critically discuss essay meaning

• How it works

"Christmas Offer"

Terms & conditions.

As the Christmas season is upon us, we find ourselves reflecting on the past year and those who we have helped to shape their future. It’s been quite a year for us all! The end of the year brings no greater joy than the opportunity to express to you Christmas greetings and good wishes.

At this special time of year, Research Prospect brings joyful discount of 10% on all its services. May your Christmas and New Year be filled with joy.

We are looking back with appreciation for your loyalty and looking forward to moving into the New Year together.

"Claim this offer"

In unfamiliar and hard times, we have stuck by you. This Christmas, Research Prospect brings you all the joy with exciting discount of 10% on all its services.

Offer valid till 5-1-2024

We love being your partner in success. We know you have been working hard lately, take a break this holiday season to spend time with your loved ones while we make sure you succeed in your academics

Discount code: RP0996Y

How to Critically Discuss in an Essay – Simple Steps

Published by Carmen Troy at September 19th, 2023 , Revised On July 25, 2024

Critical discussion is the key to writing evidence-based, impact-making essays. If you know the art of writing arguments-based essays with supporting facts and figures, you will likely convince readers to believe in your thesis statement .

Most researchers make the mistake of writing essays without critically discussing their thesis statements with the supporting facts and figures, which can spoil their reputation as impact-creating researchers.

To learn how to critically discuss in an essay is essential for you to establish your authority in literary circles or among readers as a good researcher, you just need to learn some tips and tricks and then practice them to tame your abilities and thinking or writing skills.

What is a Critical Essay?

An academic writing in which an author makes a claim about how particular ideas or themes are conveyed in a specific text and then supports it with evidence is known as a critical essay.

We often associate the word “critical” with a negative perspective, like identifying flaws and errors in anything, but it means discerning and analytical in the context of a critical essay. Critical essays are written to analyse and evaluate the specific aspects of any theory or idea to issue a verdict about its content or quality.

What is Critical Discussion in an Essay?

Critical discussion in an essay refers to the process of examining, analysing, and evaluating various viewpoints, arguments, evidence, and theories related to a particular topic or idea.

For example , analysing the elements of matriarchy in Mary Wollstonecraft’s famous prose “A Vindication of the Rights of Women”.

It not only means description but also requires the writer to engage with the material thoughtfully and reflectively to weave arguments backed with evidence around the topic sentence. To write critically, you need to think critically, which is the base process of writing. There will be no critical writing and discussion without critical thinking.

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is a cognitive process involving analysing, evaluating, and synthesising information logically and objectively. It involves analysing and evaluating information to form a judgement or decision about anything.

What Critical Discussion is Not?

Let’s discuss what critical discussion is not before moving on to the components of a critical discussion essay. Excessive description of the ideas and repetition of other opinions without critically analysing them in your essay refers to what critical discussion is not.

Let’s have a look at some elements of what critical discussion is not in an essay.

References Devoid of Analysis: Using only other critiques or opinions to support your arguments without presenting your critical views about the topic in the essay is not critical discussion. You need to present your ideas as well along with other people’s ideas in your essay to match the requirements of critical discussion.

Only Description, Not Critical Arguments: You need to present a description of a particular art/ literature/ science work to set the scene or tone of your essay. You must include your critical opinion of the theory, concept, or idea you are discussing to turn your essay into an argumentative essay.

Focusing on Weaker Aspects: Some researchers confuse the word critical with evaluating only negative elements about a particular topic or idea. They get trapped in this confusion and only discuss the weaknesses or negative aspects of the theory or idea being discussed.

However, they are required to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the topic or idea evenly to present a wholesome, critical view of the essay. So, if you only discuss negative aspects in your essay, then it is not considered to be a critically discussed essay.

Quick and Easy Approach: Writing a critical discussion essay takes a lot of work. It requires you to take as much time as you want to read the relevant material, analyse facts and figures, reflect upon the critiques of others, and then formulate a sound argument for your essay to be based upon.

Worry About your Essay Making “A” Grade?

Get the best custom essay writing service from Reasearch Prospect.

