guess, it is ideal for positive reviews on physical products, apps, or entertainment. For example:

I’ve recently visited a new gallery in New York and was impressed by the attention to detail.

I’ve installed this app recently and was impressed by the attention to detail.

In my opinion, this product/service is…

How do I write a review based on my personal experience? Start with this phrase! It will show the readers that you only share your thoughts and don’t try to impose your opinion on someone. For example:

In my opinion, this restaurant is terrible. I was shocked by the rude service and tasteless food.

In my opinion, this app is perfect for those who are trying to learn English.

Best Ways to Respond to the Review

Now you know how to write reviews about anything. But what if you are the person who receives these opinions? Of course, we can’t forget about business owners or product creators. Here is a list of useful phrases you can use to respond to both positive and negative reviews.

Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.
We appreciate your feedback.
Thank you for choosing our business.
We’re sorry you had a negative experience with our service. We want to learn more about what happened so that we can improve.
We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed our product. We take pride in providing high-quality products to our customers.
We’re sorry for any inconvenience caused during your visit. We strive to provide a positive experience for all of our customers.
We’d like to make things right. Please contact us directly to discuss how we can make this up to you.
We’re currently working on improving the issue you’ve mentioned. Thank you for bringing it to our attention.
We’d like to offer you a discount or free service to make up for any inconvenience caused.
We hope to have the opportunity to serve you again in the future.
Thank you again for your feedback. It helps us improve our business.
We appreciate your patronage and look forward to seeing you again soon.

These simple sentences show that you care about your business, whether you provide travel services or create mobile software. People always like companies that listen to different opinions and try their best to meet customers’ needs.

Learn the Best Review Writing Tips with Promova

One of the most important things about writing reviews in English is to make them grammatically correct and easy to read. In addition, you must have strong writing skills in order to effectively express your ideas and avoid misunderstandings. So how do you write a review if you are not yet fluent in English? In this case, you might need some professional help.

If you still struggle to find the best language learning platform to practice your English level, we are happy to help you. With Promova, you can find many solutions depending on your studying goals, fluency level, and other factors. Let’s see some of the most valuable things on the Promova website.

Personal and group lessons. Our team of professional tutors is happy to help you master English and enjoy your studying process at the same time. All you need to do is pass a fluency test to determine your English level and start learning immediately.
Promova app . If you want to study alone, you can install a modern application available for iOS and Android devices. It is the best solution for learning on the go and practicing anywhere and anytime you want.
Conversation Club. Promova offers a free Conversation Club for those who aim to practice speaking. Here, you can discuss interesting topics and master your communication skills with exciting people worldwide.
Promova blog . And, of course, don’t forget to check our blog! It is where you can find dozens of articles on various topics that will be helpful in your studying journey.

As you can see, there are many things to choose from. Hence, don’t waste any more minutes! Instead, go to the official Promova website now, and find the best language-learning solutions.

All in all, writing reviews is a great way to share your thoughts and learn about other people’s experiences. We hope this article helped you find out how to do a review, the main types of them, and the most common phrases you can use in further discussions. And to help you with some practice, we want to ask you to do one thing. Please write a short review of your favorite restaurant or any other place you’ve visited recently. We will be happy to read it (and, who knows, maybe even see the area after it).

What are some common pitfalls to avoid when writing a review?

You need to avoid some common mistakes to make your review reliable and quality. It includes using complex language and professional jargon that can be hard to understand for most readers, sharing irrelevant or misleading information, using inappropriate language, and being too subjective. Another common pitfall is being too general and not providing any details.

How to make a review look more trustworthy?

The best thing you can do is to be honest when sharing your experience. Don’t under- or overestimate the product or service you are discussing and add some proof to support your opinion. Also, ensure your review is straightforward and contains no grammar errors. It will help you sound more professional.

Should I be a professional critic to review a product or service?

No, you don’t! You can write a review about anything as long as you are honest and objective. The only thing to remember is to share your experience and don’t discuss things that you haven’t tried or used before. But, of course, you need to warn your audience that your review is only your personal opinion and you are not positioning yourself as a professional critic.

Can my review contain jokes and personal thoughts?

Yes, it can, but only when relevant to the context. In some cases, including some short jokes can be great, especially in the introduction – it helps to set up the tone of your review. But don’t overuse it because it can lead others not to take your review seriously.

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How to Write a Great Customer Review

Cassie Sneed

One of the most powerful tools that businesses have at their disposal is online reviews. In fact, 91% of consumers read online reviews before making a purchase decision. Moreover, businesses with more than 82 total reviews earn 54% more in annual revenue than businesses with fewer than 82 reviews. And businesses with a 4-star rating or higher on Google receive 76% of clicks from local searchers.

Writing a meaningful review can help other customers make informed decisions and give businesses direct feedback to improve their services. But where and how customers post reviews can have a significant impact on a business’s success.

Customers have many options for sharing their feedback about businesses they interact with in today’s digital age. Here are some of the most popular platforms where consumers can post reviews:

Where Should You Post Reviews?

Google: Google My Business allows customers to leave reviews about a business directly on their Google listing. This platform is particularly useful for local businesses, as it can improve their visibility on Google Maps and in local search results.
Facebook : Facebook business pages also have a review feature that allows customers to leave feedback and rate their experience with the business.
Social Media: Customers can share their experiences with businesses on social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn. This can include tagging the business in a post or using relevant hashtags to get their attention.
TripAdvisor: TripAdvisor is a platform specifically designed for travel-related businesses, including hotels, restaurants, and attractions. Customers can leave reviews and ratings based on their experiences.
Apple Maps: Apple Maps allows users to search for businesses and leave reviews and ratings directly from the app.
Yelp: Yelp is one of the most popular review platforms, with over 200 million reviews posted to date. Customers can leave reviews and ratings about all kinds of businesses, from restaurants to hair salons.

How to Write a Meaningful Review

When leaving reviews, here are some best practices to keep in mind:

Be specific: When leaving a review, be as specific as possible about your experience. Mention specific products or services you used, what you liked or didn’t like about them, and any problems you encountered. This helps other potential customers better understand what to expect and helps the business address any issues.
Be honest: Don’t exaggerate your experience, whether positive or negative. Be truthful about your experience, and give an accurate portrayal of your experience. This will help other customers make informed decisions and will also help the business improve its services.
Provide constructive criticism: If you had a negative experience, don’t just complain – provide specific, actionable feedback that the business can use to improve. For example, if you had a bad experience at a restaurant, don’t just say the food was terrible – explain why it wasn’t to your liking, and suggest ways the restaurant could improve.
Keep it professional: Remember that your review is a reflection of you as well as the business you’re reviewing. Be respectful and professional in your tone, even if you had a negative experience. This will help your review carry more weight and be taken more seriously by other potential customers.

