Professional reviewers--say consultants who evaluate marketing plans or peoplr who write film reviews--may not sit down and make a list of their criteria. They're so familiar with their subjects that they've often internalized the criteria they're using, and their clients and readers may not insist on knowing on what they base their judgments. But it can be helpful at this stage in the process to try to articulate your criteria, at least as a way of thinking more thoroughly about your subject. So, you think ISU's student center fails to meet students' needs, but why? One way to think about criteria is to try to establish the qualities of something good
in the category you're reviewing. For example, what does a good student center--one that meets students' needs--look like? What are some of its features?

Criteria might be quite personal. There are certain things that you think are important about a coffee house, student union, modern dance performance, fusion jazz CD, and so on. These opinions are what make the review yours, and not somebody else's. But they should be reasonable to others. Your criteria for judgment shouldn't set an unrealistic standard or seem nitpicky or irrelevant.

Need help determining the criteria for your evaluation?

1) Write down the category of the thing you're reviewing--a modern dance performance, coffee houses, a rap CD, a science fiction novel, and so on.

2) In small groups trade categories and try to answer the following question about the category listed there: In your judgment what makes a particularly good_____________?

3) Continue trading categories until you have at least eight answers.

4) Briefly list your criteria for judging each category. Elaborate on a criteria that is already there. In other words, in your mind what makes a good _________________?

5) If you don't know much about the category, make a reasonable guess about a basis for judging it.

As you write your first draft, keep your criteria in mind. You may not mention all of them, or even any of them in the draft, but they will help direct you to the evidence you need to make your judgment seem persuasive to others.