Components of Critical Discussion in an Essay

There are several components of critical discussion that can be used while writing an essay. But we’ll discuss 5 most important and relevant to the critical discussion to help you equip yourself with the necessary critical discussion and writing skills.

1. Analysis

To analyse any topic or idea, you need to break down the information collected from different sources into manageable parts to understand how they relate to each other and support the thesis statement.

2. Evaluation

The evaluation process needs to be performed to determine whether the evidence is reliable, credible, and sufficient to support the claims made and to decide whether to use the collected data in your research study or not.

Also, consider conflicting opinions and viewpoints available to free your study from any kind of bias. It helps you to reach the most likely correct or bias-free conclusion.

3. Interpretation

After analysing and evaluating the data, you need to synthesise the information in a manageable order to interpret it and turn it into supporting arguments for your essay.

It helps you gain new insights or different perspectives on the topic, which is supposed to result in implications, future directions, or alternative interpretations.

4. Argumentation

Now, you can utilise the above steps in presenting arguments in a logical order to support your thesis statement of the essay. Also, use extracted evidence and reasons to support your points and persuade the reader. Remember to address potential counterarguments and refute them effectively by using evidence to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the topic and strengthen your position.

5. Reflective Thinking

Reflective thinking is the key to hunting down your own biases and assumptions involved in your essay discussion. It also helps you to pinpoint stages where different biases might influence your interpretation of the evidence and arguments. Try reflective thinking before and after writing to maintain a critical perspective throughout the essay. It will help you figure out points that might be influenced.

Tips for Writing a Critical Discussion Essay

You can write a good critical discussion essay by following the 7 tips discussed below. You just need to follow the tips mentioned in order to write an evidence-based essay. The following tips are mentioned below for writing a perfect essay from scratch.

Tip 1: Start with a Thesis Statement

Always start your essays with a thesis statement clearly indicating your viewpoint about the topic you are going to discuss. If you are struggling to write a clear and concise thesis statement for your essay. Stress no more; we can help you out by doing so.

Tip 2: Use Supporting Evidence

Essays that include supporting evidence in the form of quotations, textual references, and so on are of more value than essays devoid of any supporting facts and figures. By doing this, you can leave a mark on the audience’s minds by supporting your thesis statement with relevant data.

Tip 3: Analyse the Relevance of Data

Make sure to analyse every piece of evidence you use by considering its relevance, reliability, and sufficiency according to your essay. The relevancy of the data used in the essay helps you to establish yourself as a credible researcher.

Tip 4: Use Quotes and Phrases

You can use the quotes and phrases that you have marked as relevant to your field of study in your essay to support your thesis statement. By doing this, readers will realise that you don’t build castles in the air; instead, you use evidence to back your statements,

Tip 5: Use Clear and Concise Language

The readability of your essay depends upon the sentence structure and language you use in your essay. To increase the readability of your essay, use clear and concise language to help readers understand your viewpoint without any confusion. Also, make sure to avoid the use of complicated words, technical terms, and jargon in your essay.

Tip 6: Discuss Counter Arguments

If you want to provide a wholesome view of your essay to the readers, discuss counterarguments and conflicting views about your thesis statement. It helps you to make your readers aware of the other views and convince them with your arguments to support your views.

Tip 7: Consistency

Consistency is the key to writing perfect essays. All you need to do is maintain your tone and language throughout the essay to comply with the research writing rules and regulations. Try to use tone and language appropriate to your audience and should reflect their level of knowledge about the topic. If you are writing for the masses, explain every abbreviation you use, but it is unnecessary for researchers in the same field.

How to Structure a Critical Discussion Essay?

Structure is the most important element of any essay because it shows the quality or level of logicality in your prose. There are several tips available on how to structure a critical discussion essay. You can follow any format relevant to your topic.

But first, let’s discuss a general structure that needs to be followed for writing a critical discussion essay. The structure of an essay is also referred to as the outline of the essay, so don’t get confused; both words can be used interchangeably.

Critical Discussion Essay Structure

Introduction

• Thesis statement
• Background of the topic or author being discussed
• Supporting statements
• References from different sources like books and articles
• Counter Arguments
• Your rebuttal with supporting facts and figures
• Recap of the thesis statement and whole information discussed above
• Suggestions for future implications of the essay

You can follow the above steps to learn how to write a critical discussion in an essay. But make sure to follow the process in logical order and practice to master the art of essay writing. Don’t forget to work on developing critical thinking skills to perfectly craft your essays because they are the backbone of essay writing.

