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critical review

critical review. A critical review is a writing task that asks you to summarise and evaluate a text, which can be a book, a chapter, or a journal article.

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critical review

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  1. critical review A critical review is a writing task that asks you to summarise and evaluate a text, which can be a book, a chapter, or a journal article. This workshop will examine the basic structure of a critical review and focus on developing skills such as critical analysis and summary writing. See http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/critrev.html

  2. What is a Critical Review? Essentially a critical review consists of: • Asummary of a few key points of a text/s (book, chapter, journal article, website, etc) + • Considered comment related to the summary It is an analysis of available information about a particular topic Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 2012

  3. Structure of today’s session: • Expectations re academic literacy • Review of reading techniques • Review of summarising techniques • The art of • Critiquing • Critical reviewing • Critical analysing • Writing a conceptual paper • Evaluating Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 2012

  4. Bloom’s Cognitive Taxonomy • “Knowing the facts” is at the base of the pyramid • Each step depends on the prior step • Students are expected to be able to move through all levels to create new knowledge (especially post grad students) Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 2012 Anderson & Krathwohl (2001)

  5. Getting started: Critical reading Procedure for review: 1. Look at the big picture: that is, get an overview • Titles • Chapter headings/ journal headings • Reference list • Preface /Abstract • Diagrams/ Tables/ figures • Publisher • How does this article ‘fit’ with the topics of your course? This is important to form first impressions and is valuable for writing your Introduction Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 2012

  6. Critical reading cont 2. Read the text thoroughly and ask yourself: - How has this text enhanced your knowledge of your topic? - What questions do you still have? - How does this text ‘fit’ with your coursework? - What new ‘vistas’ have opened up? Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 2012

  7. Critical reading cont 3.Select concepts you are going to comment on: • Are they key points? • Are you still on track with your assignment guidelines?? 4. Now it is time to plan: • Organisation of concepts Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 2012

  8. R Rules for Summarising: • Focus on relevant aspects of the source text • Present the material accurately • Use your own words Strategies Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 2012

  9. F Checking your summary Consider: Length Vocabulary + technical terms Too close to the source? Have you clearly identified the source? Have you highlighted significant points? For example: Fundamentally the issue of sustainability remains unresolved. Source: Swales J. and Feak C. (2008). Academic Writing for graduate students. 2nd ed. Ann Arbor: Uni of Michigan Press. Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 2012

  10. Critical Review Introduction:Context, Thesis,Outline of main ideas http://www.tlu.fbe.unimelb.edu.au/pdfs/helpsheets/text_types/critical%20reviews.pdf Summary:follows outline pattern, appropriate length Evaluation/Critique:appropriatelength Conclusion:Restate thesis, reiterate main points References: Which style? Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 2012

  11. Two common ‘patterns’ for a critical review: Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 2012

  12. The Introduction requires: • Bibliographical details • Purpose of author (as a context) • Author’s main argument • Your main response • Definition of terms ? (If you are asked to review an issue or theme discussed in your course, or to review 2 or more texts on the same topic then your Introduction must reflect this.) ( Source: The Writing Center Uni of Wisconsin- Madison www.wisc.edu/writing/handbook/ CriNonFiction_intro.html) Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 2012

  13. The Body requires: • Your summary of main ideas from the set text + • Your discipline perspective on each of these ideas- based on evidence sourced from additional readings. • Your synthesis of the ideas other researchers in the field have generated. • Ideas not randomly discussed! An analytical approach required. Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 2012 Source: Derish, P., & Annesley, T. (2011). ‘How to write a rave review’, Clinical Chemistry 57(3), p.388-391.

  14. The Body: considerations • Key ideas • Limitations/ shortcomings/strengths of these ideas • Methodology/ discussion justified? • Conclusions sound? • Its contribution to the field of study (ie the value of the study). What contribution does it make to the body of knowledge ? Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 2012 Source: Derish, P., & Annesley, T. (2011). ‘How to write a rave review’, Clinical Chemistry 57(3), p.388-391.

  15. Ways of thinking about academic paragraph structure Basic Argument paragraph structure Short cut Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 2012

  16. Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 2012

  17. Conclusion to review • Summarises the overall worth of the text • What do all these ideas mean? • Future directions? • Other comments? Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 2012 Source: Derish, P., & Annesley, T. (2011). ‘How to write a rave review’, Clinical Chemistry 57(3), p.388-391. ( Source: The Writing Center Uni of Wisconsin- Madison www.wisc.edu/writing/handbook/ CriNonFiction_intro.html)

  18. So… to write a good critical review you need to develop • “analytical habits of thinking, speaking, discussing, reading and writing…to go beneath the surface impressions and traditional myths, mere opinions and routine clichés. • [an] understanding [of] the social contexts and consequences of any subject matter; discovering the deep meaning of any event, text, technique, process, object, statement image or situation; [and] applying that meaning to your own context”. Shor (1993) Helen Farrell The Learning Centre 2011

  19. Resources for writing a review: • www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/critrev.html • http://www.csu.edu.au/division/studserv/my-studies/learning/guides/appraisal • http://www.monash.edu.au/lls/llonline/quickrefs/26-critical-review.xml • http://www.csu.edu.au/division/studserv/my-studies/learning/guides/appraisal#types • http://www.tlu.fbe.unimelb.edu.au/pdfs/helpsheets/text_types/critical%20reviews.pdf *** Helen Farrell, The Learning Centre 2012

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