Customer Review Examples

Now that we’ve covered the best practices for leaving reviews let’s look at some examples of reviews that provide helpful feedback to business owners.

Good/Quality Review:

“I recently had a great experience at XYZ restaurant. The food was absolutely delicious and the service was top-notch. Our server, Sarah, was incredibly friendly and attentive throughout our meal. I particularly enjoyed the grilled salmon dish, which was cooked to perfection and had a delicious flavor. The restaurant had a great atmosphere, and I appreciated the attention to detail in the decor. Overall, I highly recommend XYZ restaurant and look forward to visiting again!”

Poorly Written Review:

“I went to XYZ restaurant and it was terrible. The food sucked and the service was bad. I will never go there again.”

As you can see, the well-written review provides specific details about the experience, highlights particular aspects of the restaurant that the reviewer enjoyed, and offers a recommendation. On the other hand, the poorly written review is very vague and doesn’t provide any specific information or constructive feedback.

Here’s another example:

“I recently purchased a new vehicle from ABC Dealership, and I’m extremely happy with my purchase. The staff at the store were incredibly helpful and knowledgeable and were able to help me find a vehicle that met all of my needs within my budget. The car itself is safe and reliable and has all of the features that I was looking for. I’ve been driving it for a few weeks now and haven’t had any issues. I highly recommend ABC Dealership for anyone in the market for a new computer.”

“I bought a vehicle from ABC Dealership and it was okay. Nothing special.”

In this case, the well-written review offers specific details about the purchasing process, highlights the helpfulness of the staff, and offers a recommendation. The poorly written review, once again, is very vague and doesn’t provide any specific information or feedback.

Related: How to Respond to Positive Reviews

Online reviews have become an incredibly powerful tool for businesses and consumers alike. By following best practices when leaving reviews, you can provide valuable business feedback while helping other customers make informed decisions. And with statistics showing just how impactful reviews can be on a business’s bottom line, it’s clear that taking the time to leave a thoughtful, well-written review can make a significant difference. So, next time you have a positive or negative experience with a business, take a few minutes to write a specific, honest, constructive, and professional review – you just might be helping that business improve its services and attract more customers in the process.

Ready to make an impact and help businesses thrive? Head to National Leave a Review Day to learn how your feedback can drive positive change and success.

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How to Write a Review on Google

Help others by sharing your experience

Leaving a restaurant or local business after having experienced exceptionally good or bad service may inspire you to write a review of your experience. Doing so helps other potential patrons know what to expect from that establishment. A popular place to leave reviews, due to its visibility, is Google.

When you look for a business on the search engine, the ratings are one of the first things to come up. So how can you add your voice and share your own experience?

Google reviews is a feature on Google Maps, and as long as you have your own Google account you can start writing online reviews for businesses you’ve visited. There is even a chance to become what’s called a Local Guide, and you can get points for each review you leave to increase your level and visibility on review pages.

In this article, we’ll walk you through how to write reviews, and how the Local Guide program works.

Leaving a review for any place you’ve visited is easy. You just need a Gmail account. If the establishment you visited doesn’t have a page on Google Maps, you also have the ability to add it to leave your review.

Here’s how to leave a new review on Google:

In the Google search engine, search for the business name that you visited. You can also use a mobile device to do this in a browser, or on the Google Maps app for Android or iPhone.
If the establishment has a Google business profile, it will come up as the first result. If it is a chain store, make sure to double-check the address of the location you visited. Next to the star rating of the business, click on the number of reviews.

The business’s reviews page will open in a pop-up. In the top-right corner, click on the Write a review button.

Select the number of stars you want to rate the business, 1 being the worst and 5 being the best. You can’t leave empty stars, so you’ll need to select at least 1. Underneath that, you can expand on your rating and describe your experience. Under the text box, you can also add pictures if you have any.

When you’ve finished your rating and review, click on Post and it will be posted to the business’s review page.

Now that you’ve written your review, others will be able to see it by scrolling through the reviews section. Google may place your review higher or lower depending on how recent it is compared to others’ reviews, your influence as a Local Guide, or how a user chooses to have the reviews sorted.

How to Become a Local Guide

If you frequent Google review pages, you may notice that some people have a Local Guide tag. This can place their review above other customer reviews, especially if they have reviewed many places. If you want to become a Local Guide yourself, the process is actually very simple.

Go to maps.google.com/localguides .
Click on the Get Started button.

On the next page, enter your city. Then check the boxes below to agree to the terms. Then, click on the Become a Local Guide button.

You will automatically be redirected to your contributions page on Google Maps. From here, you can see your Local Guide level.

Underneath your Local Guide level, you’ll see the amount of points you have. You earn points by contributing to Google Maps, which includes reviews. You can earn extra points for things like reviews with over 200 characters, adding a photo or video, and responding to others’ questions on a business review page.

You can earn a Local Guide badge once you hit level 4, or 250 points from contributions. With each level, you’ll get a new badge, all the way up to level 10. Points don’t expire, however, if a contribution you make is removed by Google for violating their content policy, your points for that contribution may be taken as well.

How to Find, Edit and Delete Reviews

If you decide you reviewed a business unfairly, or made a mistake in your review, deleting or editing it may be necessary. Thankfully, it’s easy to find your past reviews and delete or edit any of them.

Go to Google Maps.
Click on the three bars in the top-left corner.

Click on Your contributions from the menu.

Your profile will come up. From here, click on Reviews .

Find the review you want to delete or edit from the list, and click on the three dots in the top-right corner of the review.

How to Write a Review on Google image 10

Click on Edit Review or Delete Review . If you want to add a picture, you can also click on Add Photo .
If you choose Delete Review, a confirmation will pop up and you can select Delete to confirm the deletion.

How to Write a Review on Google image 11

If you choose Edit Review , your previous review will pop up and you can edit the star rating and the written review. You can also add photos here.

Help Others by Writing Google Reviews

Posting reviews on Google for businesses can help others looking for stores or restaurants find the best ones to suit their needs. So leaving honest reviews about places you visit can make it easy for potential customers to know what to expect. Customer feedback can also help small business owners out by leaving positive reviews to let them know what they’re doing well, and where they could improve.

Since she was a child, Kayla has had a fascination with technology, video games, and filmmaking. Growing up she wrote on multiple personal blogs about these topics, enjoying the process of breaking down technical concepts. Most recently her focus has shifted to writing, and Kayla now reviews and writes technology, video editing, and gaming related articles. Read Kayla's Full Bio

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17 Positive Review Examples and Response Templates

In an increasingly connected world where everyone’s opinions are shared with a click, reviews are more powerful than ever. Statistics show that 95% of consumers now read online reviews, and as many as 88% trust them as much as personal recommendations.