If you still need help writing a good essay , you can get a consultation from our experts and buy our essay writing services at the best prices.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to critically discuss in an essay.

You need to create an outline first and then write arguments backed with supporting evidence to critically discuss in an essay. You can use research articles, books, and other sources to find supporting evidence for your thesis statement. 

What are the Components of Critical Discussion in an Essay?

There are 5 components of critical discussion in an essay: evaluation, argumentation, analysis, reflective thinking, and interpretation.

How to Write a Critical Discussion Essay?

You need to brainstorm ideas, research, and select a topic to write a critical discussion essay.

After that, create an outline to write your essay in a logical order.

You May Also Like

You can see the word ‘discursive’ is close to the word ‘discourse’; in short, it means involving discussion. In a discursive essay you explore

Most students struggle to figure out how to use transitions in essay. Here is all you need to know about transitions in an essay.

What are topic sentences? In academic writing they briefly describe what a paragprah will explore. Here is all you need to know about topic sentences.

As Featured On

USEFUL LINKS

LEARNING RESOURCES

COMPANY DETAILS

Splash Sol LLC

• How It Works

• Humanities ›
• English Grammar ›

How to Write a Critical Essay

Hill Street Studios / Getty Images

• An Introduction to Punctuation

Olivia Valdes was the Associate Editorial Director for ThoughtCo. She worked with Dotdash Meredith from 2017 to 2021.

• B.A., American Studies, Yale University

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" with a negative perspective. However, in the context of a critical essay, the word "critical" simply means discerning and analytical. Critical essays analyze and evaluate the meaning and significance of a text, rather than making a judgment about its content or quality.

What Makes an Essay "Critical"? 

Imagine you've just watched the movie "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." If you were chatting with friends in the movie theater lobby, you might say something like, "Charlie was so lucky to find a Golden Ticket. That ticket changed his life." A friend might reply, "Yeah, but Willy Wonka shouldn't have let those raucous kids into his chocolate factory in the first place. They caused a big mess."

These comments make for an enjoyable conversation, but they do not belong in a critical essay. Why? Because they respond to (and pass judgment on) the raw content of the movie, rather than analyzing its themes or how the director conveyed those themes.

On the other hand, a critical essay about "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" might take the following topic as its thesis: "In 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,' director Mel Stuart intertwines money and morality through his depiction of children: the angelic appearance of Charlie Bucket, a good-hearted boy of modest means, is sharply contrasted against the physically grotesque portrayal of the wealthy, and thus immoral, children."

This thesis includes a claim about the themes of the film, what the director seems to be saying about those themes, and what techniques the director employs in order to communicate his message. In addition, this thesis is both supportable  and  disputable using evidence from the film itself, which means it's a strong central argument for a critical essay .

Characteristics of a Critical Essay

Critical essays are written across many academic disciplines and can have wide-ranging textual subjects: films, novels, poetry, video games, visual art, and more. However, despite their diverse subject matter, all critical essays share the following characteristics.

• Central claim . All critical essays contain a central claim about the text. This argument is typically expressed at the beginning of the essay in a thesis statement , then supported with evidence in each body paragraph. Some critical essays bolster their argument even further by including potential counterarguments, then using evidence to dispute them.
• Evidence . The central claim of a critical essay must be supported by evidence. In many critical essays, most of the evidence comes in the form of textual support: particular details from the text (dialogue, descriptions, word choice, structure, imagery, et cetera) that bolster the argument. Critical essays may also include evidence from secondary sources, often scholarly works that support or strengthen the main argument.
• Conclusion . After making a claim and supporting it with evidence, critical essays offer a succinct conclusion. The conclusion summarizes the trajectory of the essay's argument and emphasizes the essays' most important insights.

Tips for Writing a Critical Essay

Writing a critical essay requires rigorous analysis and a meticulous argument-building process. If you're struggling with a critical essay assignment, these tips will help you get started.

