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Succeeding in postgraduate study
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1 Being critical in your reading

As your aim when critically analysing material is to respond objectively to what you are reading or thinking through, you need to keep an open mind and be prepared to question the author’s claims. This means that you should try to be aware of any preconceptions you have that might be skewing the way you think about an argument. As you read, allow yourself opportunities to check your understanding and revisit sections if you are unsure of their meaning. How you do this and the questions you ask will vary depending on what – and why – you are reading (for example, you might be responding to an assignment question). As a result, you must always be prepared to adapt your approach according to the demands of the material.

An approach for thinking and reading critically

Although there is no one ‘right’ way of thinking and reading critically, you will find it useful to get some basic tasks done before moving on to an evaluation of any material. Try the following three steps:

  1. identify the thrust of the information
  2. analyse the material
  3. compare and apply the information.

Identify the thrust of the information

First, identify the general thrust of the argument within the information you are reading. At this stage you are simply trying to define and be aware of the subject matter. Try to identify the main points of the argument, the claims being made, evidence used, and conclusions reached.

Analyse the material

As you read, think about whether or not the material is relevant to your needs. Here are some questions that might help in your analysis:

  • Does the information make sense in relation to other theories and research? Where in the broader picture does this particular argument sit?
  • How old is the material?
  • Is the material clear, or do you need to find additional information to aid your understanding?
  • Can you identify any implications that might require you to look for other material? (Perhaps complementary explanations of a phenomenon if the original material is not comprehensive enough.)
  • Does the argument present a balanced view, or is the author disregarding some topics in order to put forward a particular argument?

Compare and apply information

Assignment questions will often ask you to apply theories, principles or formulae to situations. The process of trying to apply what you are learning can help you to build your understanding of the subject. Try looking for:

  • The implications of one piece of information for another.
  • Weaknesses that might be revealed when you apply the idea to a real-life situation.
  • A lack of coverage. Does the theory or formula only go so far, and do you need to rely upon another theory or principle to complete your understanding?

Activity 1 Applying the concepts of critical thinking

Timing: Allow approximately 45 minutes

Read the article Adolescent leadership: the female voice [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)]   and consider it against the following questions. Provide your responses in the text box below.

  • What ideas and information are presented and how were they obtained?
  • Are there unsupported assertions?
  • Are reasons or evidence provided?
  • Are the reasons and evidence given relevant?
  • Is the method used to find the evidence sound?
  • Is the evidence correct or valid?
  • What assumptions have been made?
  • Are you convinced about the conclusion(s) reached?
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Now watch the following presentation, which uses the same article. The presentation shows how the concepts of critical reading, analysis and argument can be applied to an academic journal article. How does it compare with your responses?

Download this video clip.Video player: Analysis of ‘Adolescent Leadership: The Female Voice’
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Analysis of ‘Adolescent Leadership: The Female Voice’
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Discussion

It should have become evident that there are a series of questions it would be sensible to ask when engaging with an activity (such as reading an article or listening to a podcast) from a critical and analytical perspective. Here is a checklist to use when making judgements about material that you read:

  • Who is speaking or writing?
  • What is their point of view or perspective?
  • What ideas and information are presented and how were they obtained?
  • Are there unsupported assertions?
  • Are reasons or evidence provided?
  • Are the reasons and evidence given relevant?
  • Is the method used to find the evidence sound?
  • Is the evidence correct or valid?
  • What assumptions have been made?
  • What is fact and what is opinion?
  • What are the implicit and explicit values?
  • Are there unreasonable generalisations?
  • What has been omitted?
  • How was the conclusion reached?
  • Is the conclusion reasonable?
  • What other perspectives or points of view could there be?

You might like to keep this list with you as you read and begin to analyse texts. The list is not exhaustive, however, and you can add extra questions as you progress in your understanding.