Yet, acquiring these gold nuggets of advocacy can often feel as daunting as striking gold. So how do you motivate your customers to share their fantastic experiences and pen them into persuasive, positive reviews?

In this article, we’ll show you real-life examples of positive customer reviews. These review examples not only laud excellent customer experiences but are powerful tools that boost your online reputation and catalyze business success.

Let’s dive in and start crafting some five-star reputations.

Why Positive Reviews Matter?

Helping your customers craft the perfect positive review, 17 positive review examples by industry, 10 best practices for encouraging customers to leave positive reviews, how to respond to positive reviews and engage with customers, positive review response templates and examples, how demandhub can be your business growth partner.

The power of positive reviews is undeniable. A staggering 93% of consumers say online reviews impact their purchasing decisions. Businesses with excellent reviews have up to a 31% greater conversion rate than those with no or negative reviews.

Moreover, 72% of customers won’t act until they read reviews. Hence, the importance of positive customer feedback cannot be overstated.

Positive reviews are a clear endorsement of your product or service. They are a trust-building tool that increases the likelihood of driving prospective customers toward a purchase.

Let’s delve deeper into why positive reviews are the lifeblood of your business’s online presence and success.

Boosting Your Online Reputation

Your business reputation can make or break your business. Positive reviews can help build a robust online reputation and increase your visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs).

For 73% of consumers, the content of a review holds more weight than the star rating alone. This fact highlights positive reviews’ significant impact on shaping your business’s online image and cultivating trust among potential customers.

Additionally, Google uses reviews as a pivotal ranking factor, underlining their influence on search engine optimization (SEO). Fresh user-generated content, like reviews, accounts for 9.8% of total ranking factors, making them an indispensable element of SEO strategy.

Your online visibility grows with each positive review you get. You will rank higher on search engines if your business has more positive reviews. This leads to increased brand visibility and ultimately brings in more business.

Positive reviews can also help counteract negative reviews. Responding to it positively and professionally can show potential customers that you care about their experience and are willing to make things right. This can help mitigate the impact of negative reviews and maintain a positive online reputation.

Attracting New Customers

Positive reviews can be a powerful marketing tool. When potential customers see positive reviews from others who have used your product or service, they are more likely to choose your business.

5-star customer reviews give your business a competitive edge, swaying potential customers in your favor over your rivals.

Furthermore, 57% of consumers only use businesses with 4 stars or more, signifying the influence of positive reviews. So, positive reviews aren’t just feedback - they’re strategic assets for attracting new customers.

Encouraging Repeat Business

Positive reviews can also encourage repeat business. People with good experience with your business will return and recommend your product or service to others. This results in increased customer loyalty and a stronger customer base.

Also, positive customer reviews serve as a compass for improvement. By engaging with reviews, you gain insights into what customers appreciate and areas needing refinement. These insights help you improve customer experience and spark a cycle of ever-growing positive reviews.

In conclusion, positive reviews are essential for the success of any business. They can help boost your online reputation and SEO, attract new customers , and encourage repeat business.

Though five-star ratings are a beacon of success, they alone cannot narrate the full story of your stellar services. A rating, irrespective of how high, needs the support of a well-crafted, positive review to set your business apart.

Generic, plain reviews often fail to provide the comprehensive picture potential customers seek. Enhancing the quality of your reviews is crucial to attracting a larger customer base.

Before diving into positive review examples, let’s define what is a “good positive review?” While many might think a ‘good positive review’ is solely determined by a five-star rating, the reality is much more nuanced.

A truly valuable review has elements that go beyond just the star rating. Here are some phrases that commonly appear in positive reviews:

“I highly recommend this business.”
“Their customer service is second to none.”
“The product quality is consistently outstanding, exceeding my expectations every time.”
“I was completely impressed with their professionalism and customer service.”
“The ambiance here is always inviting and comfortable.”
“This is my go-to place for ‘X…’ - the best in town.”
“Their staff is not only friendly but also highly skilled.”
“Pricing is fair and transparent - definitely value for money.”
“Efficiency and punctuality are hallmarks of their service.”

Here are some tips for your customers on how to craft the perfect positive review:

Be Genuine and Specific

The goal is to go beyond the star rating. Instead of getting generic ‘great service’ praise, encourage your customers to share precise details about their positive experiences. This offers potential customers a more vivid picture of what they can expect from your business.

See how the following review is authentic, delves into specifics, and goes beyond the star rating:

Receiving such detailed positive feedback highlights your business’s attention to detail and the authenticity of the customer’s experience. It goes a long way in fostering trust with potential customers.

When a customer invests time to craft a comprehensive review, it brings credibility to their five-star rating. Prospective customers might see a perfect rating with skepticism. However, a detailed, personalized review can instill trust and validate the high rating given to your business.

Highlight Key Features and Benefits

Aim to get positive reviews that not only compliment but also highlight the unique features and benefits of your business. These specifics help potential customers understand what sets your business apart from others.

For instance, consider this review for an auto shop: “The comprehensive services offered by this auto shop were impressive. I appreciate their extended working hours, which are highly convenient for busy individuals. They also provide a free vehicle health checkup with every service, emphasizing their commitment to the customer’s safety.”

Here’s a real-life example of a positive review highlighting key benefits:

Highlight Key Features and Benefits in the review

Receiving reviews that spotlight your business’s unique selling propositions (USPs) will attract prospects and help you know where your business is performing well.

Address Potential Concerns

Encourage positive reviews that not only highlight your business’s strengths but also address any potential customer concerns. This demonstrates that your business values discerning consumers who provide honest assessments.

For example, consider this review for a dentist’s office: “Although the wait time at this dentist’s office was longer than anticipated, the exceptional quality of care more than compensated for it. The staff exhibited friendliness, expertise, and ensured my comfort throughout the entire visit.”

Here’s another example of a positive review addressing potential concerns:

Your customers showcase fairness and honesty as a reviewer by addressing potential concerns in their reviews. This constructive feedback helps your businesses improve and deliver even better service in the future.

Contain User-Generated Content: Photos and Videos

Photos and videos add credibility and authenticity to the review, providing tangible evidence of the customer’s interaction with the product or service.

Visual content shows various aspects, such as a clinic’s ambiance, product quality, or the before-and-after results of a service. It adds authenticity, builds trust, and creates a more immersive storytelling experience.

Contain User-Generated Content: Photos and Videos

Businesses can benefit greatly by encouraging customers to share photos and videos. These visual aids provide valuable user-generated content that can attract more attention, engagement, and potential customers.