• Practice active reading strategies . These strategies for staying focused and retaining information will help you identify specific details in the text that will serve as evidence for your main argument. Active reading is an essential skill, especially if you're writing a critical essay for a literature class.
• Read example essays . If you're unfamiliar with critical essays as a form, writing one is going to be extremely challenging. Before you dive into the writing process, read a variety of published critical essays, paying careful attention to their structure and writing style. (As always, remember that paraphrasing an author's ideas without proper attribution is a form of plagiarism .)
• Resist the urge to summarize . Critical essays should consist of your own analysis and interpretation of a text, not a summary of the text in general. If you find yourself writing lengthy plot or character descriptions, pause and consider whether these summaries are in the service of your main argument or whether they are simply taking up space.
• Critical Analysis in Composition
• Writing About Literature: Ten Sample Topics for Comparison & Contrast Essays
• What Is a Critique in Composition?
• Definition and Examples of Analysis in Composition
• A Critical Analysis of George Orwell's 'A Hanging'
• What Are the Different Types and Characteristics of Essays?
• literary present (verbs)
• Book Report: Definition, Guidelines, and Advice
• personal statement (essay)
• Definition Examples of Collage Essays
• Definition and Examples of Evaluation Essays
• Composition Type: Problem-Solution Essays
• What Is Plagiarism?
• The Power and Pleasure of Metaphor
• Quotes About Close Reading
• What Is a Compelling Introduction?

How to Answer a Discuss Essay

When an essay title includes the word ‘Discuss’, this means that you are being asked to debate the subject of the essay. In other words, you need to be able to demonstrate that you have understood and evaluated both sides of the topic, problem, or opposing views in a theoretical perspective. At the same time, you need to be able to show, through rational evaluation of the evidence why you favour a particular view.

From this definition, it is clear that a ‘discuss’ essay is looking for balance, not bias or persuasion. In other words, the essay is not starting from one perspective and aiming to confirm this. Rather the intent of a ‘discuss’ essay is to deliver a work that clearly separates facts and opinions. The skills required for this include paraphrasing, summation, and the clear evaluation of different viewpoints. Common titles for a discuss essay include the format “AI is killing natural innovation from engineers. Discuss”, “Highlight and examine the advantages and disadvantages of home schooling for toddlers”, “Examine the arguments for and against the widespread mandatory delivery of the Covid-19 vaccine”. All of these titles require a discuss essay to be produced.

• A discuss essay of the highest standard will be logical, flow well and make arguments and statements based on knowledge and evidence, covering all perspectives.
• You should include all the most important (key) factors or issues in a subject area, highlighting where there is debate over these, ensuring that both sides of the argument are presented.
• Make statements and deliberations that are based only on credible and viable research, that has been previously well presented.

Structure of a Discuss Essay

Introduction.

In all essays the best introductions are those which draw in the reader with a strong statement from the outset.  The remainder of the introduction should give a brief indication of the subject being covered, the key points that will be discussed, and if you wish, anticipated conclusions. You should also incorporate any acronyms, or industry specific terms that will be covered in the essay.

Main Body of the work

The main body (or the meat of the essay) should be divided into separate paragraphs that each cover one distinct point or statement.  A discuss essay requires presentation of evidence, so each paragraph should be focused on one point with both for and against perspectives, before a final summary point identifying one or the other as being justified.  In all cases, any points made should be backed up by evidence, correctly cited and referenced at the end of your work.

Important point: The evidence provided, and references cited should only come from valid, credible sources, preferably peer-reviewed articles, and fully referenced. It is vital to ensure that the views expressed are not opinions but have been delivered based on evidence of wider reading in the field.

To ensure a logical flow, you should raise the main or key points of an arguments first, and then move onto sub-arguments, ensuring that all the paragraphs are well linked to deliver a cohesive, essay that flows in a logical way.

A discuss essay conclusion should contain two elements.  Firstly, a summary of the core ideas, returning to the evidence presented and the points made, along with an indication of which you believe delivered the strongest arguments for or against the statement in the title.

Secondly, a discuss essay should give your opinion, which should be grounded in the presented evidence, to demonstrate your ability to draw a conclusion from the data considered.  In other words, following an internal debate with yourself, evaluating the information available, you should demonstrate that you have an informed opinion on the subject under discussion.

