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In academic writing you will develop an argument or point of view. This will be supported by concrete evidence, in other words reasons, examples, and information from sources. The writing you produce in this way will need to be 'critical writing'. This section looks at critical writing in detail, first by giving a definition of critical writing and considering how to write critically , then by contrasting critical writing with descriptive writing , with some examples . There is also a discussion of how critical writing relates to Bloom's taxonomy of thinking skills , as well as a checklist to help you check critical writing in your own work.
Critical writing is writing which analyses and evaluates information, usually from multiple sources, in order to develop an argument. A mistake many beginning writers make is to assume that everything they read is true and that they should agree with it, since it has been published in an academic text or journal. Being part of the academic community, however, means that you should be critical of (i.e. question) what you read, looking for reasons why it should be accepted or rejected, for example by comparing it with what other writers say about the topic, or evaluating the research methods to see if they are adequate or whether they could be improved.
In order to write critically, you need to use a range of sources to develop your argument. You cannot rely solely on your own ideas; you need to understand what others have written about the same topic. Additionally, it is not enough to use just a single source to support your argument, for example a source which agrees with your own view, since this could lead to a biased argument. You need to consider all sides of the issue.
Further, in developing your argument, you need to analyse and evaluate the information from other sources. You cannot just string quotes together (A says this, B says that, C says something else), without looking more deeply at the information and building on it to support your own argument. This means you need to break down the information from other sources to determine how the parts relate to one another or to an overall structure or purpose [ analysing ], and then make judgements about it, identifying its strengths and weaknesses, and possibly 'grey areas' in between, which are neither strengths nor weaknesses [ evaluating ]. Critical reading skills will help you with this, as you consider whether the source is reliable, relevant, up-to-date, and accurate. For example, you might examine the research methods used in an experiment [ analysing ] in order to assess why they were chosen or to determine whether they were appropriate [ evaluating ], or you might deconstruct (break down) a writer's line of reasoning [ analysing ] to see if it is valid or whether there are any gaps [ evaluating ].
As a result of analysis and evaluation, you will be able to give reasons why the conclusions of different writers should be accepted or treated with caution . This will help you to build a clear line of reasoning which will lead up to your own conclusions, and you will be writing critically.
Critical writing is often contrasted with descriptive writing . Descriptive writing simply describes what something is like. Although you need a critical voice, description is still necessary in your writing, for example to:
You should, however, keep the amount of description to a minimum. Most assignments will have a strict word limit, and you should aim to maximise the amount of critical writing, while minimising the number of words used for description. If your tutors often write comments such as 'Too descriptive' or 'Too much theory' or 'More analysis needed', you know you need to adjust the balance.
The following table gives some examples to show the difference between descriptive and critical writing. The verbs in bold are key verbs according to Bloom's taxonomy , considered next.
what happened | the significance of what happened |
why something happened | |
what something is like | the strengths and weaknesses of something |
evidence | , using evidence |
what a theory says | why a theory is relevant |
an experimental method | the use of a particular method over another |
, or information from different writers | and the views of different writers |
the relevance or validity of information from different writers | |
of different items | between items, possibly using examples |
the findings of an experiment | between important and less important findings of an experiment |
details | the relative significance of details |
information | information in order of importance |
options | the options in order to the best one |
Bloom’s Taxonomy was developed in 1956 by Benjamin Bloom, an educational psychologist working at the University of Chicago. It classifies the thinking behaviours that are believed to be important in the processes of learning. It was developed in three domains, with the cognitive domain, i.e. the knowledge based domain, consisting of six levels. The taxonomy was revised in 2001 by Anderson and Krathwohl, to reflect more recent understanding of educational processes. Their revised taxonomy also consists of six levels, arranged in order from lower order thinking skills to higher order thinking skills, namely: remembering, understanding, applying, analysing, evaluating, and creating.
Bloom's revised taxonomy is relevant since analysing and evaluating , which form the basis of critical writing, are two of the higher order thinking skills in the taxonomy. Descriptive writing, by contrast, is the product of remembering and understanding , the two lowest order thinking skills. The fact that critical writing uses higher order thinking skills is one of the main reasons this kind of writing is expected at university.
The table below gives more details about each of the levels, including a description and some keys verbs associated with each level. Although the verbs are intended for the design of learning outcomes, they are nonetheless representative of the kind of work involved at each level, and are therefore relevant to academic writing.
Recognising or recalling knowledge from memory (definitions, facts, lists, previously learned information). | Constructing meaning from different types of functions (written or graphic), or activities e.g. interpreting, exemplifying, classifying. | Carrying out or using a procedure through executing or implementing, for example using models, presentations, interviews or simulations. | Breaking materials or concepts into parts, determining how the parts relate to one another or to an overall structure or purpose. | Making judgments based on criteria and standards through checking and critiquing. | Putting the elements together to form a coherent or functional whole; reorganising elements into a new pattern or structure. | ||
cite define describe draw enumerate find identify index indicate label list match name outline quote recall recite recognise record repeat report reproduce retrieve review select show state tabulate tell trace write | characterise clarify comprehend contrast convert describe discuss distinguish elaborate estimate explain express extend extrapolate generalise give an example infer interpolate paraphrase restate rewrite summarise translate | adapt apply calculate change compute construct customise demonstrate determine discover employ graph illustrate investigate manipulate model modify operate perform personalise practise predict prepare present produce relate show simulate solve use | analyse associate attribute break down categorise classify compare contrast criticise deconstruct diagram differentiate discriminate distinguish examine illustrate infer integrate link organise outline relate select separate simplify | appraise argue assess check conclude consider convince criticise critique decide defend detect determine evaluate experiment grade hypothesise interpret judge justify measure monitor rank rate recommend reflect relate review score standardise support test validate | arrange assemble build combine compile compose constitute construct create derive design develop devise formulate generate hypothesise integrate invent make manage organise plan prepare produce propose publish rearrange reconstruct reorganise revise rewrite synthesise write |
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Below is a checklist for critical writing. Use it to check your own writing, or get a peer (another student) to help you.