Additionally, visual content can be shared on social media platforms, expanding the reach and visibility of the positive review beyond the review site.

Mentions Long-Term Customer Relationships

A positive review gains significant value when a customer mentions their long-standing relationship with your business, indicating a sustained and positive customer experience.

Consider the following example where the value of the review is greatly amplified by this added detail:

Mention Long-Term Customer Relationships

By showcasing the enduring customer relationship, this review becomes a compelling testament to the consistent excellence of the business. It offers potential customers valuable insights into the long-term satisfaction and trust that can be fostered over an extended period.

Features a Team Member’s Name

Review sites often challenge businesses to showcase their personality and humanize their brand. However, when a review goes the extra mile and mentions a team member by name, it creates a genuine connection with potential customers. This personal touch greatly improves the likelihood of customers choosing your business over competitors.

This aspect holds even greater significance in agent-based organizations like salons or real estate companies, where personalized recommendations reassure customers that they will receive individualized care.

See the positive review example below that mentions team members. You can witness this approach’s remarkable impact on building customer trust and fostering satisfaction.

Now that you have a solid understanding of the value of generating positive reviews and their key components. However, reviews can vary in format and content based on the industry and platform.

Let’s explore 17 industry-specific positive review examples to provide a clearer picture and see how businesses can leverage them.

Reviews play a vital role in the healthcare industry, where trust and patient satisfaction are paramount. Potential patients heavily rely on reviews to make informed decisions about their healthcare providers.

In fact, 77% of patients read online reviews as their 1st step in finding a new doctor. And 84% wouldn’t consider a referred doctor if they have a rating of four stars or less. So, the more detailed the positive reviews, the better. Encourage patients to highlight specific aspects of your practice’s customer service and other notable features.

Patient reviews are a valuable marketing asset for your practice. They showcase the excellence of your services. You can prominently display them on your practice’s website and share them across social media channels to attract more patients to your door.

To help healthcare practices encourage their customers to share their experiences, here’s a template for a positive review:

You can even create these templates by copy and pasting them in your review request text messages .

In the fiercely competitive automotive industry, and social media channels.

By doing so, you can leverage the influence of positive reviews to gain a competitive edge. To help your customers in writing positive reviews for your business, here are some templates they can use as a starting point:

If you run a hair salon, you understand the importance of showcasing your professionalism, serviceability, and skill level to attract more clients. As an industry that thrives on customer satisfaction, it’s vital to stay informed about current trends and best practices.

Explore these positive review examples, which provide valuable insights into what customers appreciate and seek in hair salon experiences. Get positive reviews across top online review sites to boost your salon’s visibility.

Share these positive review templates with your customers to help them craft appreciation for your service:

Trust and reliability are essential in the mover’s industry. Positive reviews are crucial in this process, serving as testimonials highlighting your professionalism, efficiency, and excellent customer service.

Encourage happy customers to share their experiences on popular review platforms like Google, Yelp, and Facebook. Doing so can amplify your reputation and make you stand out in your industry.

Share these positive review templates with your customers to help them write testimonials for your business:

Retail Stores

When it comes to retail stores, several key factors contribute to their success in outshining the competition. These factors include the prime location, exceptional customer service, high-quality products, and customer service.

While a higher star rating certainly helps, it is equally important for positive reviews to provide specific details, as demonstrated in the examples below. By highlighting these aspects, retail stores can effectively capture the attention of prospects and differentiate themselves in a crowded market.

Your customers can use the following positive review templates to write a good review for your retail business:

Dental Clinics

Online reviews play a significant role in the dental industry. They give potential patients a good indication of what to expect from your dental practice . They also provide dentists with valuable feedback to help them improve and become the best practice.

You need a constant stream of new patients to grow your dental practice . And to get new patients, you need positive reviews. Dental reviews not only provide social proof of your business, but they also help increase patient trust.

In addition, dental clinic reviews can help dentists identify areas needing improvement. By reading honest patient feedback, dentists can find what works well and needs to be changed to offer the best possible care.

Identify areas of improvement from patient feedback

Most dentists have a tough time getting patients to leave reviews . Great news! You can share the following positive review templates with your patients to make leaving reviews a breeze:

Chiropractors and Physiotherapy Clinics

Many physicians hesitate to ask patients for online feedback as patient satisfaction is difficult to measure and can be inconsistent. But 7 out of 10 patients will provide an online review if asked .

Moreover, Google will rank your clinic higher on search results if you have more positive reviews. In fact, positive reviews can attract out-of-network patients to healthcare review websites .

A positive online review history could persuade patients to visit your clinic , even if you’re not in their insurance network. About 43% of potential patients are willing to go out of their insurance provider network for a provider with positive reviews.

Chiropractors and Physiotherapy Clinics Review

Some chiropractor or physiotherapy clinic positive review templates for your customers’ reference are:

Positive reviews are an invaluable asset for any business. You can establish a strong online reputation and attract new customers by providing excellent service and encouraging feedback. Use these examples and tips to craft a positive review and watch your business thrive.

Encouraging customers to leave positive reviews is a powerful way to enhance your online reputation and attract new customers. Here are some best practices to consider:

Offer Exceptional Service or Product

This is the most important point. Quality products or services will naturally encourage positive reviews. Ensure your customer service is top-notch and your product or service meets or exceeds expectations.

Ask for a Review

People are often willing to give reviews if asked. You can do this in person, over SMS, on receipts, or through social media. Ensure your request is polite, not pushy, and express your appreciation for their feedback.

Make it Easy

Your customers are busy. The less time and effort it takes, the more likely they will do it. Make the process of leaving a review as easy and intuitive as possible. If you’re asking for reviews via email, text , or website, provide a direct link to the review form.

Timing is Key

Timing can significantly influence the likelihood of receiving a review. Asking for a review immediately after purchase might not be the best strategy, as the customer hasn’t yet had time to experience your product or service.

Similarly, waiting too long could make the experience not fresh in their mind. Find a middle ground, such as a few days or weeks after the purchase or service completion.

On the other hand, for service-based businesses, it is important to ask for a review immediately after the treatment or services are provided while the experience is still fresh.

Respond to Reviews

Responding to positive and negative reviews shows that you value customer feedback. It also builds trust and rapport with your customers, which can encourage more reviews.

Incentivize Reviews

Offering small incentives can motivate customers to leave a review. This could be a discount on their next purchase, a small gift, or entry into a contest. Make sure any incentives adhere to the review policies of the platform you’re using.

Share Positive Reviews

Displaying positive reviews on your website, in-store, or on social media channels can serve as social proof. It also encourages others to leave positive reviews and attract new customers.

