Writing a critical review

critical reviewA critical review is a writing task that asks you to summarise and evaluate a text, which can be a book, a chapter, or a journal article.

This workshop will examine the basic structure of a critical review and focus on developing skills such as critical analysis and summary writing.

Seehttp://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/critrev.html

Who is new to uni study or who has not been at uni for many years?Possible scenarios: 1. review of one set journal article /book chapter or other text + other related texts (doesnt exist in isolation.It is not a literature review A critical review is an academic appraisal of an article that offers both a summary and critical comment on the content. This makes it different to a literature review, which examines a body of literature or series of key academic articles addressing a specific topic of interest. A literature review is an important part of preparing to write a full thesis paper (Wallace & Wray, 2006, p.177).

It is not annotated bibliography1What is a Critical Review?Essentially a critical review consists of:

A summary of a few key points of a text/s (book, chapter, journal article, website, etc) +

Considered comment related to the summary

It is an analysis of available information about a particular topic2Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 20122Their purpose is to assess and put into perspective what is already known. It requires you to read the text in detail and to also read other related texts so that you can present a fair evaluation of the selected text.Writing a review of an authors work challenges students to develop their critical thinking skills.The critical review does not exist in isolation, hence the need to back track a bitStructure of todays session:Expectations re academic literacyReview of reading techniquesReview of summarising techniquesThe art of CritiquingCritical reviewingCritical analysingWriting a conceptual paperEvaluating

3Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 2012A critical review does not exist in isolation, so need to backtrackThe art of...= all the same thing. Different ways of saying the same thingPurpose:Understand the main points; Can analyse the main arguments or findings; Can evaluate the article using relevant criteria which you or the subject coordinator has selected.

3Blooms Cognitive Taxonomy Knowing the facts is at the base of the pyramid

Each step depends on the prior step

Students are expected to be able to move through all levels to create new knowledge (especially post grad students) Anderson & Krathwohl (2001)4Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 2012The author evaluates and synthesises what is already known about the topic.Got to avoid cherry picking- ignoring the main issuesGot to grapple with the difficult issues4Getting started: Critical readingProcedure for review:1. Look at the big picture: that is, get an overviewTitlesChapter headings/ journal headingsReference listPreface /AbstractDiagrams/ Tables/ figuresPublisherHow does this article fit with the topics of your course?

This is important to form first impressions and is valuable for writing your Introduction5Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 20125Critical reading cont2. Read the text thoroughly and ask yourself:- How has this text enhanced your knowledge of your topic?- What questions do you still have?- How does this text fit with your coursework?- What new vistas have opened up?

6Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 20126That is you take an investigative approach CSUCritical reading cont3. Select concepts you are going to comment on:Are they key points?

Are you still on track with your assignment guidelines??

4. Now it is time to plan:

Organisation of concepts7Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 2012

7R Rules for Summarising:Focus on relevant aspects of the source textPresent the material accuratelyUse your own wordsStrategies

1. Skim the text (notice specialised terms)

3. Read the text 2. Identify purpose

4. Record main pts of each section5. Record supporting evidence for main topic6. Consider the significance of what you have written

8Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 2012F Checking your summaryConsider:LengthVocabulary + technical termsToo close to the source?Have you clearly identified the source?Have you highlighted significant points?For example: Fundamentally the issue of sustainability remains unresolved.

Source: Swales J. and Feak C. (2008). Academic Writing for graduate students. 2nd ed. Ann Arbor: Uni of Michigan Press.

9Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 2012Introduction: Context, Thesis, Outline of main ideas http://www.tlu.fbe.unimelb.edu.au/pdfs/helpsheets/text_types/critical%20reviews.pdf

Summary: follows outline pattern, appropriate length

Evaluation/Critique: appropriate length

Conclusion: Restate thesis, reiterate main points

References: Which style?Critical Review

10Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 2012The introduction requires your criteria for selecting or omitting articles to include in your review10Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 201211Two common patterns for a critical review:Pattern 1

Pattern 2:

IntroIntroSummaryIdea 1 + Review Idea 2 + Review

ReviewIdea 3 + Review Idea 4 + Review

Conclusion

ConclusionThe Introduction requires:Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 201212Bibliographical detailsPurpose of author (as a context)Authors main argument Your main responseDefinition of terms ?(If you are asked to review an issue or theme discussed in your course, or to review 2 or more texts on the same topic then your Introduction must reflect this.)( Source: The Writing Center Uni of Wisconsin- Madison www.wisc.edu/writing/handbook/ CriNonFiction_intro.html)

12The purpose of the reviewWhy a review is needed What content you are going to coverMake sure the organisational principle of your review is stated chronological , general to particular frequent to rarestThe Body requires:Your summary of main ideas from the set text +Your discipline perspective on each of these ideas- based on evidence sourced from additional readings.Your synthesis of the ideas other researchers in the field have generated.Ideas not randomly discussed! An analytical approach required.13Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 2012Source: Derish, P., & Annesley, T. (2011). How to write a rave review, Clinical Chemistry 57(3), p.388-391.The Body: considerationsKey ideasLimitations/ shortcomings/strengths of these ideasMethodology/ discussion justified?Conclusions sound? Its contribution to the field of study (ie the value of the study). What contribution does it make to the body of knowledge ?

14Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 2012Source: Derish, P., & Annesley, T. (2011). How to write a rave review, Clinical Chemistry 57(3), p.388-391.

1. Topic Sentence1. Claim (your voice)Guess what?2. Supporting sentences2. A variety of possibilities according to the task:Evidence Elaboration ExamplesExplanation

Interpretation (your voice)

Prove it!

Well, so what?

Ways of thinking about academic paragraph structure Argument paragraph structureBasicShort cut15Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 2012Use Climate change para as an example then Impact of extreme weather eventsOn own drought impact15Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 201216

Conclusion to reviewHelen Farrell, The Learning Centre 201217Summarises the overall worth of the text

What do all these ideas mean?

Future directions?

Other comments?

Source: Derish, P., & Annesley, T. (2011). How to write a rave review, Clinical Chemistry 57(3), p.388-391.( Source: The Writing Center Uni of Wisconsin- Madison www.wisc.edu/writing/handbook/ CriNonFiction_intro.html)

So to write a good critical review you need to develop

analytical habits of thinking, speaking, discussing, reading and writingto go beneath the surface impressions and traditional myths, mere opinions and routine clichs.[an] understanding [of] the social contexts and consequences of any subject matter; discovering the deep meaning of any event, text, technique, process, object, statement image or situation; [and] applying that meaning to your own context.Shor (1993)

Helen Farrell The Learning Centre 201118If we learn to engage in genuine intellectual work on genuine intellectual problems worthy of reasoned thought and analysis, If we become a judicious critic of the nature and quality of our thought, we have done all we can do to become critically creative and creatively critical personsStimulating intellectual work develops the intellect as creator and evaluator: as a creator who evaluates and as a evaluator who creates. The result is fitness of mind and comprehensive intellectual excellence18Resources for writing a review:www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/critrev.html

http://www.csu.edu.au/division/studserv/my-studies/learning/guides/appraisal

http://www.monash.edu.au/lls/llonline/quickrefs/26-critical-review.xml

http://www.csu.edu.au/division/studserv/my-studies/learning/guides/appraisal#types

http://www.tlu.fbe.unimelb.edu.au/pdfs/helpsheets/text_types/critical%20reviews.pdf ***

19Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 2012