Is there a good balance between critical and descriptive writing (generally more critical writing than description)? | |||
Are the arguments supported using evidence from other sources (not just the writer's own ideas)? | |||
Is more than one source used? | |||
Does the writer analyse the evidence from other sources, e.g. by breaking it down, comparing or contrasting, categorising, organising? | |||
Does the writing evaluate the evidence from other sources, e.g. by identifying strengths and weaknesses, critiquing, criticising, making judgements? | |||
Are the writer's conclusions justified? Is there a clear line of reasoning leading up to the conclusions? |
Academic Phrasebank , The University of Manchester (2020) Being Critical . Available at: http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/being-critical/ (Accessed: 11 September, 2020).
Churches, A. (n.d.) Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy . Available at: https://edorigami.edublogs.org/blooms-digital-taxonomy/ (Accessed: 1 September, 2020).
Colorado College (n.d.) Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy . Available at: https://www.coloradocollege.edu/other/assessment/how-to-assess-learning/learning-outcomes/blooms-revised-taxonomy.html (Accessed: 1 September, 2020).
Cottrell, S. (2013) The Study Skills Handbook (4th ed.) . Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan
Shabatura, J. (2013) Using Bloom’s Taxonomy to Write Effective Learning Objectives . Available at: https://tips.uark.edu/using-blooms-taxonomy/ (Accessed: 1 September, 2020).
Sheffield Halam University (2020) Critical Writing . Available at: https://libguides.shu.ac.uk/criticalwriting (Accessed: 1 September, 2020).
Teesside University (2020). Critical Writing: Help . Available at: https://libguides.tees.ac.uk/critical_writing (Accessed: 11 September, 2020).
University of Hull (2020) Critical writing: Descriptive vs critical . Available at: https://libguides.hull.ac.uk/criticalwriting/descriptive-critical (Accessed: 11 September, 2020).
University of Leicester (2009) What is critical writing . Available at: http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ld/resources/writing/writing-resources/critical-writing (Access date: 8/12/14).
Wilson, L.O. (2020) Bloom’s Taxonomy Revised . Available at: https://thesecondprinciple.com/essential-teaching-skills/blooms-taxonomy-revised/ (Accessed: 1 September, 2020).
Yale University (2017) Bloom’s Taxonomy . Available at: https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/BloomsTaxonomy (Accessed: 1 September, 2020).
Find out about research skills in the next section.
Go back to the previous section about writing objectively .
Author: Sheldon Smith ‖ Last modified: 06 January 2022.
Sheldon Smith is the founder and editor of EAPFoundation.com. He has been teaching English for Academic Purposes since 2004. Find out more about him in the about section and connect with him on Twitter , Facebook and LinkedIn .
Compare & contrast essays examine the similarities of two or more objects, and the differences.
Cause & effect essays consider the reasons (or causes) for something, then discuss the results (or effects).
Discussion essays require you to examine both sides of a situation and to conclude by saying which side you favour.
Problem-solution essays are a sub-type of SPSE essays (Situation, Problem, Solution, Evaluation).
Transition signals are useful in achieving good cohesion and coherence in your writing.
Reporting verbs are used to link your in-text citations to the information cited.
This blog will outline the nine steps you should follow when using critical analysis in either an academic essay or any other type of analytical writing. The value of critical analysis extends beyond essay writing. It’s a skill that enhances all written work, from in-depth research papers to creative stories and even business proposals. It allows us to break down complex ideas, evaluate their merits and drawbacks, and then build strong, logical conclusions. This rigorous approach to thinking and writing brings clarity and richness to our arguments, leading to more persuasive and insightful communication – limiting bias. The skills you gain from writing critical analysis essays, such as reading with a discerning eye, constructing clear arguments, supporting claims with evidence, and refining through revision, are versatile and invaluable. They not only elevate academic writing but also enrich literature and strengthen professional documents.
1. Comprehensive Reading
The first step towards a successful critical analysis essay is in-depth engagement with the text you’ll analyse. If you are working with a single text, that means understanding the author’s point of view to form the foundation of your essay. Take your time and delve into the text to explore its deeper meanings and intentions. Critical analysis is best performed in conjunction with a wide scope of literature containing different points of view to ensure a thorough and unbiased understanding of the topic at hand.
2. Formulating a Clear Thesis
Your thesis statement serves as the core of your essay — it should argue a particular perspective about the author’s approach and use of literary devices. Make sure this statement is strong and arguable, offering an insight that you’ll further develop and prove with evidence from the text. For other types of writing where a thesis is not required – having concise summary sentence in your writing will still help guide the development of strong arguments and keep the writing focused. You can adjust your thesis to be more accurate after the body paragraphs have been written – if you approach it with an open mind, your research will often take you in unexpected directions which require tweaking.
3. Structuring the Essay’s Body
The body of your essay should unpack your thesis in distinct paragraphs, each focusing on a separate aspect of your argument. We have reached the “Tell them” section of this writing journey. Whether they provide background information, explore specific details, or discuss alternate interpretations, all paragraphs should contribute towards affirming your thesis. It is important to build your arguments with a critical guise – do not be afraid to challenge even established author’s assertions. Organize your paragraphs logically for a seamless reading experience – you can play around with paragraph ordering to see what feels best, removing any sections which are not compelling arguments or irrelevant to the writing’s purpose.