Address Negative Reviews

Don’t ignore or delete negative reviews . Instead, respond professionally and offer solutions to the issues raised. This shows that you care about customer feedback and are committed to improving. It may even turn a negative review into a positive one.

Train Your Staff

Ensure all your employees understand the importance of reviews and are trained to encourage customers to leave feedback. They should also know how to handle negative reviews or complaints in person.

Thank Customers for Their Reviews

Show appreciation to customers who take the time to leave a review. Simple thank yous can go a long way and encourage them to leave reviews in the future.

Remember, staying ethical and fair in your pursuit of reviews is important. Don’t fall into the trap of buying reviews or creating fake ones, as this can harm your reputation in the long run.

When responding to positive reviews, express your gratitude and acknowledge the specifics of their praise. Personalize your response to show that you value the time and effort they took to write the review.

For example, “Thank you, [Customer’s Name], for your kind words. We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed [specific product/service/aspect they praised] and look forward to serving you again.”

How to Respond to Positive Reviews and Engage with Customers?

Engaging with customers goes beyond just responding to reviews. Regularly interact with them on social media platforms, emails, or review sites. Use these interactions to acknowledge their positive experiences and learn more about their needs and expectations.

Always maintain a professional, courteous, and friendly tone. Encourage conversations, ask for their opinions, or offer valuable content. Remember, every interaction is an opportunity to build a strong relationship and foster customer loyalty.

At times, the most daunting part of review management is finding the right words to use in your responses. Here are a few positive review response templates you could use as a starting point when responding to reviews.

Happy Customer: “We’re over the moon to hear that you enjoyed our service. Your kind words truly mean a lot to us. We’re looking forward to serving you again soon! Thank you.”
Compliment on Product Quality: “Dear [Customer’s Name], we’re thrilled that you’re enjoying our [product]. We take pride in the quality of our products and your feedback validates our efforts. We appreciate your support and can’t wait to continue providing you with the best in the future. Thank you!”
Praise for Customer Service: “Hello [Customer’s Name], we’re so pleased to hear that our customer service team met your expectations. We strive to provide excellent service to each and every customer. Your feedback helps us continue our efforts. Looking forward to serving you again, thank you!”
Compliment on Quick Delivery: “Hi [Customer’s Name], we’re glad to hear that your order reached you promptly! We understand the importance of quick and efficient delivery, and we’re happy we could meet your expectations. Your kind words are much appreciated. Thank you for choosing us.”
Appreciation of Business Ethics/Values: “Dear [Customer’s Name], your appreciation for our business values means the world to us. It is customers like you who encourage us to stay true to our principles. Thank you for your kind words, we look forward to serving you in the future.”

Remember, while these are templates, it’s always better to personalize your responses based on the specifics of each review to show customers that you truly value their feedback.

Managing customer reviews effectively is an essential part of successful business operations. Positive reviews do more than boost your online reputation. These prove the high quality of your products or services, solidifying trust with your existing customers and attracting potential ones.

The templates provided in the article offer you a launching pad to construct meaningful and engaging positive reviews and responses, fostering a deeper bond with your clientele.

Remember, each positive review represents a golden opportunity for engagement, growth, and learning. DemandHub can make this process smoother by offering features like a unified inbox, enabling you to manage all customer conversations in one place.

DemandHub’s web chat helps convert website visitors into potential customers through real-time interactions. Text messaging allows you to request payments and reviews, book appointments , and promptly communicate important information to your customers.

By automating review requests and efficiently managing feedback, DemandHub facilitates getting more positive reviews and responding to them effectively.

Implementing Demandhub in your review management strategy can help you stay on top of your business’s online reputation and engage more effectively with your customers.

Grow your business to new heights and gain a competitive edge with DemandHub. Get your Free Demo today .

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Conducting a Literature Review

Literature Review
Developing a Topic
Planning Your Literature Review
Developing a Search Strategy
Managing Citations
Critical Appraisal Tools
Writing a Literature Review

Before You Begin to Write.....

Do you have enough information? If you are not sure,

Ask yourself these questions:

Has my search been wide enough to insure I've found all the relevant material?
Has it been narrow enough to exclude irrelevant material?
Is the number of sources I've used appropriate for the length of my paper?

You may have enough information for your literature review when:

You've used multiple databases and other resources (web portals, repositories, etc.) to get a variety of perspectives on the research topic.
The same citations are showing up in a variety of databases.
Your advisor and other trusted experts say you have enough!

You have to stop somewhere and get on with the writing process!

Writing Tips

A literature review is not a list describing or summarizing one piece of literature after another. It’s usually a bad sign to see every paragraph beginning with the name of a researcher. Instead, organize the literature review into sections that present themes or identify trends, including relevant theory. You are not trying to list all the material published, but to synthesize and evaluate it according to the guiding concept of your thesis or research question

If you are writing an annotated bibliography , you may need to summarize each item briefly, but should still follow through themes and concepts and do some critical assessment of material. Use an overall introduction and conclusion to state the scope of your coverage and to formulate the question, problem, or concept your chosen material illuminates. Usually you will have the option of grouping items into sections—this helps you indicate comparisons and relationships. You may be able to write a paragraph or so to introduce the focus of each section

Layout of Writing a Literature Review

Generally, the purpose of a review is to analyze critically a segment of a published body of knowledge through summary, classification, and comparison of prior research studies, reviews of literature, and theoretical articles.

Writing the introduction:

In the introduction, you should:

Define or identify the general topic, issue, or area of concern, thus providing an appropriate context for reviewing the literature.
Point out overall trends in what has been published about the topic; or conflicts in theory, methodology, evidence, and conclusions; or gaps in research and scholarship; or a single problem or new perspective of immediate interest.
Establish the writer’s reason (point of view) for reviewing the literature; explain the criteria to be used in analyzing and comparing literature and the organization of the review (sequence); and, when necessary, state why certain literature is or is not included (scope).

Writing the body:

In the body, you should:

Group research studies and other types of literature (reviews, theoretical articles, case studies, etc.) according to common denominators such as qualitative versus quantitative approaches, conclusions of authors, specific purpose or objective, chronology, etc.
Summarize individual studies or articles with as much or as little detail as each merits according to its comparative importance in the literature, remembering that space (length) denotes significance.
Provide the reader with strong “umbrella” sentences at beginnings of paragraphs, “signposts” throughout, and brief “so what” summary sentences at intermediate points in the review to aid in understanding comparisons and analyses.

WRITING TIP: As you are writing the literature review you will mention the author names and the publication years in your text, but you will still need to compile comprehensive list citations for each entry at the end of your review. Follow APA, MLA, or Chicago style guidelines , as your course requires.

