What is critical analysis? JUNE 14, 2019 | DR SALLY PEZARO - HTTPS://SALLYPEZARO.WORDPRESS.COM So…you want to know how to write a critical analysis essay? As an academic, I am often asked the following questions: Image result for questions What is critical analysis? What is critical writing? What is the difference between analysis and critical analysis? How do you critically Analyse a research paper? What are the steps to write a critical essay? What does a critical essay mean? man wearing white top using MacBook So this article aims to take some of the frustration out of critical writing by breaking things down… Image result for analysis Foucault (1981/1988) clarified that: “critique is not a matter of saying that things are not right as they are. It is a matter of pointing out on what kind s of assumptions, what kinds of familiar, unchallenged, unconsidered modes of thought the practices that we accept rest…. Criticism is a matter of flushing out that thought and trying to change it: to show that things are not as self-evident as one believed, to see that what is accepted as self-evident will no longer be accepted as such. Practicing criticism is a matter of making facile gestures difficult.” (pp. 154-155) Critiquing doesn’t mean that you are simply critical in identifying everything bad. After all, one can be a ‘critically acclaimed’ actor. Instead, one has to tease out both the good and the bad. You will also need to decide how much value you will place on any evidence you find, look at the alternatives and decide how you might apply your findings in the real world. Your arguments should be backed up with evidence throughout. Types of evidence ranked in order of quality from high to low… 1280px-Research_design_and_evidence.svg A linear representation of critical analysis critical analysis Adapted from Plymouth University (2008) woman in gray top The critical analysis cycle Critical analysis cycle 5 common mistakes in essay writing In critical analysis, the writer expresses their own evidence based view. As such, any critical analysis is subjective. Yet there are some mistakes people make that make their writing less credible. Their tone is personal and familiar rather than academic in nature They rely too heavily on the work of others without presenting their own evidence based arguments They make bold statements without citing their sources of evidence They rely too heavily on description without analysing and evaluating the materials under critique (We can read the material ourselves if description is all we want!) Their arguments lack structure and there is limited evidence of wider reading brain-1295128_960_720 So how can we move from being descriptive to being critically analytic? The table below outlines the difference between the two… Descriptive Critically Analytic States what happened Identifies the significance States what something is like Identifies the significance Gives the story so far Evaluates strengths and weaknesses States the order things in which things happened Weighs one piece of information against another Makes reasoned judgments Says how to do something Argues a case according to the evidence Explains what a theory says Shows why something is relevant or suitable Explains how something works Indicates why something will work best Notes the methods used Identifies whether something is appropriate or suitable Says when something occurred Weighs up the importance of the component parts States the different components Evaluates the relative significance of details Structures information in order of importance States options Lists details Shows the relevance of links between pieces of information Lists in any order States links between items Draws conclusions Identifies why the timing is of importance Gives information Gives the reasons for selecting each option Source – University of Bradford academic skills workshop greyscale photography of skeleton Looking at other examples Essay examples/Example essays 15 Top Essay Writing Tips for Midwifery and Nursing Students A guide to literature reviewing And remember… If you are a student writing an assignment, use this guide together with any assignment specific brief, guideline or marking criteria you may also have been given relating directly to your course. It is also important to think about how you will apply your critical analysis to ‘real world’ scenarios – This requires a critical thinking approach, which many writers neglect.