4. Creating Effective Topic Sentences
Each paragraph within the body of your essay should begin with a concise topic sentence. This sentence previews the paragraph’s content and ties it back to your overarching thesis, maintaining a clear link between the two and ensuring coherence in your argument.
5. Using Evidence to Support Your Claims
Support your claims with solid evidence from the text to make your essay more convincing. Examples, quotations, and references to the source material can all serve as proof of your argument, adding weight to your analysis and strengthening your reader’s confidence in your conclusions. Ensure your citation style is accurate and consistent throughout your essay. Click here to check out our citations guide for in depth guidance on citation quality, frequency and formatting.
6. Developing a Strong Introduction
That’s right, only now that your essay is finished is it time to begin writing your Grab your reader’s attention right from the start with an engaging introduction. “Tell them what you are going to tell them”. Begin with an interesting hook, like a relevant question, a statistic or a bold claim. If you are writing an essay specific to one text or author, you can introduce the text you’ll analyze, including the author’s name and the title. Round off your introduction by clearly stating your thesis, setting the stage for your analysis.
7. Wrapping up with a Conclusion
Your essay should end with a clear and compelling conclusion that summarises your argument and reaffirms your thesis – “Tell them what you told them, why its significant and what’s next”. This is not the place to introduce new information—instead, use your conclusion to consolidate your analysis, leaving the reader with your most critical insights.
8. Thorough Revision
Once you’ve completed your draft, take some time away from it before starting the revision process. Re-read your essay critically, asking yourself whether your interpretations are unbiased, your evidence is strong, and your writing is clear. Sometimes reading out loud can help identify clunky or run on sentences. Revising multiple times can help you refine your essay to a polished final draft.
9. The Final Draft
After a careful self-review, make necessary changes to your essay. This is the stage where your rough draft transforms into a polished academic essay. Do not hesitate to seek external feedback from peers or a mentor — they might offer fresh insights and helpful suggestions to improve your essay further.
By following these steps, you can strengthen your critical analysis skills and write essays that are not only academically sound but also engaging and insightful. Remember that the key to a strong critical analysis essay lies in a deep understanding of multiple perspectives of an issue, a compelling argument, and dedication to revision and improvement.
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“If we are uncritical we shall always find what we want: we shall look for, and find confirmations” Karl Popper, cited in: Critical Thinking (Tom Chatfield)
Critical writing needs critical thinking. While most of this guide focuses on critical writing, it is first important to consider what we mean by criticality at university. This is because critical writing is primarily a process of evidencing and articulating your critical thinking. As such, it is really important to get the 'thinking bit' of your studies right! If you are able to demonstrate criticality in your thinking, it will make critical writing easier.
Williams’ (2009:viii) introduces criticality at university as:
“being thoughtful, asking questions, not taking things you read (or hear) at face value. It means finding information and understanding different approaches and using them in your writing.
Critical thinking requires you to carefully evaluate not just sources of information, but also the ideas within them and the arguments they develop. This is an essential part of being a student at university. You cannot simply believe everything you read or are told. For some people, this can feel uncomfortable as this requires you to critique published authors and notable academics. While this may feel inappropriate, it is one of the foundations of academic debate. Indeed, for any given topic or issue, there are many equally valid academic positions. To be effective in your critical thinking, you need to use both scepticism and objectivity :
Scepticism requires you to bring doubt and a questioning attitude to your academic work. In essence, you must ensure you do not automatically accept everything you hear, read or see as true (Chatfield, 2018). This requires you to question everything you hear, read or see . This is the first step towards developing a critical approach.
Objectivity requires you to approach your work with a more neutral perspective . While it is not possible to take yourself out of your work, when you are engaging in critical thinking you need to acknowledge anything that influences your perspective. This is very important as without this level of self-awareness you can focus more on your opinion than developing a reasoned argument.
Remember, you CAN criticise the experts - the University of Sussex make this point well here: Critical Thinking: Criticising the experts .
This page has so far demonstrated the importance of asking questions in all of your academic work and learning. Questions are the root of criticality. Questions engage you in active thought, requiring you to process what you are hearing, reading, seeing or experiencing against what you already know. All questions, however, are not as equally probing. Questions like 'what', 'when' and 'who' tend to be more descriptive in contrast to questions like 'how' or 'so what' which are much more critical .
When engaging in critical thinking, you need to use a range of questions to fully consider the topic or issue you are trying to understand. Descriptive questions are great for developing your initial understanding, but you also need to consider more analytical and evaluatory questions to fully engage in critical thinking . The diagram below introduces some of the core critical questions:
Based on: University of Plymouth
Most of your critical thinking should be directed towards your reading of the literature. This is because the literature forms the basis of all academic writing, serving as the evidence for whatever point(s) you are trying to make. Our Reading at University SkillsGuide contains some useful sections which apply criticality to determining source reliability and identifying an argument. Direct links to these can be found below:
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Nail your critical essay writing with this great guide.
Most times, a critical analysis requires the writer to critique a theme in a film or book. Writing a critical essay also requires an ability to present the thoughts of the original author and explain it in the simplest manner so the audience can follow it.
Critical essays are intended to interpret, analyze, and evaluate a text. This paper is an academic paper, and so the audience is usually an academic one.
The goal of a critical essay is to help writers hone their skills in critical writing. The readers of the text are also presented with the writer’s interpretation or a thought-provoking explanation of the medium that is being critiqued.
