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Looking for a word that describes writing that is superficial and sounds knowledgeable but actually doesn't mean anything. It would be written by someone who doesn't have deep knowledge on the subject but pretends to know the subject.
Example sentence: This is a ______ article.
Word is not "shallow." It means more than shallow. It means there is an effort to sound knowledgeable on the topic. Almost like there's an element of "faking" knowledge.
facile: (especially of a theory or argument) appearing neat and comprehensive only by ignoring the true complexities of an issue; superficial.
Source: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/facile
The word I'd choose here (this after OP's edit) is specious.
specious adjective 1 Superficially plausible, but actually wrong.
a specious argument ...
This argument was presumably specious since the integrated system has since been jettisoned in favor of subcontracting. ...
Hucksters flaunted their specious cure-ails on posters, broadsides, and other printed formats.
1.1 Misleading in appearance, especially misleadingly attractive
What about pretentious:
attempting to impress by affecting greater importance or merit than is actually possessed.
(M-W)
I think pretentious works, but more and more it has taken on connotations of being affected or ostentatious, showy.
For example, here is Merriam Webster's definition:
expressive of affected, unwarranted, or exaggerated importance, worth, or stature
As in:
This is a shallow article. TFD figurative
Lacking depth of intellect, emotion, or knowledge:
And the OED:
a. Of thought, reasoning, observation, knowledge, or feeling: Lacking depth, superficial.
As in:
The problem is that we confuse a shallow familiarity with general concepts for real, in-depth knowledge. The Guardian Jun 29, 2019
