At university, you will be expected to become critical thinkers. This includes reading and writing critically, and evaluating sources of information. Critical thinking is a highly regarded skill at both University and in the workplace - it is the objective evaluation or analysis of information or ideas presented by an author or commentator on a topic.
Critical reading is the scrutiny and evaluation of text or information from scientists and researchers in any discipline. Reading in a critical manner involves approaching an author’s text with a sceptical view, not taking information from the text on face value. The critical reader should be looking at the evidence that supports the assertions authors make about a topic. This evaluation would focus on what other commentators, authors or scientists have written on the subject.
(Adapted from University of Toronto "Reading Critically" handout)
Before you read an entire article or book chapter, do some quick checks to make sure you need to read it, and how to read it. This shouldn't take more than a few minutes to complete. Consider:
Before reading an article in full, look over the abstract, introduction and the conclusion or results section. These areas explain the argument and purpose of a document, allowing you to make an informed decision on whether you need to read it in full.
How you read for class and how you read when conducting your own research will differ slightly. If you’re reading something for class, when you read the document you will need to tie it back to class themes and learning outcomes. Ask yourself why your tutor would assign this, and what they want you to get from it?
If you’re doing your own research, consider what you want from the item before you read it. Are you looking for background/contextual information? Do you want detailed findings to support your argument? Do you want an overview of the field, or the most current research findings?
Once you know why you’re reading something, you can determine how well you need to read it. You don’t need to closely read every document you find. If you are just looking for statistical findings, then you can skim the item for this. If you are looking for context, becoming familiar with the field, reading a textbook for class, or reading an item directly related to your research problem, then you will need to read the item in depth and take good notes.
Remember to consider the quality of the information you're using - fewer well-read quality resources can far outweigh a wide ranging scattered approach to reading.
Before you read, it’s a good idea to scan and/or skim the text briefly and consider any questions you may have. Skimming and scanning are two different things, as explained below. This is meant to be time-saving, so don't spend more than a few minutes on this step for a chapter or journal article.
Once you’re ready to read a text fully, make sure that you annotate your text. This is perhaps the most important step in active reading, as it prevents you from ‘reading’ a page and then realising that you haven’t absorbed a single word. Underline any important keywords, the thesis statement, or other important passages.
It’s hard to define what an “important passage” is – but there are some good criteria you can use. Ask yourself the following questions:
You’ll also want to jot down any ideas, questions, or comments that you have as you read. Ideally you want to take notes in the margin of an item, but remember to save these marks for your own texts, not ones loaned to you by the library or a friend.
When some students first start writing coursework and receive feedback they may have tutors comments that state that the coursework was “too descriptive” and did not have enough critical analysis in it. These students are either not entirely sure what is meant by critical writing or do not realise that a bulk of the coursework will require critical analysis.
Unlike critical writing, descriptive writing does not compare and contrast theories or ideas from authors. Descriptive writing on the other hand just describes or explains a concept without evaluating the worth or relevance of the idea. It is important to describe these concepts, ideas or theories in your own words but this description should be kept to a minimum in a coursework.
Here are some key tips for critical writing:
Critical writing involves analysing in your own words the arguments and assertions of authors you have read on a subject. This analysis requires writing an objective appraisal of the arguments from sources you read about a topic. The account produced should be balanced and report different point of views fairly. The written evaluation should review the evidence each author presents and come to some conclusion regarding which author has the most supported argument. If there is no clear evidence, that one author has the best argument then this should be stated.
Here's an example of descriptive writing:
‘Theory of Mind’ is defined by an individual’s ability to input mental states such as thoughts, knowledge, feelings and wants onto others and themselves (Perner, 1999). The standard false belief task known as the Sally Anne Test aims to test a child’s ability to differentiate between their own thoughts and feelings from another individual’s perspective (Symons 2011). This is done so by presenting the child with a scenario in which they are asked to predict how a deceptive object will appear to another (Reber, Reber and Allen 2009). Typically, children around the age of four will pass a standard false belief task whilst slightly older children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) will fail; this being the basis of which Theory of Mind is measured (German and Leslie 2000).
Here's an example of critical writing:
Dennet (1978) focused his research on the aspect of the task that required the participants to predict the behaviour of each character. Dennet (1978) challenges the concept that to pass the standard false belief task the participant must place themselves in the character’s position whilst understanding their mental state to correctly predict behaviour. He proposes participants are capable of predicting behaviour correctly using other means unrelated to theory of mind such as understanding and observing their situational surroundings (Dennet 1978). Suggesting the standard false belief task is an inefficient tool for testing theory of mind as it could be measuring the ability to which a child can make sense of their environment instead. Although this is an understudied domain of psychology Dennet’s (1978) claims open up a discussion about whether the test itself is reliable and whether it measures what it claims to.
The descriptive text is characterised by setting the scene for the reader and defining key terms. It merely explains the components of a particular theory. In contrast, critical writing challenges the mechanisms of the theory by reporting evidence from research carried out by other scientists in the field.
Last modified by Student and Academic Services