There are several goals when it comes to writing a critical analysis essay. They include:
Critical writing may be complicated, but it is easier than it seems. With the right critical essay structure, you can prepare a critical paper with ease. The first step is to ensure that you understand all the requirements of the assignment. It is easy to make the mistake of starting without understanding the instructions fully.
Start by asking for clarification if you aren’t sure about the assignment details. Be sure to go through the source material to find anything that can enhance the essay. If you need to write an essay on a film or book, it is advisable to read the source material several times.
Put down notes as you go through the source material. This simple habit can make or mar any paper. As you review the chosen medium, take note of the main concepts or ideas that the original writer had.
The next step is to find the patterns or primary challenges in your critique of any work. After reviewing the film or text, you should identify the main patterns, challenges, and problems that exist. When these aspects come together, other key concepts and issues will emerge.
You need to find solutions for the patterns or problems you previously identified. This step helps guide you as you prepare your thesis statement.
There are lots of categories when it comes to critical analysis writing. Some of the types include:
From critical essays examples, you can see the required structure for the paper. As a matter of fact, this paper follows the standard structure of essays, which includes an introductory paragraph, the body paragraph, and the closing statement. Without these parts, an essay is considered incomplete. Before tackling the sections, don’t forget to write your outline. This part is crucial because it allows the writer to create a roadmap for the paper.
The introductory part often offers a concise description of your reviewed topic. It shouldn’t be too long but should give the reader an idea about what the essay focuses on.
You will need to write a thesis statement, so there are a few things you should remember while doing this. You need to use only clear sentences an avoid any cliché statement. As much as you can, try to be specific as you highlight the purpose of the paper.
The body of the essay needs to communicate the point in every single sentence. All paragraphs in the essay have to support your thesis statement. It can either present an argument or offer a claim. You need to back this up with evidence. A good criticism essay example contains three to six paragraphs. However, you can choose your number of paragraphs according to the instructions from your professor.
The next part is the conclusion, which summarizes the key argument and restates the thesis statement. The reader should have something to reflect upon, which is tied to the essay. After reading your paper, the readers should be interested in reading more about your topic or researching it on their own. If you are unable to come up with this, get writing help from professionals. The service is quite cheap.
If you are writing a critical essay on the movie “The Lord of The Rings,” your outline should look like this:
Here, restate the thesis statement in this case and not forget to add why you chose to critique the part.
Summarize all these parts written above and use the same ideal for any topic of your choice. Don’t forget to focus on the three parts of the essay. These parts ease the writing process since it structures the essay. Add three or more main concepts in each heading to be used as a framework for the essay.
Critical writing definition is critiquing a text or film or any other media. Following these tips will give you an idea for your critical essay. However, if you feel that you’re not up to this task, it is advisable to ask for a professional writing help .
Definition of critical essay.
Contrary to the literal name of “critical,” this type of essay is not only an interpretation, but also an evaluation of a literary piece. It is written for a specific audience , who are academically mature enough to understand the points raised in such essays. A literary essay could revolve around major motifs, themes, literary devices and terms, directions, meanings, and above all – structure of a literary piece.
Critical essays in English started with Samuel Johnson. He kept the critical essays limited to his personal opinion, comprising praise, admiration, and censure of the merits and demerits of literary pieces discussed in them. It was, however, Matthew Arnold, who laid down the canons of literary critical essays. He claimed that critical essays should be interpretative, and that there should not be any bias or sympathy in criticism.
Example #1: jack and gill: a mock criticism (by joseph dennie).
“The personages being now seen, their situation is next to be discovered. Of this we are immediately informed in the subsequent line, when we are told, Jack and Gill Went up a hill. Here the imagery is distinct, yet the description concise. We instantly figure to ourselves the two persons traveling up an ascent, which we may accommodate to our own ideas of declivity, barrenness, rockiness, sandiness, etc. all which, as they exercise the imagination, are beauties of a high order. The reader will pardon my presumption, if I here attempt to broach a new principle which no critic, with whom I am acquainted, has ever mentioned. It is this, that poetic beauties may be divided into negative and positive, the former consisting of mere absence of fault, the latter in the presence of excellence; the first of an inferior order, but requiring considerable critical acumen to discover them, the latter of a higher rank, but obvious to the meanest capacity.”
This is an excerpt from the critical essay of Joseph Dennie. It is an interpretative type of essay in which Dennie has interpreted the structure and content of Jack and Jill.
“But to return from this digression , my understanding could furnish no reason why the knocking at the gate in Macbeth should produce any effect, direct or reflected. In fact, my understanding said positively that it could not produce any effect. But I knew better; I felt that it did; and I waited and clung to the problem until further knowledge should enable me to solve it. At length, in 1812, Mr. Williams made his debut on the stage of Ratcliffe Highway, and executed those unparalleled murders which have procured for him such a brilliant and undying reputation. On which murders, by the way, I must observe, that in one respect they have had an ill effect, by making the connoisseur in murder very fastidious in his taste, and dissatisfied by anything that has been since done in that line.”
This is an excerpt from Thomas De Quincey about his criticism of Macbeth, a play by William Shakespeare. This essay sheds light on Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and their thinking. This is an interpretative type of essay .
“To keep Jake Barnes drunk, fed, clean, mobile, and distracted in The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway employs a large retinue of minor functionaries: maids, cab drivers, bartenders, porters, tailors, bootblacks, barbers, policemen, and one village idiot. But of all the retainers seen working quietly in the background of the novel, the most familiar figure by far is the waiter. In cafés from Paris to Madrid, from one sunrise to the next, over two dozen waiters deliver drinks and relay messages to Barnes and his compatriots. As frequently in attendance and as indistinguishable from one another as they are, these various waiters seem to merge into a single emblematic figure as the novel progresses. A detached observer of human vanity, this figure does more than serve food and drink: he serves to illuminate the character of Jake Barnes.”
