How to get started with critical writing

Workshop plan – learning outcomes At the end of the session ALL learners will feel more confident about: Identifying what is meant by critical thinking and reading Distinguishing between descriptive and critical writing Identifying the language of evaluation used in critical writing. critical thinking critical reading critical writing

What is critical thinking? Critical thinking means questioning what you read, hear or see; it doesn’t mean never believing anything. It means: evaluating whether or not your sources of information are reliable, and holding open the possibility that what you know at any given time may only be part of the picture. “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it”  Aristotle.

Critical thinking and writing – why it matters? Example Syllabus outline “To critique the hierarchy of EBP and appreciate diverse sources of EBP and their relative strengths and weaknesses” Assessment descriptors for an assignment “An ability to critically evaluate arguments” Programme information “…promote critical, creative and analytical thinking” HAS marking scheme “50-59% critical evaluation is apparent” “70-79% Strong ability to critically appreciate concepts” Critical appraisal “Critical appraisal is the process of carefully and systematically examining research to judge its trustworthiness, and its value and relevance in a particular context.” (Burls 2009)

Using Facebook extensively can diminish a person’s intellectual ability. What do YOU think?

What do you think? ‘Using Facebook extensively can diminish a person’s intellectual ability.’ Why argue about something as ridiculous as this? It’s definitely true/definitely false. It’s true! A friend of mine spent all day on Facebook and ended up dropping out of college. Who cares? I don’t know I’d say it’s 50% true and 50% false I agree/disagree for a number of reasons but I’d need more information before I gave a definitive answer.

Critical thinkers need to: ….have an open mind (“Why argue about something as ridiculous as this?”) ….not think in extremes (“It’s definitely true/definitely false.”) ….not generalise from single or personal examples or base evaluation on assumption (“It’s true! A friend of mine spent all day on Facebook and ended up dropping out of college.”) ….be interested in the subject (“Who cares?”) ….be active in finding information (“I don’t know”) ….not sit on the fence – form an opinion, based on the evidence! (“I’d say it’s 50% true and 50% false”)

Critical thinkers need to: ….ask lots of questions, use a variety of sources, consider different perspectives and think of different possibilities (“I agree/disagree for a number of reasons but I’d need more information before I gave a definitive answer.”) Green tick image from Pixabay

critical thinking critical reading critical writing An argument is NOT critical thinking critical reading critical writing

Critical Reading – what an argument IS Man: An argument isn't just contradiction. Mr. Argument: It can be. Man: No it can't. An argument is a connected series of statements intended to establish a proposition. Mr. Argument : No it isn't. Man: Yes it is! It's not just contradiction. Mr. Argument : Look, if I argue with you, I must take up a contrary position. Man: Yes, but that's not just saying 'No it isn't.' Mr. Argument : Yes it is! Man: No it isn't! Argument is an intellectual process. Contradiction is just the automatic gainsaying of any statement the other person makes.

Contradiction Argument “Greenfield (2010) says that using Facebook diminishes a person’s intellect, although studies have shown it doesn’t.” Argument “Greenfield expresses concern that repeated use of social networking sites shortens a user’s concentration span. (Greenfield, 2010). However, as Smith (2011) argues, there is little evidence to suggest concentration span and intellectual ability are linked. Therefore…”

Critical Reading: what is an argument? To write critically, you need to read and think critically. You need to evaluate the argument of the author(s) by identifying the: Position Reasons Line of reasoning Conclusion More in the “improving” workshop An argument is: “a reason or set of reasons presented in order to persuade readers or listeners to a particular point of view.” (Skills4Study, 2015)

Questioning head image from Pixabay Critical Reading When reading (and thinking critically), you need to ask yourselves the following questions: What are the main points I am being asked to accept? (POSITION) What reasons are being offered to encourage me to accept these points? (REASONS) Are these reasons convincing? (LINE OF REASONING) What are the implications? (CONCLUSION) Questioning head image from Pixabay

Question mark image from Pixabay In short…. Who wrote it? (Authority) When was it written? (Timeliness) Why was it written? (Relevance) What is the purpose of the article/information? (Objectivity) Where was the article/information located? (Accuracy) So What? What are the implications, for my project/for the discipline? Question mark image from Pixabay

Moving away from descriptive writing Too descriptive and not analytical or critical enough!

Comparing descriptive and critical writing Descriptive writing Critical writing States what happened Identifies the significance of what happened States what something is like Evaluates its strengths and weaknesses States the order in which things happened Analyses the significance of the order of events Explains what a theory says Discusses the significance of that theory Explains how something works Indicates why something will work (best) See more information in the hand-out - Source: LearnHigher (2015)

Developing critical writing “However, the main weakness of the theory is that it fails to acknowledge the significance of other wider influences. Many writers have challenged Bowlby’s theory on the grounds that it has limitations and that child development is affected by more than just that of a mother-child relationship. Harris (1998) argues that parents do not shape their child’s personality or character, and that it is in fact their peers who have the greatest influence over their development.” (Cox, 2016, p.10) critical thinking critical reading critical writing

Good source for Critical vocabulary Phrasebank: Manchester University

Exercise (task 3) Identify the evaluative language in the following sentences. A ground-breaking discovery has been made in research into ageing and death. Their conclusion is mistaken and lacks hard evidence. The search for a unified theory of the human mind is misguided, says Hargreaves (2015). Current responses to the global energy crisis are inadequate, Juarez (2013) has warned. In 1997, Irkan published a significant piece of research on open structures in bridges. In his seminal work, Abaka challenges current techniques, revealing flaws in data interpretation.

Identify the evaluative language in the following sentences. Exercise – answers Identify the evaluative language in the following sentences. A ground-breaking discovery has been made in research into ageing and death. Their conclusion is mistaken and lacks hard evidence. The search for a unified theory of the human mind is misguided, says Hargreaves (2015). Current responses to the global energy crisis are inadequate, Juarez (2013) has warned. In 1997, Irkan published a significant piece of research on open structures in bridges. In his seminal work, Abaka challenges current techniques, revealing flaws in data interpretation.

Critical writing - get started: It says/I say /and so This 3-step approach may help you to be more analytical in your writing and avoid unnecessary description: It says… • These are the facts: the data and examples you will use to support your opinions – e.g. statistics, research data, other people’s analysis. I say… • This is your analysis of the data, showing your understanding of the topic and allowing your reader to understand the process you followed to form your opinions. And so… • These are the implications of your analysis, and your chance to describe how it connects/synthesizes with the rest of your findings/writing. This is key as it ensures that you are presenting a cohesive and thoughtful piece of writing. This approach may help you to get the balance right! Adapted from the University of Manchester 2015 https://www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk/learning-objects/mle/being-critical/story_content/external_files/cheat-sheet.pdf

Skills for the workplace At university: How to get started with your critical writing In the workplace: You are asked to report on a service improvement. To make a change in practice, you will need to gather evidence and critically evaluate existing practice to inform your recommendation.

Other workshops How to make notes from your reading and lectures How to reference and avoid plagiarism How to plan your writing How to put your reading into your writing How to improve your critical writing How to search effectively: database searching and RefWorks

Learning Objectives FINALLY … At the end of the session you should all feel more confident about and have practised … Identifying what is meant by critical thinking and reading Distinguishing between descriptive and critical writing Identifying the language of evaluation used in critical writing. Cheering crowd image from Pixabay

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