Start with the decision the assessment requires.
A paper can lose direction when the question is too broad, the method does not answer it, results are overstated or the discussion does not distinguish findings from interpretation.
A useful review does not begin by guessing from a short topic. Command words, learning outcomes, marking criteria and required deliverables need to be read together. The same subject can require a very different response at undergraduate, postgraduate or doctoral level, and a familiar format may be adapted by a particular institution.
Suitable support
Guidance can map sections to the question, test alignment between method and claims, identify evidence gaps, review tables or figures and clarify limitations.
Before work begins, the scope should state what will be reviewed, what type of guidance will be supplied, which files control the requirement and what remains the student’s responsibility. This creates a shared reference point for communication, delivery and any later revision request.