This is an excerpt from an essay written about Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises . This paragraph mentions all the characters of the novel in an interpretative way. It also highlights the major motif of the essay .
A critical essay intends to convey specific meanings of a literary text to specific audiences. These specific audiences are knowledgeable people. They not only learn the merits and demerits of the literary texts, but also learn different shades and nuances of meanings. The major function of a literary essay is to convince people to read a literary text for reasons described.
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Published on May 30, 2022 by Eoghan Ryan . Revised on May 31, 2023.
Critical thinking is the ability to effectively analyze information and form a judgment .
To think critically, you must be aware of your own biases and assumptions when encountering information, and apply consistent standards when evaluating sources .
Critical thinking skills help you to:
Why is critical thinking important, critical thinking examples, how to think critically, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about critical thinking.
Critical thinking is important for making judgments about sources of information and forming your own arguments. It emphasizes a rational, objective, and self-aware approach that can help you to identify credible sources and strengthen your conclusions.
Critical thinking is important in all disciplines and throughout all stages of the research process . The types of evidence used in the sciences and in the humanities may differ, but critical thinking skills are relevant to both.
In academic writing , critical thinking can help you to determine whether a source:
Outside of academia, critical thinking goes hand in hand with information literacy to help you form opinions rationally and engage independently and critically with popular media.
The AI-powered Citation Checker helps you avoid common mistakes such as:
Critical thinking can help you to identify reliable sources of information that you can cite in your research paper . It can also guide your own research methods and inform your own arguments.
Outside of academia, critical thinking can help you to be aware of both your own and others’ biases and assumptions.
However, when you compare the findings of the study with other current research, you determine that the results seem improbable. You analyze the paper again, consulting the sources it cites.
You notice that the research was funded by the pharmaceutical company that created the treatment. Because of this, you view its results skeptically and determine that more independent research is necessary to confirm or refute them. Example: Poor critical thinking in an academic context You’re researching a paper on the impact wireless technology has had on developing countries that previously did not have large-scale communications infrastructure. You read an article that seems to confirm your hypothesis: the impact is mainly positive. Rather than evaluating the research methodology, you accept the findings uncritically.
However, you decide to compare this review article with consumer reviews on a different site. You find that these reviews are not as positive. Some customers have had problems installing the alarm, and some have noted that it activates for no apparent reason.
You revisit the original review article. You notice that the words “sponsored content” appear in small print under the article title. Based on this, you conclude that the review is advertising and is therefore not an unbiased source. Example: Poor critical thinking in a nonacademic context You support a candidate in an upcoming election. You visit an online news site affiliated with their political party and read an article that criticizes their opponent. The article claims that the opponent is inexperienced in politics. You accept this without evidence, because it fits your preconceptions about the opponent.
There is no single way to think critically. How you engage with information will depend on the type of source you’re using and the information you need.
However, you can engage with sources in a systematic and critical way by asking certain questions when you encounter information. Like the CRAAP test , these questions focus on the currency , relevance , authority , accuracy , and purpose of a source of information.
When encountering information, ask:
Critical thinking also involves being aware of your own biases, not only those of others. When you make an argument or draw your own conclusions, you can ask similar questions about your own writing:
If you want to know more about ChatGPT, AI tools , citation , and plagiarism , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.
Plagiarism
Critical thinking refers to the ability to evaluate information and to be aware of biases or assumptions, including your own.
Like information literacy , it involves evaluating arguments, identifying and solving problems in an objective and systematic way, and clearly communicating your ideas.
Critical thinking skills include the ability to:
You can assess information and arguments critically by asking certain questions about the source. You can use the CRAAP test , focusing on the currency , relevance , authority , accuracy , and purpose of a source of information.
Ask questions such as:
A credible source should pass the CRAAP test and follow these guidelines:
Information literacy refers to a broad range of skills, including the ability to find, evaluate, and use sources of information effectively.
Being information literate means that you:
Confirmation bias is the tendency to search, interpret, and recall information in a way that aligns with our pre-existing values, opinions, or beliefs. It refers to the ability to recollect information best when it amplifies what we already believe. Relatedly, we tend to forget information that contradicts our opinions.
Although selective recall is a component of confirmation bias, it should not be confused with recall bias.
On the other hand, recall bias refers to the differences in the ability between study participants to recall past events when self-reporting is used. This difference in accuracy or completeness of recollection is not related to beliefs or opinions. Rather, recall bias relates to other factors, such as the length of the recall period, age, and the characteristics of the disease under investigation.
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A critical analysis essay is an academic paper that requires a thorough examination of theoretical concepts and ideas. It includes a comparison of facts, differentiation between evidence and argument, and identification of biases.
Crafting a good paper can be a daunting experience, but it will be much easier if you have the right approach. In this guide by our custom writing team, you will find:
Criticism is the process of appraising things such as works of art and literature. It comes from the word meaning “able to make judgments”. A critical analysis essay is often referred to as a critical thinking essay, critical response paper, critical evaluation essay, and summary and response essay.
When we hear the word “criticism,” we often associate it with negative judgments. However, to criticize doesn’t necessarily mean to find faults. Even though criticism involves active disagreement, it strives to understand the meaning further and evaluate its efficiency. We call it constructive criticism .
