Review Essay
-Levy, Jack, “Organizational Routines and the Causes of War,” International Studies Quarterly, Vol. 30 (1986), pp. 193-222.
-Harman, Margaret and Harman, C., “Who Makes Foreign Policy Decisions and How,” International Studies Quarterly, Vol. 33 (1989), pp. 361-87.
-Welch, David, “The Organizational Process and Bureaucratic Politics Paradigms,” International Security, Vol. 17 (1992), pp. 112-46.
A review essay on more than one piece of work is written in a standard form. Such an essay provides an overview of the most significant points raised by the chosen authors, in a comparative way. Unlike a straightforward description, however, a review essay is primarily devoted to critical discussion of the text. It should summarise the reviewed work only as necessary. Its objective is to state your own, original argument (responding to the argument in the reviewed work).
1. Review essays follow a standardised pattern: introduction, summary of the articles, critical discussion (perhaps a comparative review of the chosen articles), and conclusion. (Full publication data for the articles should appear between the title of the review essay and the first line of the essay.)
Introduction: The introduction to a review essay indicates the general line of argument that the essay writer will pursue. Use your opening paragraph to situate the articles in the context in which it is written, identify the authors’ main thesis and approach, and preview your own critical response. Be short and concise.
Summary: Limit the space you devote to a summary of the articles under review. Again, be concise and clear. Remember that you cannot possibly relate all of the points the authors have made; focus on the central argument and on claims that are most significant to us as students in the discipline of international relations. Note that as you develop your critical discussion, you can elaborate further upon important points the text has raised.
Critical Discussion: You must situate the work in the intellectual context in which it is written. In other words, you need to identify the controversies or problems that the author seeks to address. In general, an author will define the context for you as he/she understands it in the introduction of the article. Once you have understood the rationale of authors’ writing, you are in a position to begin your critical analysis. You may choose to assess whether the work makes an important or useful contribution, whether the evidence supports the author’s thesis, whether the author has considered alternative explanations for the same outcome, or whether the argument is internally consistent. Support your arguments with evidence. Note that I weigh the critical discussion most heavily when grading the paper.
2. If a review essay on multiple sources is an unfamiliar assignment, you may find it helpful to look at published review essays. Some political science journals regularly publish review essays.
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