Writing the conclusion:

In the conclusion, you should:

Summarize major contributions of significant studies and articles to the body of knowledge under review, maintaining the focus established in the introduction.
Evaluate the current “state of the art” for the body of knowledge reviewed, pointing out major methodological flaws or gaps in research, inconsistencies in theory and findings, and areas or issues pertinent to future study.
Conclude by providing some insight into the relationship between the central topic of the literature review and a larger area of study such as a discipline, a scientific endeavor, or a profession.
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The Science of Strong Business Writing

Bill Birchard

Lessons from neurobiology

Brain scans are showing us in new detail exactly what entices readers. Scientists can see a group of midbrain neurons—the “reward circuit”—light up as people respond to everything from a simple metaphor to an unexpected story twist. The big takeaway? Whether you’re crafting an email to a colleague or an important report for the board, you can write in a way that delights readers on a primal level, releasing pleasure chemicals in their brains.

Bill Birchard is an author and writing coach who’s worked with many successful businesspeople. He’s drawn on that experience and his review of the scientific literature to identify eight features of satisfying writing: simplicity, specificity, surprise, stirring language, seductiveness, smart ideas, social content, and storytelling. In this article, he shares tips for using those eight S’s to captivate readers and help your message stick.

Strong writing skills are essential for anyone in business. You need them to effectively communicate with colleagues, employees, and bosses and to sell any ideas, products, or services you’re offering.

Bill Birchard is a business author and book-writing coach. His Writing for Impact: 8 Secrets from Science That Will Fire Up Your Reader’s Brain will be published by HarperCollins Leadership in April 2023. His previous books include Merchants of Virtue, Stairway to Earth, Nature’s Keepers, Counting What Counts, and others. For more writing tactics, see his website .

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7 Best Resume Writing Services (+ Which Are Worth It)

3 key takeaways

There's a wide range of professional resume writing services ranging from executive to budget.
While job seekers often pay per resume with a professional writer, AI resume builders allow you to quickly create and optimize several versions to each job, presenting a more cost-efficient alternative.
Teal’s AI Resume Builder is unlike most resume writing services in that it allows you to tailor your resume to every single job application using keyword matching and scoring.

One of the biggest questions surrounding resume writing services is whether or not they’re worth it.

The answer: it varies.

If you’re new to the job market and your resume is fairly simple, or you are working with a lower budget, you might not need a dedicated resume writer.

But if you’re looking to tailor you’re resume for the job, while meeting ATS (applicant tracking systems) readability standards , then you might need a professionally-written resume.

This article compares some of the best resume writing services, where you can hire them, and how to choose the right one for you.

Struggling to land interviews with your resume? Get started with Teal’s AI Resume Builder for free.

Types of resume writing services

While the goal of professional resume writing services is to create a resume that’ll land you a job, each type of resume service goes about it differently.

Resume writing services from a company

Larger companies that employ hundreds of freelance resume writers are a popular choice for many job seekers with a decent budget and a longer timeline with their applications.

The benefit of this type is the company is optionality. Some may even have in-house writers dedicated to your specific industry or role and can provide insights into previously successful resumes.

Some resume writing services are large enough that they don’t dedicate one person or team to your account. Instead, you’ll have multiple people working on your resume, and the communication between them might not be stellar. They also might keyword stuff rather than weaving them in naturally.

One job seeker from Reddit shared their experience using a professional resume writing service:

“I went with a resume writing service, and they clearly outsourced it to a country where English is not the most commonly spoken language. It was terrible and rife with errors. Luckily, I got my money back.”

Specialized resume writing services

These are services dedicated either to your industry or career level, such as executive resume writing services, which often offer career training as well.

These services often have a directory of writers they vet and certify to write resumes for their specific industries, so you know you’re getting a professional. Typically, you’ll have a dedicated writer or team rather than subcontracted writers, editors, and reviewers.

Cons of specialized resume writing services

While they’re more tailored and often include specific skills to help you land more interviews, they tend to be more costly. You might also have deal with delays in your ability to apply, as you go through a series of interviews with the service to ensure they’re truly capturing your work experience.

Resume writers

You can, of course, hire a professional resume writer that is unaffiliated with any company. These writers often work for themselves as a freelancer or small business, and have niched down into one particular area of resume writing.

Cons of working with a professional resume writer

While they might have specialized industry knowledge, they're likely not familiar with the nuances of modern hiring tech or recruiting. They could just be a good writer that passed a training program to become certified in resume writing.

Teal’s Director of Talent, Mike Peditto, echoes this with his statement:

"Some resume writers rely on a bit more of an outdated style that puts a large focus on visual appeal above the user experience of the reader. They often rely heavily on graphics, charts, tables or other design tactics that not only may get lost in an ATS, but also tend to focus on the items a recruiter doesn't need to see right away. This can be be more distracting than valuable to somebody quickly doing a pass through of the resume looking for key information."

Building a resume with a resume builder

A resume builder is a tool that allows you to create and customize your resume again to match the position you’re applying for.

This can be advantageous, since you understand your work history and industry better than anyone else. You also know which skills you want to highlight more depending on the role and how well you match it.

Another benefit is cost per resume. You can create as many resumes as you’d like, allowing you to tailor the resume to every single application. Whereas most services will provide you with one polished resume that isn’t tailored to a specific role, unless you’ve requested such.

Cons of using a resume builder

If your writing skills aren’t strong, you might not fully highlight your skills and experience without the help of AI features, not available in every resume builder. And while AI will assist in the writing, you will still want to personalize it. Teal gives you the best of both worlds with AI writing and ability to pull keywords from the job description, allowing you to better tailor each resume at scale.

You also might need to rely on templates to ensure you’re using the correct formatting to meet standards for an ATS.

7 top resume writing services

Calling anything “the best” is subjective to the criteria. Our criteria for determining the best writing services includes:

Speedy delivery
Good pricing
Writing skills commensurate with your level of education, expertise, and career

No recruiter or hiring manager is going to spend ages pouring over the details of your resume. But they will still notice typos, glaring grammatical errors, and formatting inconsistencies.

Worse, your resume won’t get a second glance at all if your experience and skills don’t jump off the page and scream, “I’m the one for the job”.

So, you need a professional resume service that understands your work history and how to highlight your experience, for the right price, so you can apply before the window of opportunity closes.

Below are nine of the best resume services available right now:

Best executive resume writing service
Best resume writing services online
Best-rated resume writing services
Best affordable resume writing services

Best AI-powered resume builder

Best specialty resume writing services.

