Critical Writing

By Xiaochi Liu in Scientific Writing

Introduction

Why is critical writing valuable?

  • necessary to identify a gap for your own original research

  • important to judge the usefulness of research to industry/professional applications

  • demonstrates deeper understanding, respect for previous work + independent stance

  • draws on discipline specific norms and knowledge

  • shows arguably the highest level of academic writing

What is critical writing?

  • Evaluating previous research

  • Identifying debates / alternative approaches

  • Examining and questioning evidence

  • Weighing strengths and weaknesses

  • Assessing the current state of knowledge

  • Asking probing questions

  • Looking for opportunities to contribute

The ONION model

Purposes

Examples

Identify language features:

Persuasive language examples:

Critical language examples

The structure of critical writing

Your critical claim (i.e., the view you express about the target) can have two parts:

  • Evaluation (either explicit or implicit) – essential

  • Proposal – optional

While previous descriptive research has provided an overview of patient-carer dynamics, it has not examined which of these impact on engagement with telehealth. Exploratory research would be useful, to investigate the role these relationships play, in supporting or discouraging the uptake of telehealth.

Sometimes the evaluation and proposal are folded in together:

While previous descriptive research has provided an overview of patient-carer dynamics, exploratory research would be more useful at this stage, to shed light on the role that these interactions play, in supporting or discouraging the uptake of telehealth.

So the basic structure is:

  1. Summary of the target (i.e., other person’s/group’s choice that you are critiquing)

  2. Your claim

    • Evaluation

    • Proposal (optional)

  3. Evidence for your claim

Your discipline shapes your critique

  • The kind and amount of evidence

  • How strong the claims should be

  • The amount of critique expected

  • The targets for critique

  • The criteria for critique

Handy bits

Evaluation:

  • Concession: while, whereas, although, despite

  • Endorsement: claims, states, points out, shows

  • Modality: could, may, possibility, appears to be

  • Value laden language: convincing, useful, apt

  • Grading: somewhat, slightly, in some cases

Step-by-step:

  1. Summarise the target (e.g. the sample, the analysis, the research questions)

  2. Evaluate the target, according to the criteria (e.g. reliability, insight, equity)

  3. Note the evidence which supports your evaluation