Mastering Critical Research Writing: A Comprehensive Guide

1. RESEARCH WRITING SERIES 2 Being critical in research writing GRASP - Graduate Research Advanced Skills Program This workshop looks closely at the process and language of critique in achieving scholarly and balanced evaluations of the research work of others.

2. 2 Being critical in research writing • AIMS OF TODAY’S CLASS • Three questions are responded to - What is ‘critique’? • - What can be critiqued? • - What is the typical language of critique? • By the end of the workshop, participants will • be able to define ‘critique’ and understand its relations to analysis and argument in research writing. • have been introduced to the origins of critique, its applications and its limits. • understand the purpose of critique in the contemporary context of scholarly writing. • be able to conduct a critical review of a scholarly text, asking appropriate questions of the text. • have been introduced to the specific language used in critical review. • have practiced writing a critical response to texts/authors related to their research topic.

3. 2 Being critical in research writing Three main dimensions of academic writing ANALYSIS Breaking things down into parts, looking for relations between these parts in order to make meaning. *CRITIQUE The systematic application of doubt in order to arrive at a balanced evaluation. ARGUMENT The process of supporting one main, contestable claim, with other claims using reasoning and evidence.

4. 2 Being critical in research writing What is critique? 3 Definitions • 1. Immanuel Kant • (A paraphrase from Section 74 of The Critique of Judgement (1790;2005, p.181)) • We deal with a concept dogmatically…if we think about it as being already contained under another • concept which is already given and known. • However, we deal with a concept critically, if we think about it only in relation to our own cognitive faculties • and the ‘subjective conditions’ of thinking it, before making any firm judgements about it. • ‘Determinant Judgement’ • The universal category is already given, and the particular instance is understood with reference to the universal. • ‘Reflective Judgment’ • No universal category is given – so a new universal needs to be posited or imagined.

5. 2 Being critical in research writing What is critique? • Possible application of Kant’s approach, positing a relation between the universal and the particular - an example: • Dogmatically • Universal“Over the last two hundred years, industrial development has been disastrous for the natural environment.” • Particular“Human-induced climate change over the last century provides clear evidence of this destruction.” • Critically • “What evidence is there that industrial development has been disastrous for the environment?” • “What evidence is there that climate change over the last 100 years is, in fact, human-induced?” • Whose evidence do I trust? Why do I trust it? How do I define ‘climate change’ and ‘human-induced”? • “How do my ideological/political/cultural prejudices influence my views on the topic?” • “How did I arrive at these views? What empirical evidence and theoretical constructs did I apply?”

6. 2 Being critical in research writing What is critique? • If we follow Kant’s dictum, as effective researchers we should be performing critique at three levels: • Critique of an object (material, ideal or conceptual) already established as given or ‘true’. • Critique of the thinking of others about this object. • Critique of our own subjective conditions of thinking the object (in the light of the other two levels of critique), imagining the subjective conditions which produced these views about the object. This is a kind of meta-critique or critique of creitique.

7. 2 Being critical in research writing What is critique? 3 Definitions • Butler & Spivak(2011) • “…critique is the exploration of how it may be possible to think otherwise • persistently denaturalising and historicising the order of things…” • “ …a critical attitude is carried out by the willingness to submit fundamental truths • to questioning…” • “…the practice of critique entails risk-taking…It is ruthless in the sense that • itdoes not fear its own consequences…”

8. 2 Being critical in research writing What is critique? 3 Definitions 3. Ronald Barnett (Beyond competence, 1994) “…academic critique is reflection oriented towards understanding better the already existing understandings.” (p.166) “ Critique is not simply critical, but is constructive and is organized to develop solutions, or at least imaginative possibilities, for discussion. Critique is intended to move everything – purposes, situations and persons – forward.” (p.185)

9. 2 Being critical in research writing What are legitimate objects of critique in research writing? • Methodological design (nexus between ontology/epistemology/conceptual framework/methods) • Experimental design • Methods/tools/instruments • Scope of the research • Significance of the research • Data collection and analysis • Interpretation and discussion of findings • Methods/instruments • Research question/thesis statement/central claims • Written analysis/critique/argument • Argument: logical structure, coherence and cogency • Linguistic style/clarity of expression • Subsidiary claims/stated and unstated assumptions

10. 2 Being critical in research writing Claim Credibility Meta-Framework Onwuegbuzie & Frels (2016, p.165)

11. 2 Being critical in research writing Assessing the usefulness of an information source: some criteria • Authenticity the trustworthiness of the source • Merit the knowledge and competence of the author • Validity (of evidence) soundness of evidence in quantitative research • Credibility (of evidence) believability of evidence in qualitative research • Legitimationtrustworthiness of evidence in mixed research • Rigorous research practices adheres to standards accepted in the field • Internal validity establishes causal relationship between two variables • External validityextent to which results can be generalised • Content-related validity extent to which items on an instrument represent content • being measured (Onwuegbuzie & Frels, 2016, 164-168)

12. 2 Being critical in research writing The language of critique • The language of critique will be scholarly, balanced and evaluative – arriving at judgements through • the systematic application of evaluative criteria. • It will allow you to gradually build a case in support of your central claims. • It will demonstrate that you have carefully considered the strengths and weaknesses, and implicit assumptions • (at various levels) of the studies completed in the area so far. • Using concessional language, it will not be excessively ‘negative’ in its characterisation of other work. • It will qualify its own claims and recognize the limitations of the author’s work, and anticipate the • possibility of objections or counter claims.

13. 2 Being critical in research writing The language of critique An example of a critical review Sample Extracts | UNSW Current Students https://student.unsw.edu.au/sample-extracts

14. 2 Being critical in research writing REFERENCES Barnett, Ronald. 1994. The Limits of Competence. Buckingham, UK: SRHE &Open University Press. Butler, Judith and GayatriSpivak. 2011. “What is Critique?” (Conference promotional poster) http://www.frcps.uni-frankfurt.de/?page_id=2076 Kant, Immanuel. 1790/2005. Critique of judgement. New York: Dover Philosophical Classics. Onwuegbuzie, Anthony and Rebecca Frels, R. 2016. Seven steps to a comprehensive literature review. Los Angeles: Sage. ‘Writing a critical review’. 2018. Accessed 3rd April 2018 https://student.unsw.edu.au/sample-extracts