Best resume writing service with additional professional packages
Best resume service with quick turnaround time

Best executive resume writing service: Executive Resume Writers

TopResume is one of the most well-known resume writing services for executives. However, the negative experiences around their services have been widely recounted in online reviews and forums.

If you want a true executive service, consider Executive Resume Writers.

Their clients have found work at Capital One, Dell, Google, Humana, Salesforce, Morgan Stanley, and dozens of other recognizable corporations.

They’re professional resume writers have written for a wide range of executive titles, from VP & Managing Director to President and CEO.

Industry specializations

Arts & Entertainment
Financial Services
Hospitality
Information Services
Manufacturing
Other Industry
Professional and Technical Services
Public Administration
Real Estate
Retail Trade

Other services offered

Beyond their expertise in writing resumes for the executive level, they also offer:

LinkedIn optimization
Interview preparation
Career coaching

Cost: While Executive Resume Writers doesn't explicitly list their pricing, they do offer a range of $2,000 to $5,000.

Best-rated resume writing service: TopStack

Searching for professional resume writing services with the best ratings compared to the number of ratings and reviews, you find that TopStack lives up to its name by coming up top. They have a 4.8 star rating with 1,968 reviews on Trustpilot—more than any other resume writing service (excluding AI resume builders).

They have an incredibly simple process from filling out your initial intake form to assigning you to one of their experienced, US-based writers within 1-2 days. If you need to expedited the order, they’re able to accommodate if you alert them to this.

Once assigned, they give their writers 48 hours to turn in a first draft. You may get up to two revisions of your resume after you’ve paid for your first draft.

TopStack does not name list their staff publicly. Instead, they state they have experts in every single industry :

“Our team of 100+ professional writers have worked with clients in all industries and at all experience levels. In the (very) rare event that we don't have someone with experience writing in your field, we'll reach out to you after placing an order.”

Other services

LinkedIn profile development
Cover letters
Personal recruiting
Career consulting

TopStack offers four different payment options. Their most basic package is $139, and their most expensive is $1149, paid on a monthly basis as it includes a personal recruiter that’ll go beyond the call to find you a job.

Best affordable resume writing service: ZipJob

ZipJob is one of the most affordable resume writing services that still offer professional writers and a decent turnaround of three to seven days. They back up their services with a guarantee that you land an interview within 60 days.

What sets them apart, aside from the low price, is that they grant you unfettered access to your professional resume writer.

ZipJob employs a roster of over 100 professional resume writers that have worked in Fortune 500 recruiting, career coaching, HR, and job placement, aside from resume writing.

ZipJob has specialists in over 65 industries, including:

Free resume review
LinkedIn profile optimization

Cost: $139 to $299

Best resume writing service by offering: Let’s Eat, Grandma

While the name might bring on a laugh, Let’s Eat, Grandma is all serious when it comes to resume writing packages.

Their most affordable service is fairly basic, offering a 30 minute one-on-one consultation, well-crafted resume, and two revisions. Their most extensive package of the four includes nine services, such as executive career coaching and unlimited revisions.

Let's Eat, Grandma 5-star review on Trustpilot

If you’re working on a shorter timeline for applying to positions, they might not be your best choice, as you’ll receive your first draft in about a week and the two revisions after an additional week.

But if you’re looking for a resume writing service that offers more than the average service, with true professionals at a decent price (and aren’t on a time restraint), Let’s Eat, Grandma is a great option.

While they do not list their industries, it’s safe to assume they work with a wide range of clients.

Executive resume
Value proposition letter
Digital guide to cold emails & thank-you notes
Executive LinkedIn profile rewrite
Access to a dedicated customer success representative
10 days of unlimited revisions
4x the talk time with your writer
60-minute executive career coaching session
Guaranteed senior writer for executives
Job search strategy meeting
Career roadblock office hours
Strategic applicant guide
LinkedIn profile rewrite
Resume critique

Cost: $439 to $1,899

Best resume service by speed: The Job Sauce

The Job Sauce doesn’t use their quick turnaround as a selling point but, nonetheless, they get you in front of an assigned writer within one business day. The work is fast yet skilled, and even their most basic package comes packed with bonus features.

Members get an industry-specific writer, a LinkedIn best practices guide, and lifetime webinar access. If you upgrade to the more premium package, you get services like training in salary negotiation and clarity coaching.

The Job Sauce 5-star review on Trustpilot

Industry specialization

They don’t list the industries they serve, but they do mention that they provide an industry-specific writer.

‍ Other services

Upgraded results-driven resume
Applicant tracking systems optimized
LinkedIn best practice guide
Industry-specific professional writer
Quick turnaround time
Lifetime webinar access
Premium assessments
Two 60-minute calls
Clarity on next steps
Interview coaching
Job offer coaching

Cost: $369 to 799

When it comes to specialty resume writing services, it only makes sense to highlight a few different services, considering the wide range of specializations.

Find My Profession is a great federal resume writing service that happens to specialize in C-Suite resume writing services.

Find My Profession 5-star review on Trustpilot

ResuMeds is a top choice resume writing service for medical professionals. They’re fairly priced with a rate of $100 to 225 and have a turnaround time of three days.

iCareer Solutions offers professional resume writing services for IT, fintech, and software professionals. They won first place for Information Technology Resume Writing in the 2019 TORI Awards (Toast Of the Résumé Industry) from Career Directors International (CDI).

Medical professionals
C-suite executives
Federal employees
IT professionals
Software engineering
Data analytics
Programming
System analytics
Cover letter writing
LinkedIn makeover
Professional bio
Networking resume
Resume distribution
US recruiters listing

Cost: $100 to 1500

Want the advantages of a specialized resume writing service without the service cost and wait time? Teal’s match scoring makes it easy to compare your resume to a job description .

While hiring a professional resume writing service is a great option for those with a higher budget, more technical needs, and less-confident writing skills, they aren’t the only option for creating a high-powered resume.

An AI-powered resume builder like Teal is a great option if you're applying to multiple jobs and need to tailor every resume to the job descriptions.

The AI identifies the keywords as well as soft and hard skills within a job description, highlighting them for you and scoring your resume based on how well it matches.

Teal’s AI Professional Summary considers both the job you’re applying for and your work experience to tailor a professional resume that highlights the ten percent of you that's 100 percent relevant to each job.

A lot of resume writers and job seekers make the mistake of simply listing their responsibilities and tasks on their resume, versus the outcomes they’ve produced. The AI achievements feature in Teal is the answer to that. This feature pulls out specific accomplishments, such as cutting spend for your company or reducing expenses by 20 percent.

Industry specialties

Teal is an online resume building tool usable by any job seeker in any industry, for any level of experience.