To help you in the construction of your discussion essay, we have put together a list of key words and phrases that can be used to ensure you deliver a first-class piece of work.

Key Discussion Essay Vocabulary

When presenting evidence:.

• It is suggested that…
• Evidence available indicates that….
• It has been indicated that…
• Aspects of the work suggest that…
• The evidence presented supports the view that…
• The evidence presented however overlooks…
• Closer examination suggests….

For summarising, the following phrases are useful:

• The most important

When introducing an opinion:

• There is no doubt that…
• A key argument in favour is that…
• I believe that…

• Writing tips

What is Critical Writing? the Key Points

by Glenn Stevens

Introduction

During your academic career critical writing is a core skill, distinguishing students who engage deeply with their subjects from those just trying to ‘get by’. This form of expression goes beyond mere description; it involves the thoughtful analysis, evaluation, and interpretation of information. In this post, we aim to understand the essence of critical writing, exploring its characteristics, significance, and practical tips for honing this valuable skill.

Defining Critical Writing

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.

Key Characteristics of Critical Writing:

• Critical writing requires the ability to analyse information and evaluate its strengths and weaknesses. This involves considering the evidence, logic, and methodology employed in an argument.
• Critical writers are adept at questioning assumptions, both their own and those embedded in the texts they encounter. This involves a willingness to challenge preconceived notions and explore alternative viewpoints.
• Precision in language is crucial in critical writing. It requires the careful selection of words and phrases to convey ideas with clarity, avoiding ambiguity and ensuring the reader understands the nuances of the argument.
• Critical writers synthesize information from various sources to construct a cohesive and well-reasoned argument. This involves integrating diverse perspectives and evidence into a unified narrative.
• Critical writing is synonymous with independent thinking. It encourages writers to develop their own informed opinions rather than relying solely on the opinions of others.
• Rather than dismissing opposing viewpoints, critical writing engages with them. This involves acknowledging and responding to counterarguments, demonstrating a nuanced understanding of the topic.
• Critical writers consider the broader context in which ideas are presented. This includes historical, cultural, and theoretical contexts that may influence the interpretation of information.

Significance of Critical Writing:

• Critical writing fosters intellectual rigour by encouraging writers to delve deeply into their subjects, question assumptions, and rigorously evaluate evidence.
• Through critical writing, scholars contribute to ongoing academic conversations. They offer new perspectives, challenge existing ideas, and add depth to the collective body of knowledge.
• Engaging in critical writing hones analytical skills. Writers learn to dissect complex information, identify key components, and evaluate the relationships between different elements.
• Clarity and precision in critical writing contribute to effective communication. The ability to convey complex ideas in a clear and compelling manner is a valuable skill in academia and beyond.
• Embracing critical writing nurtures a growth mindset. Writers see challenges as opportunities for learning and improvement, continually refining their analytical and expressive abilities.

Example: descriptive v critical

In the example below, a descriptive paragraph covering an academic source is compared with a critical example of the same reviewed book. Notice how the critical version is rather longer.

Practical Tips for Developing Critical Writing Skills:

• Approach texts with a critical eye. Question the author’s arguments, evidence, and assumptions as you read.
• Reflect on your own assumptions and biases. Consider how they may influence your interpretation of information.
• Discussing ideas with peers and mentors can provide valuable insights and expose you to diverse perspectives.
• Solicit feedback on your writing from peers or instructors. Constructive feedback can highlight areas for improvement and help refine your critical writing skills.
• Actively seek out perspectives that challenge your own. This can broaden your understanding of a topic and enhance your critical thinking abilities.

Conclusion:

In the realm of academia, critical writing is more than a skill; it’s a mindset that drives intellectual exploration and contributes to the advancement of knowledge. By analyzing, evaluating, and questioning, critical writers not only navigate the complex landscape of ideas but also shape it. As you embark on your academic journey, embrace the art of critical writing, recognising its power to elevate your scholarship and make meaningful contributions to the world of ideas.