In other words, critical analysis is an evaluation of a piece of work that promotes its better understanding . Have a look at this comparison and see what critical analysis is and what it isn’t:
Critical analysis is: | Critical analysis is not: |
---|---|
Aside from art and literature, critical analysis is often used in theoretical research, nursing, and social work. In any of these areas, you have an opportunity to exercise your critical faculties.
Analysis is a step you take before writing any paper. It’s aimed at evaluating and interpreting the sources. To do it, you break them down and study them in detail. You can learn more from this article on critical analysis by Southeastern Louisiana University .
In the following table, we’ve compiled several forms of analysis in writing and illustrated each type with a topic example:
Type of Analysis | Explanation | Topic example |
---|---|---|
Rhetorical Analysis | The purpose of this analysis type is to discover how a text persuades its readers. It can help you develop an ability to detect manipulations. | Techniques that Sir Ken Robinson to emotionally appeal to the viewer in his TED talk |
Process Analysis | This form of analysis divides a business, social, or political process into several steps. There are two distinct types of process analysis: | How to purify water using carbon filtering. |
Causal Analysis | This type of analysis focuses on the events that already happened and may try to predict what will happen in the future. Counter-arguments are a crucial part of the causal analysis. | Causes and effects of internet addiction among younger generations. |
Critical analysis | This type of analysis aims to evaluate a work and to promote its better understanding. | The role of Zen Buddhism in JD Salinger’s . |
Students often confuse analysis with summary and get a lower grade as a result. Here is how two notions differ. A summary is a brief restatement of the text’s main points that involves paraphrasing. An analysis is a detailed examination of the evidence that uncovers something new.
Check out this comparison to understand the difference better:
Summary | Analysis |
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Now, we will show you the steps to writing a critical analysis with examples to guide you through this process. Keep in mind that the purpose of your critical analysis paper is to help readers understand a subject to a full extent.
Critical analysis consists of two stages: critical reading and critical writing. Read on to learn more about them.
Critical reading a technique that involves discovering and evaluating the text’s meaning and incorporating it into what you already know. It’s the first stage of critical analysis.
According to Cleveland State University, critical reading occurs after you’ve skimmed the research material and decided where to focus your efforts. While you are reading, use the following techniques to stay on track:
When it comes to recognizing manipulations, authors use three persuasive appeals to convince their readers of something: ethos , pathos , and logos .
Ethos, or the appeal to ethics, refers to the author’s effort to convince you of their credibility through appropriate language. It refers to the author’s reputation and the reader’s trust. | |
Pathos, or the appeal to feelings, refers to the effort to persuade a reader by making them feel a particular emotion. It is achieved through language, tone of voice, use of anecdotes, and metaphors. | |
Logos, or the appeal to rationality, is persuasion through logic and reason. Storytelling, historical facts, recorded evidence, and exceptional arguments are the authors’ tools to convince you. |
Now, let’s apply the critical reading techniques to an actual text:
The death estimates during the US invasions of Tokyo were exaggerated by a factor of ten to twenty. The wartime casualty estimates were based on inaccurate assumptions. The data was not updated to exclude the civilians’ deaths and justify the strategic decision to drop off an atomic bomb.
When you are able to recognize these persuasive modes in your reading, you can master them in writing.
Critical writing is a process of commenting on another piece of work using several writing strategies. It is the second stage of critical analysis.
Want to know how to write critically? Have a look at the following tips:
When it comes to the critical writing, certain strategies can be beneficial. Yet, others are better to avoid. We’ve compiled the most important dos and don’ts in the table below:
✔️ Dos | ❌ Don’ts |
---|---|
. The more thorough you are with your primary and additional sources, the stronger your argument will be. . Credible sources and strong arguments will help you to prove your point. . The way you communicate your point and structure your paper will determine how confident your writing sounds. . Present the reader not only with facts and quotes but also with in-depth research and thorough analysis. | . The only essay part where you can take advantage of descriptive writing is the summary. . Question your sources and always back up your arguments. . Instead of drawing attention to yourself, focus on the strengths or weaknesses of the piece you are analyzing. . Always use proper citation style and have works cited page at the end of your paper. . Instead, re-read it out loud. Look for mistakes and missing information. |
Want to learn more? Check out our article on critical writing .
Now that you’ve learned about critical analysis, there is a big question to answer: how do you choose the topic for your essay? It might require using a specific strategy to make the right choice.
Many students find it helpful to have a list of critical thinking questions to answer while brainstorming. We’ve prepared them for you:
Answering these questions will help you with deciding on critical thinking essay topics. If you want some additional inspiration, feel free to use our topic generator .
After carefully analyzing all of your sources, you can start writing your first draft using our critical analysis template. Use this outline to structure your essay and to ensure your arguments are related to your thesis.
To create an outstanding opening paragraph, you may want to start it with a hook. It can be a quote from your source or a rhetorical question. Be sure to make it catchy so that it will grab your reader’s attention.
After you’re done with the hook, write the following:
Here are two introduction examples for your inspiration:
What happens when there is a considerable wage gap between the upper and middle classes? The unsurprising reality forces poor people to use credit cards to pay off their debt. Credit card industries collect interest from those who can’t pay off their debt right away.
A romantic novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is about overcoming social stereotypes in the name of love. Its main character, Elizabeth Bennet, has to fight against her discrimination against wealthy men like Mr. Darcy to find love and be happy.
A thesis statement is what you are aiming to prove. Ideally, it should be the first thing you write because every other part of your critical analysis paper will be connected to it.
To create a strong thesis statement, you want to start with a broader idea of what you would like to critique. Then, you narrow it down. Choose a debatable thesis so you can back it up with evidence from your sources and anchor your entire paper around it.
