Critical thinking is a skill that you will develop more confidence in as you advance through your studies. When you are asked to be critical about a topic, there are a few things that you should not do. The following are what being critical does not mean:
- Having a rant on an issue you feel strongly about
- Giving your own personal opinion without supporting it with what the literature says
- Simply telling the reader what the literature says
- Only viewing a topic or subject through a negative lens.
Remember you need to ‘critically evaluate’ and ‘critically analyse’ – this does not mean criticise an individual or a situation. Rather, it means to unpick a subject area, consider from different perspectives and demonstrate a deeper understanding.
So, what do you need to do to be critical? Critical thinking involves a degree of scepticism. When you are reading around a subject, do not take what you are reading as truth. Remember, it is just one source and viewpoint. As you read, consider the following:
- Who wrote it? Are they qualified to be publishing work in this area? Who are they and what is their background? Essentially, are they reputable?
- Are the authors linked to an organisation/company or movement? Could there be bias due to their associations?
If you decide that they are not reputable or that there may be bias, it doesn't mean you can't use the source but remember to add a comment acknowledging that you are questioning the content due to… This shows you are thinking deeper than surface level and being critical of your sources.
As you read sources, think about whether the authors can support statements they make or are they assumptions without support? Don't be afraid to highlight any concerns. There is no need to critique every source you use; this would be tedious and detract from the content, as well as using up valuable words; but a comment here and there demonstrates that you are thinking and questioning what you read.
Once you have read widely around the subject and evaluated your sources, you need to organise your ideas and form your arguments into appropriate paragraphs. Then decide whether you agree or disagree, craft your response in appropriate language and tone, and present your thoughts on the topic.
You could liken being critical in academia to the role of a film critic or food critic. They don't just tell you what is bad but also what is good, and more importantly, why the film/food is good/bad. Once you have identified the strengths and weaknesses within a piece of research, consider how it applies to your own practice and other literature.
Look to bring in originality to your conclusions. What do you deduce from your interrogation of the evidence? As you read, question everything. Compare and contrast between authors and link back to your own experience. Are there gaps in the evidence that mean a wide perspective cannot be given? Bring in your own rationale to justify your interpretation.
As you explore differing sources, supporting or refuting arguments, you are developing the ability to synthesise the evidence and expand on points. Bringing together evidence from differing sources and revolving it around a key point of discussion demonstrates synthesis, which is a key feature of academic writing at level 7.