For beginners/ first year undergraduates

Koons, M. (2018) Writing a Critical Essay WriteIllusionLLC

Learning how to write a proper critical essay is crucial for being able to enhance, practice, and apply critical thinking skills. This book will teach students and learners of any age how to write a critical essay. It takes an introductory approach and assumes that the reader has never written a critical essay before.

For Postgraduates

Wallace, M. & Wray, A. Critical Reading and Writing for Postgraduates. Sage

Reading critically, and writing using critical techniques, are crucial skills you need to apply to your academic work.  If you need to engage with published (or unpublished) literature such as essays, dissertations or theses, research papers or oral presentations, this proven guide helps you develop a reflective and advanced critical approach to your research and writing.

Glenn Stevens

Glenn is an academic writing and research specialist with 15 years experience writing, editing, PhD and Masters supervision and journal editing. He is also a qualified English teacher. His prior career was in magazine publishing. He is now editor of this blog. Contact Glenn

Share this:

Tags: academic writing critical writing

You may also like...

The limitations section: Common Limitations in Research

 by Glenn Stevens · Published

Acknowledgements page: Expressing Gratitude & Recognition

Avoiding Plagiarism in Literature Reviews

• Next story  The limitations section: Common Limitations in Research
• Previous story  Paraphrasing for Academic Writing

• Academic Writing Service
• Privacy Policy

Useful articles? Why not buy the author a coffee using the link below.

academic research academic writing AI Artificial intelligence ChatGPT critical writing data dissertation doctorate Editing ethics interviews Introduction leadership Literature review management masters methodology methods mixed methods Paraphrasing phd phd thesis plagiarism proofreading proof reading psychology qualitative qualitative research quantitative quantitative research research research design researcher sampling student students supervisor survey technology theory thesis undergraduate university Writing

IOE - Faculty of Education and Society

Writing critically

Academic writing: Writing critically

Learn how to show critical analysis in academic writing and write critically.

Critical analysis

Writing a critique (or critical review).

What does the term “critical analysis” mean in the context of academic writing? Showing critical analysis in academic writing could mean:

• Demonstrating your understanding of reading/evidence (“this appears to demonstrate that…”; “this implies…”; “this could result in…”).
• Showing reasoning and conclusions from your reading/reflections (“therefore…”; “as such…”).
• Considering questions such as “why”, “what if” and “so what”.
• Showing you understand how different ideas/evidence/perspectives relate to each other (“this is linked to Smith's concept of X…”; Building on Jones (2012), Green (2016) suggests…”).
• Demonstrating an understanding of how theories or research apply in your practice/context.
• Identifying possible limitations of research/theory and how these relate to your own arguments or own context (“in the context of international development…”; “in terms of learning in the Science classroom…”).
• Identifying how something could be interpreted or done differently (in relation to your reading and/or practice).

Back to top

Criticality?

If you have been told your writing is not critical enough, it probably means that your writing treats the knowledge claims as if they are true, well-supported, and applicable in the context you are writing about. This may not always be the case.

In these two examples, the extracts refer to the same section of text. In each example, the section that refers to a source has been highlighted in bold. The note below the example then explains how the writer has used the source material. 

Example a: " There is a strong positive effect on students, both educationally and emotionally, when the instructors try to learn to say students' names without making pronunciation errors (Kiang, 2004)". This is a simple paraphrase with no critical comment. It looks like the writer agrees with Kiang. This is not a good example of critical writing, as the writer has not made any critical comment.

Example b: "Kiang (2004) gives various examples to support his claim that 'the positive emotional and educational impact on students is clear' (p.210) when instructors try to pronounce students' names in the correct way. He quotes one student, Nguyet, as saying that he 'felt surprised and happy' (p.211) when the tutor said his name clearly . The emotional effect claimed by Kiang is illustrated in quotes such as these, although the educational impact is supported more indirectly through the chapter. Overall, he provides more examples of students being negatively affected by incorrect pronunciation, and it is difficult to find examples within the text of a positive educational impact as such". The writer describes Kiang's (2004) claim and the examples which he uses to try to support it. The writer then comments that the examples do not seem balanced and may not be enough to support the claims fully. This is a better example of writing which expresses criticality.