The examples below will help you write your essay’s thesis:
People in positions of power are less likely to recognize the social injustice than marginalized groups of the civilian population.
In a 1989 American superhero film Batman, Tim Burton subverts the concept of heroism by refraining Batman from murder and making him morally ambiguous.
The body paragraphs of a critical essay consist of your source’s summary and a response with arguments.
A summary should present specific facts from your source to help your reader understand your arguments better. You can use these sentence starters to structure a summary:
The main plot of Elizabeth Bennet’s plan to save her family from poverty intersects with stereotypes that romantic love and marriage don’t go together. She does not accept a marriage proposal from Mr. Darcy because she does not want to be walking proof that women marry for money. The rejected proposal leads Darcy to open up and change Elizabeth’s perception of him.
A response should present your main arguments that support your thesis statement. Each argument is a sub-thesis that connects to your central thesis. It’s crucial to discuss each point in detail and prove it with strong evidence.
Your arguments should be:
At first, Elizabeth Bennet sees Mr. Darcy only as a powerful man with wealth and high social status. For her, he represents a marriage of convenience that she is so desperately trying to fight against. After Mr. Darcy attempts to separate Jane and Bingley, Elizabeth gets proof for her ideas about powerful men who do everything in their power to destroy a loving relationship for a better financial suit.
The final stage of essay writing is to ensure you have proven your arguments. The goal of your conclusion is to remind the reader of your thesis and the essay’s main points. You may also want to leave them with some final statements for consideration.
Keep in mind that the concluding paragraph is not a place to introduce new evidence. Instead, you can do the following:
Elizabeth Bennet struggles with the societal association of marriage with financial stability. Eventually, she marries a rich man, Mr. Darcy, but she marries him for love rather than his money and social status. Her pride and prejudice towards him were destroyed by his acts of kindness and true love. Their relationship had a rough start, but both of them could get their happy ending by breaking out of old beliefs and habits.
Choosing the correct type of analysis will help you stay on track with your research objectives. It will give you the anchor to develop your essay around in a systematic manner.
Critical analysis can be categorized into 4 main types:
Literary analysis is an argument that expresses one’s critical evaluation of a poem, novel, short story, or play. A critique of literature has the same characteristics as other types of critical essays. The difference is the kind of information you can include in this type of essay.
Here’s how to analyze literature:
You will find more interesting info in our article on literary analysis essays .
Critical analysis of an article aims to analyze the writing strategies and techniques an author uses to develop their argument. The process is a little different than persuading the reader to accept a particular point of view. Here is a sample outline:
Film analysis goes beyond the plot structure and includes composition elements such as camera work, lighting, costume choices, etc. After watching the film at least twice, you can select what type of film analysis you will be performing. Check out the types and see what they’re about:
Once you’ve chosen a topic, use this outline to guide you through the writing process:
You can learn more from our article on film analysis .
Critical analysis essay refers to your comment upon one specific cultural aspect that works or doesn’t work in a society. After you’ve chosen a topic for your cultural analysis paper, you can start drafting your outline. Here is how the structure of this kind of paper differs from others:
The following writing tips will help you understand how to apply your critical thinking skills in practice and write an excellent critical essay on your own.
Looking for some tips on how to format your paper? This section reflects the latest guidelines for citing your sources with the latest APA 7th and MLA 9th publication manuals.
APA format | MLA format | |
---|---|---|
Not required. | ||
Sources in alphabetical order. | Sources in alphabetical order. |
Before you dive into writing your critical analysis paper, get inspired with some compelling essay examples. The first is a film analysis example. You can download the PDF file below:
The Birds by Alfred Hitchcock is a thriller that derives its suspense from the violence which stands on the borderline with divine retribution. The birds of the film are the symbol of the said violence and primary actors that contribute to the semiotic revelations of the film.
The following critical analysis essay is concerned with a literary work. You can download it below:
Feminism has been influential in various aspects of society for many decades. With the beginning of women’s emancipation, humanity has progressed not only in political and social life but also in science, culture, and literary studies. A feminist standpoint in literature research points to the limited portrayal of the characters in literary works, which showed the world mainly from a patriarchal perspective.
Here’s the list of critical analysis essay examples. You can check them out to get a better understanding of critical analysis and to gain some inspiration.
Critical thinking is the process of conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information. It is about careful reasoning directed to a goal. The main components of this process include observing, wondering, imagining, experimenting, judging, and deciding.
This type of thinking is instrumental in conducting a critical analysis. To succeed at it, you need to be attentive, confident, and open-minded. Below are some questions that you can ask yourself while thinking critically:
Critical thinking is a skill that develops with time and effort. However, you may encounter barriers that can prevent you from making accurate judgments. The following tips will help you overcome them:
Want to learn more? Feel free to check out our article on critical thinking essays .
Now you know everything necessary to write a perfect critical analysis essay. Feel free to share this article or leave a comment!
Further reading
When analyzing any literary text, it is essential to evaluate the work and use the theme to support your opinion. The response’s goal is to show the reader what the selection of the source and the theme means to you personally.
The purpose of a response to a literature essay is to inform your reader about something interesting and insightful you found in a literary work. It may focus on the characters, plot, or theme of the story.
In a critical essay, choose the formal language and avoid using “I” statements. Focus on the piece you are analyzing, its strengths, and weaknesses. Using the first-person singular will take away the reader’s attention from your argument to you.
A critical source is a source that interprets, analyzes, critiques, and adds to the discussion of the primary source. It is then integrated into critical writing. The best critical sources can be found through library catalogs and scholarly databases.
