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Download
a step-by-step guide to writing
a book report or literary criticism
Define your task
What is your assignment? Will
you be responding to a question
about the book you’re reading,
making an argument about the
theme, explaining the significance
of the setting, analyzing plot
twists, or comparing and contrasting
characters? Talk to your teacher
about what kind of essay is
required. How long is your final
essay? Are quotations or citations
required?
Resources:
Subject
Browse
Study
Guides
30-day
news archive
Encyclopædia
Britannica
Internet
Guide
Go
to:
Seek Sources of Information
You need a copy of the book
you are analyzing, of course.
In addition, consider biographies
about the author, critical opinions
about the book, historical information
about the world in which the
story is set and the text was
written.
Resources:
30-day
news archive
Journal
and magazine articles
Internet
Guide
Study
Guides in math, language
arts, and science
Merriam-Webster
Dictionary and Thesaurus
Encyclopædia
Britannica
Go
to:
Locate & Access the Relevant
Information
Locate useful sources (in step
2); then go to those sources
and scan them for useful information.
Keep organized notes about the
information you find and how
it relates to your literary
criticism. Enter your notes
and research excerpts into your
Workspace.
Resources:
Advanced
Search. Type in key words
related to your topic. Search
through BritannicaSchool’s
databases. If you’re having
trouble finding material related
to your topic go to search
help.
BritannicaSchool
site map will help you see
where each source is located
and get to it quickly.
Study
Guides include topic lists
to help you locate a specific
study guide related to your
topic.
Internet
Guide provides a searchable
database in all subject areas.
You can use the same key words
you used in your advanced search
to search the Internet Guide.
Encyclopædia
Britannica. Don’t forget
the encyclopedia! Each entry
provides an index to help you
locate related topics or narrow
down your search.
Merriam-Webster
Dictionary and Thesaurus.
In case you need to look up
an unfamiliar or confusing term
during your research.
Go
to:
Identify Most Useful Information
Carefully read your materials
and identify supporting facts
and arguments for your thesis.
You can use
background or historical information
from the encyclopedia
or study
guides, or read the most
recent updates from news
or magazine
articles. The dictionary
and thesaurus can help you
understand information you find.
Tip:
Use the BritannicaSchool Note-taking
tool, and save your notes
to the Britannica Workspace
for easy online access to your
research.
Go
to:
Synthesize
Organize your information and
ideas into a concrete, logical
sequence. Carefully craft your
opinions, analysis and evidence
into a well-structured, polished
presentation. Be sure to cite
your sources and quote your
material according to your teacher’s
— or the assignment’s
— requirements.
Go
to:
Evaluate! Were You Successful
in Completing Your Task?
How convincing was your essay?
Was your analysis believable?
Did learning about the life
of the author and the world
in which the book was written
help your essay? In what ways
could your essay have been better?
What will you do differently
next time? What have you learned
from this essay-writing experience?
Go
to:
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