Job Application Tracker
Resume Checker
Cover letter Generator
LinkedIn Profile Review
Autofill Job Applications
Resume Bullet Point Generator
Professional Bio Generator
Career Personality Test
Career Goal Tracker
Networking CRM
Job Search Chrome Extension
Job Application Email Templates
Resume Templates
Resume and Cover Letter Examples

Cost: Free to $9 per week

Is it worth paying for resume writing service?

From looking at loads of reviews and services, it’s easy to tell that the answer doesn’t just depend on your situation, but on the service you choose.

The larger resume services that promise the lowest prices and the fastest turnarounds tend to make customers feel scammed. Customers have largely noted that their work was outsourced and the writers didn’t incorporate feedback or understand their work history.

In this case, using an AI resume builder like Teal helps you not only tailor one resume, but hundreds.

Frequently Asked Questions

What companies provide the best-rated resume writing service.

TopStack is highly rated with a 4.8-star rating on Trustpilot. Executive Resume Writers are known for their success with high-level positions at companies like Google and Morgan Stanley. ZipJob offers affordable and professional resume writing with a 60-day interview guarantee.

What are the pros and cons of paying for resume writing?

Pros include professional writers crafting tailored, ATS-friendly resumes. Cons include the risk of poor quality from outsourced services and higher costs. Additionally, there's no job guarantee.

What is the best resume writer service?

Executive Resume Writers are ideal for high-level positions. TopStack is great for general professional resumes with positive customer feedback. ZipJob is best for budget-friendly, professional resume writing.

Paying for a resume service can increase your chances of passing ATS and impressing recruiters. The value depends on the quality of the service chosen. High-rated services are more likely to deliver worthwhile results.

How much does a resume writing service cost?

Basic services start around $139, like those from ZipJob. Mid-range services, such as TopStack, range from $139 to $1,149. High-end executive services can cost between $2,000 and $5,000. In comparison, AI resume builders like Teal start at $9/week.

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Fintech top tips for writing an eye-catching resume.

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Two people reviewing a successful resume. It showcases the applicant's achievements clearly and ... [+] concisely. It also highlights the potential of this person.

The fintech sector disrupts the status quo of finance daily. It challenges cumbersome methodologies and time-consuming transactions to improve accessibility and efficiency. It's no wonder that a typical fintech resume challenges some of the traditional norms expected. As of 2024, there are nearly 30,000 fintechs worldwide. This is the most ever to exist, having grown by over 3,500 in 2023. America alone grew by 1,500 fintechs, and in February 2024, America held the record for producing the world’s most fintech unicorns. Gartner predicts IT spending to increase 8% to $5.06 trillion this year. In addition, Morgan McKinley expects 62% of the workforce to be looking for jobs believing they are underpaid.

These growth factors, investment, and predicted job movement make it even more important to understand the mechanics of job hunting in fintech. Several hiring managers across the industry have shared why the fintech resume is unique.

Agile Fintech

As an industry, fintech has proved itself to be ready to pivot and re-align to meet demand, adhere to new regulations or adapt to a changing economy. In some cases, only 2% of candidates who apply to roles get selected for interviews. Some of the main reasons for being deselected are long resumes with no clear accomplishments. Many have overly detailed project descriptions that don’t share any personal contributions. It is crucial to show how agile you have been and can be. Rianna Kelly is the Senior Manager in Data at Zepz. She says, it's important to remind ourselves “fintech is an action-orientated industry.” Every resume should grab the reader's attention by focusing on what has happened and what they are capable of. The mindset of a fintech is all about problem-solving, adapting and continual learning. When documenting your career, you should focus on where you have driven solutions and what transferable skills you built.

Mission Fintech

Every fintech is unique and on a change mission. Purpose driven businesses need people who are also motivated by learning and taking on new tasks that are bound to challenge them. Gunay Aksoy, Senior Business Leader at Axoni says a great resume is all about “experience,” “achievements” and “key contributions.” She emphasized that “outcome focused resumes make me want to come back and hear more about you." This should include performance metrics, precise citations of technical skills, along with proficiency in communication and presentation skills. It is key to bullet point your contribution within a project rather than detail it step by step. Most people omit their personal mission and what they want in their next role. It is worth thinking about what you really want in your next role and articulating that. If you can tie in relevant points that are specific to the company you are applying for, then you will set yourself apart.

Accessible Fintech

The world of fintech is tuned into accessibility. That can be through customer-centricity or a focus on efficiencies and clarity. Matt Cheung is the CEO of ipushpull and Founder of ‘Work in Fintech.’ He says you “need to have grabbed my attention within the first page and, in most cases, the summary.” Often, hiring managers will review resumes on their smartphones. This reduces the visibility for the hiring manager and increases the need for them to be “concise and clear.” The summary becomes that much more important as that will determine whether someone clicks in to view your entire resume. Matt urges applicants to correct their grammar and spelling, having seen far too many people overlook these important details. Many managers indicate they prefer resumes to be 1 page and “2 pages as a maximum.” Others have spoken about having specific edits of your resume for different roles and companies you are applying for. This is particularly true when you apply for roles when you know who is reading the resume. A C-level recipient may look for attitude over skills. An AI bot may search for a detailed list of skills. You should expect a recruiter to cross-check your LinkedIn profile with your resume. Both should support one another and clearly highlight your successes.

Best High-Yield Savings Accounts Of 2024

Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024, growing fintech.

As the fintech space seeks to challenge the status quo in finance, there are many skills they desperately need. Competition is fierce, and the regulation parameters are constantly changing. There has been an increase in demand for AI, data and regulation knowledge within job adverts in some cases by up to 20% . The demand also remains high for those who can communicate well and write code. Businesses are looking at growth trajectories and will be assessing whether you are someone who will be able to help take the business forward. In talks with Luke Trayfoot, the CCO of Brite Payments, he said in fintech, you want to hire someone “who is going to grow.” He spoke about people who take “ownership” and “accountability” for their growth. If you are a person who has challenged themselves in their career, exhibiting that in your resume is key.

Traditional advice for presenting yourself and your resume doesn’t always apply in an industry looking to disrupt. With change in the sector, there will be more demand for accurate, well-thought-out resumes. Hiring managers will want resumes that showcase not only what you have done but also what you are capable of doing next.

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Want to Write a Review? Here’s Advice From New York Times Critics.

Explain your opinion.

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Step by Step Tutorial: How to Write a Review on Google

Step 1: Sign in to your Google account

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Step 4: Rate the business and write your review

Step 5: Publish your review

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6. Be specific and honest

7. Don’t include personal information—either yours or theirs

8. Proofread your review to check it makes sense

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