Type of document (book, video, computer software, article in magazine, etc.)
Audience to whom the document was directed (general public, high school, preschool children..)
Paragraph or two describing the content of the document. Summarize what is found in the
document without commentary.
Describe the presentation of the document - does it look nice, are the illustrations well done, good
sound in a video or software, easy to understand. This paragraph is not a critique of the content of
the document, but rather a discussion of how well it appeals to the
audience for whom it was targeted.
Describe the scientific content and critique it. Is it basically
correct, is it now out of date
because of new information, is there internal consistency in the document or are there inconsistent
facts in the presentation, does it present various points of view adequately, does it identify
hypotheses versus factual data, does it identify any bias that may be presented, is it based upon
sound science, is there proper citation of references and sources used in the preparation of the
document, etc?
Comment on the authors' qualifications to produce this document - i.e. was the document
reviewed by anyone, who are they if mentioned (acknowledgments), what is the field of expertise
of the authors?
Finally give your opinion of the effectiveness of the work. Will it reach and teach the audience appropriately? Would you find it interesting and worthwhile? Should it be a part of everyone's library? (Keep in mind that the "everyone" you are addressing is the targeted audience.)