A critique (or critical review) is not to be mistaken for a literature review. A “critical review”, or “critique”, is a complete type of text (or genre), discussing one particular article or book in detail. In some instances, you may be asked to write a critique of two or three articles (e.g. a comparative critical review). In contrast, a “literature review”, which also needs to be “critical”, is a part of a larger type of text, such as a chapter of your dissertation. Most importantly: read your article/book as many times as possible, as this will make the critical review much easier.

Read and take notes

To improve your reading confidence and efficiency, visit our pages on reading. After you are familiar with the text, make notes on some of the following questions.

Choose the questions which seem suitable:

• What kind of article is it (for example does it present data or does it present purely theoretical arguments)?
• What is the main area under discussion?
• What are the main findings?
• What are the stated limitations?
• Where does the author's data and evidence come from? Are they appropriate/sufficient?
• What are the main issues raised by the author?
• What questions are raised?
• How well are these questions addressed?
• What are the major points/interpretations made by the author in terms of the issues raised?
• Is the text balanced? Is it fair/biased?
• Does the author contradict herself?
• How does all this relate to other literature on this topic?
• How does all this relate to your own experience, ideas and views?
• What else has this author written? Do these build/complement this text?
• (Optional) Has anyone else reviewed this article? What did they say? Do I agree with them?

Organise your writing

You first need to summarise the text that you have read. One reason to summarise the text is that the reader may not have read the text. 

In your summary, you will:

• Focus on points within the article that you think are interesting.
• Summarise the author(s) main ideas or argument.
• Explain how these ideas/argument have been constructed. For example, is the author basing her arguments on data that they have collected? Are the main ideas/argument purely theoretical?

In your summary you might answer the following questions:

• Why is this topic important?
• Where can this text be located? For example, does it address policy studies?
• What other prominent authors also write about this?

Evaluation is the most important part in a critical review. Use the literature to support your views. You may also use your knowledge of conducting research, and your own experience. Evaluation can be explicit or implicit.

Explicit evaluation

Explicit evaluation involves stating directly (explicitly) how you intend to evaluate the text, e.g. "I will review this article by focusing on the following questions. First, I will examine the extent to which the authors contribute to current thought on Second Language Acquisition (SLA) pedagogy. After that, I will analyse whether the authors' propositions are feasible within overseas SLA classrooms."

Implicit evaluation

Implicit evaluation is less direct. The following section on Linguistic features of writing a critical review contains language that evaluates the text. A difficult part of the evaluation of a published text (and a professional author) is how to do this as a student. There is nothing wrong with making your position as a student explicit and incorporating it into your evaluation. Examples of how you might do this can be found in the section on Linguistic features of writing a critical review. You need to remember to locate and analyse the author's argument when you are writing your critical review. For example, you need to locate the authors' view of classroom pedagogy as presented in the book/article and not present a critique of views of classroom pedagogy in general.

Linguistic features of a critical review

The following examples come from published critical reviews. Some of them have been adapted for student use.