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Meanings of critical and essay.
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(Definition of critical and essay from the Cambridge English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)
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get away from it all
to go somewhere, usually on holiday, where you can completely relax and forget your responsibilities or problems
Trial, judge, and jury: talking about what happens when a criminal is caught
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A critical essay is a form of academic writing that analyzes, interprets, and/or evaluates a text. In a critical essay, an author makes a claim about how particular ideas or themes are conveyed in a text, then supports that claim with evidence from primary and/or secondary sources. In casual conversation, we often associate the word "critical ...
Critical Essay definition with examples. Critical Essay is an essay that evaluates a literary piece, describing its structure, meanings, and motifs. ... Critical essays in English started with Samuel Johnson. He kept the critical essays limited to his personal opinion, comprising praise, admiration, and censure of the merits and demerits of ...
Critical writing is a form of academic discourse that goes beyond summarizing information or presenting facts. Instead, it involves a deliberate and reflective engagement with ideas, concepts, and evidence. Through critical writing, scholars assess the validity of arguments, question assumptions, and articulate their own informed perspectives.
Academic writing integrates evidence from sources to create your own critical arguments. We're not looking for a list of summaries of individual sources; ideally, the important evidence should be integrated into a cohesive whole. What does the evidence mean altogether? Of course, a critical argument also needs some critical analysis of this ...
A critical essay involves evaluating information, theories or situations and is an important way of analysing information, posing questions and challenging information. The critical essay is an important academic tool that allows your knowledge to develop, because rather than being a personal opinion, the critical essay requires an in-
Perform a critical reading of your source(s). A critical essay assignment asks you to evaluate a book, an article, a movie, a painting, or some other type of text. In order to perform a critical analysis of any text, you need to become very familiar with the primary text. Get to know the text inside and out by reading and rereading it.
A critical essay is a form of academic writing that analyzes, interprets, and evaluates a text or a concept. It involves a thorough examination of the subject, presenting arguments and evidence to support the writer's perspective. The goal is to offer a deeper understanding and insightful critique of the work being discussed.
Share Cite. A critical essay combines a text (whether literary or otherwise academic) and your analysis of that text with expert opinion and contextual background. The aim of the critical essay is ...
A critical analysis essay requires you to analyze a subject and determine its meaning, backing it with evidence and ideas of your own. We've got examples to help you write one.
Step 3: State a Thesis. Your critical essay should have a one-sentence thesis with two components: a claim and details sustaining it. Based on the information you've gathered from the subject of evaluation (a book, a movie, etc.) and secondary sources, write a thesis that will specify your essay's direction.
Critical writing. In academic writing you will develop an argument or point of view. This will be supported by concrete evidence, in other words reasons, examples, and information from sources. The writing you produce in this way will need to be 'critical writing'. This section looks at critical writing in detail, first by giving a definition ...
1. Comprehensive Reading. The first step towards a successful critical analysis essay is in-depth engagement with the text you'll analyse. If you are working with a single text, that means understanding the author's point of view to form the foundation of your essay. Take your time and delve into the text to explore its deeper meanings and ...
This is because critical writing is primarily a process of evidencing and articulating your critical thinking. As such, it is really important to get the 'thinking bit' of your studies right! If you are able to demonstrate criticality in your thinking, it will make critical writing easier. Williams' (2009:viii) introduces criticality at ...
Critical essays are intended to interpret, analyze, and evaluate a text. This paper is an academic paper, and so the audience is usually an academic one. The goal of a critical essay is to help writers hone their skills in critical writing. The readers of the text are also presented with the writer's interpretation or a thought-provoking ...
A critical essay intends to convey specific meanings of a literary text to specific audiences. These specific audiences are knowledgeable people. They not only learn the merits and demerits of the literary texts, but also learn different shades and nuances of meanings. The major function of a literary essay is to convince people to read a ...
Written by MasterClass. Last updated: Jun 7, 2021 • 3 min read. Critical analysis essays can be a daunting form of academic writing, but crafting a good critical analysis paper can be straightforward if you have the right approach. Explore.
CRITICAL ESSAY Characteristics of a Critical Essay The purpose is to analyze and evaluate a work (a book, a theory, a plan of action) (Note: Analysis means to break down and study the parts. Evaluate means to assess strengths and weaknesses). Writer's position is supported with detailed evidence documented by quotes and paraphrases
Critical thinking is the ability to effectively analyze information and form a judgment. To think critically, you must be aware of your own biases and assumptions when encountering information, and apply consistent standards when evaluating sources. Critical thinking skills help you to: Identify credible sources. Evaluate and respond to arguments.
Critical analysis of an article aims to analyze the writing strategies and techniques an author uses to develop their argument. The process is a little different than persuading the reader to accept a particular point of view. Here is a sample outline: Introduction. Introduce the author and the work under analysis.
Godfrey. Godfrey Cass is the eldest son of Squire Cass and older brother of Dunstan. Despite being born and raised in a good family, he was depicted as a man who makes terrible choices. Throughout the novel, he is seen making wrong decisions for himself and for others. He married a lowly woman, had a child with her and kept both his wife and ...
Examples of CRITICAL ESSAY in a sentence, how to use it. 19 examples: I'm slightly averse to the monograph as a professional brochure - a professional brochure with a…
Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening Essay Crafting an essay on the topic "Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening" can be a challenging endeavor for various reasons. Firstly, the poem, penned by Robert Frost, is renowned for its nuanced language and subtle imagery. Analyzing the depth of its verses requires a keen understanding of poetic devices, symbolism, and the poet's intent.