what is a reaction paper

A reaction paper is a written response to one or more texts, such as a book, article, movie, or other media form. It is typically a 2-5 page document that encourages students to think critically about texts and how they are in conversation with each other or with a wider field of discourse. Reaction papers are often used in a class-setting to generate ideas for a research paper, and they can be used to develop skills such as summary, analysis, and synthesis. A reaction paper usually starts with a brief summary of the text(s) that will be discussed in the paper, followed by an analysis section where the writer explores their reaction to the paper. It is acceptable to use the personal "I" in a reaction paper, unlike in some other forms of academic writing. A reaction paper outline includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion, and each section serves its purpose and is equally important.