Evaluating scholarly works is a central aspect of academic life, yet it is often overlooked in graduate school training. “How to evaluate well” and “how to write well” go hand in hand in the process of developing strong writing skills and scholarship. By learning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of others’ work, we not only improve our academic writing but also, in time, demonstrate our scholarship through our evaluations.

This workshop provides instructions on how to evaluate journal articles and books. It begins with an exercise in reviewing a sample manuscript, which will be provided prior to the workshop. Participants will discuss and compare their evaluations in small groups. After the discussion, participants will receive guidance on conducting an effective review, as well as how review skills can be applied to their own writing. The workshop concludes with a discussion on how to write good book reviews.

Workshop led by: Dr. Chien-Juh Gu, Professor of Sociology at Western Michigan University and Fulbright – University of Vienna Visiting Professor of Social Sciences at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Sociology