• This article/book is divided into two/three parts. First...
• While the title might suggest...
• The tone appears to be...
• [Title] is the first/second volume in the series [Title], edited by... The books/articles in this series address...
• The second/third claim is based on...
• The author challenges the notion that...
• The author tries to find a more middle ground/make more modest claims...
• The article/book begins with a short historical overview of...
• Numerous authors have recently suggested that... (see [Author, Year]; [Author, Year]). [Author] would also be one such author. With his/her argument that...
• To refer to [Title] as a... is not to say that it is...
• This book/article is aimed at... This intended readership...
• The author's book/article examines the... To do this, the author first...
• The author develops/suggests a theoretical/pedagogical model to…
• This book/article positions itself firmly within the field of...
• The author in a series of subtle arguments, indicates that he/she...
• The argument is therefore...
• The author asks "..."
• With a purely critical/postmodern take on...
• [Topic], as the author points out, can be viewed as...
• In this recent contribution to the field of... this British author...
• As a leading author in the field of...
• This book/article nicely contributes to the field of... and complements other work by this author...
• The second/third part of... provides/questions/asks the reader...
• [Title] is intended to encourage students/researchers to...
• The approach taken by the author provides the opportunity to examine... in a qualitative/quantitative research framework that nicely complements...
• The author notes/claims that state support/a focus on pedagogy/the adoption of...remains vital if...
• According to [Author, Year] teaching towards examinations is not as effective as it is in other areas of the curriculum. This is because, as [Author, Year] claims that examinations have undue status within the curriculum.
• According to [Author, Year]… is not as effective in some areas of the curriculum/syllabus as others. Therefore, the author believes that this is a reason for some schools…
• This argument is not entirely convincing, as...furthermore it commodifies/rationalises the...
• Over the last five/10 years the view of... has increasingly been viewed as “complicated” (see [Author, Year]; [Author, Year]).
• However, through trying to integrate... with... the author...
• There are difficulties with such a position.
• Inevitably, several crucial questions are left unanswered/glossed over by this insightful/timely/interesting/stimulating book/article. Why should...
• It might have been more relevant for the author to have written this book/article as...
• This article/book is not without disappointment from those who would view... as...
• This chosen framework enlightens/clouds...
• This analysis intends to be... but falls a little short as...
• The authors rightly conclude that if...
• A detailed, well-written and rigorous account of...
• As a Korean student I feel that this article/book very clearly illustrates...
• The beginning of... provides an informative overview of...
• The tables/figures do little to help/greatly help the reader...
• The reaction by scholars who take a... approach might not be so favourable (e.g. Author, Year).
• This explanation has a few weaknesses that other researchers have pointed out (see [Author, Year]; [Author, Year]). The first is...
• On the other hand, the author wisely suggests/proposes that... By combining these two dimensions...
• The author's brief introduction to... may leave the intended reader confused as it fails to properly...
• Despite my inability to... I was greatly interested in...
• Even where this reader/I disagree(s), the author's effort to...
• The author thus combines... with... to argue... which seems quite improbable for a number of reasons. First...
• Perhaps this aversion to... would explain the author's reluctance to...
• As a second language student from ... I find it slightly ironic that such an Anglo-centric view is...
• The reader is rewarded with...
• Less convincing is the broad-sweeping generalisation that...
• There is no denying the author's subject knowledge nor his/her...
• The author's prose is dense and littered with unnecessary jargon...
• The author's critique of...might seem harsh but is well supported within the literature (see [Author, Year]; [Author, Year]; [Author, Year]). Aligning herself with the author, [Author, Year] states that...
• As it stands, the central focus of [Title] is well/poorly supported by its empirical findings...
• Given the hesitation to generalise to... the limitation of... does not seem problematic...
• For instance, the term... is never properly defined and the reader is left to guess as to whether...
• Furthermore, to label... as... inadvertently misguides...
• In addition, this research proves to be timely/especially significant to... as recent government policy/proposals has/have been enacted to...
• On this well-researched/documented basis the author emphasises/proposes that...
• Nonetheless, other research/scholarship/data tend to counter/contradict this possible trend/assumption... (see [Author, Year]; [Author, Year]).
• Without entering into details of the..., it should be stated that [Title] should be read by... others will see little value in...
• As experimental conditions were not used in the study the word “significant” misleads the reader.
• The article/book becomes repetitious in its assertion that...
• The thread of the author's argument becomes lost in an overuse of empirical data...
• Almost every argument presented in the final section is largely derivative, providing little to say about...
• She/he does not seem to take into consideration; however, that there are fundamental differences in the conditions of…
• As [Author, Year] points out, however, it seems to be necessary to look at…
• This suggests that having low… does not necessarily indicate that… is ineffective.
• Therefore, the suggestion made by [Author, Year]… is difficult to support.
• When considering all the data presented… it is not clear that the low scores of some students, indeed, reflect…
• Overall, this article/book is an analytical look at... which within the field of... is often overlooked.
• Despite its problems, [Title] offers valuable theoretical insights/interesting examples/a contribution to pedagogy and a starting point for students/researchers of... with an interest in...
• This detailed and rigorously argued...
• This first/second volume/book/article by... with an interest in... is highly informative...

An important note

We recommend that you do not search for other university guidelines on critical reviews. This is because the expectations may be different at other institutions. Ask your tutor for more guidance or examples if you have further questions.