How to Conduct Critical Writing

Read the article on the following pages to learn how to write a critique. Then read David Rothenberg’s article, “How the Web Destroys the Quality of Students’ Research Papers” (attached) and write a critique of this article. In your writing, you should pay attention to the following:

1. On a separate page: title, thesis statement and outline
2. The title: Is your title informative enough? (Announce the topic clearly, accurately and briefly. Try not to use figurative language.)
3. Introduction: Have you define the subject of your critique and your point of view in the introduction and underlined your thesis statement?
4. Content: a) Have you identified and explained the author 's ideas, including specific passages that support your description of the author 's point of view? b) Have you offered your own opinion, explaining what you think about the author’s argument and describing several points with which you agree or disagree?
5. Conclusion: Have you “restate the thesis and reach beyond it” in your conclusion?
6. Documentation: Have you used appropriate forms when you quote, paraphrase or summarize the source material? Have you provided appropriate citation notes and a list of “Works Cited”? (If you cited only one work, it should be “Work Cited”.)

Grading

1. The title GOOD FAIR WEAK
2. Thesis statement GOOD FAIR WEAK
3. Outline GOOD FAIR WEAK
4. Introduction GOOD FAIR WEAK
5. Content a) GOOD FAIR WEAK b) GOOD FAIR WEAK
6. Conclusion GOOD FAIR WEAK
7. Documentation GOOD FAIR WEAK

Writing Critiques

Learning to write a critique is an important step in leaning to analyze critical opinions of the literary work you study.

When college professors ask you to write a critique of a text, they usually expect you to analyze and evaluate, not just summarize. A summary merely reports what the text said; that is, it answers only the question, "What did the author say?" A critique, on the other hand, analyzes, interprets, and evaluates the text, answering the questions how? why? and how well? A critique does not necessarily have to criticize the piece in a negative sense. Your reaction to the text may be largely positive, negative, or a combination of the two. It is important to explain why you respond to the text in a certain way.
Step 1. Analyze the text As you read the book or article you plan to critique, the following questions will help you analyze the text: • What is the author 's main point? • What is the author 's purpose? • What arguments does the author use to support the main point? • What evidence does the author present to support the arguments? • What are the author 's underlying assumptions or biases?
You may find it useful to make notes about the text based on these questions as you read.
Step 2. Evaluate the text After you have read the text, you can begin to evaluate the author 's ideas. The following questions provide some ideas to help you evaluate the text (Important: The following questions may help you to evaluate the text you intend to critique, but you are not supposed to write your critique directly answering these questions. Turn to step 3 for how to organize and write the critique.): • Is the argument logical? • Are the author 's facts accurate? • Have important terms been clearly defined? • Is there sufficient evidence for the arguments? • Do the arguments support the main point? • Does the text present and refute opposing points of view? • Does the text help you understand the subject? • Are there any words or sentences that evoke a strong response from you? What are those words or sentences? What is your reaction? • What is the origin of your reaction to this topic? When or where did you first learn about it? Can you think of people, articles, or discussions that have influenced your views? How might these be compared or contrasted to this text? • What questions or observations does this article suggest? That is, what does the article make you think about?
Step 3. Plan and write your critique Write your critique in standard essay form. It is generally best not to follow the author 's organization when organizing your analysis, since this approach lends itself to summary rather than analysis. Follow the general outline below: Begin with an introduction that defines the subject of your critique and express your point of view in a thesis statement. Your point of view should concern the ideas presented by the author. Defend your point of view by raising specific issues or aspects of the argument: • You will first need to identify and explain the author 's ideas. Include specific passages that support your description of the author 's point of view. • Explain what you think about the author’s argument. Describe several points with which you agree or disagree. For each of the points you mention, include specific passages from the text (you may summarize, quote, or paraphrase) that provide evidence for your point of view. • When you quote or paraphrase, remember to explain how the passages support your opinion.
Conclude your critique by summarizing your argument and re-emphasizing your opinion.
Adapted from: Rosen, Leonard J. and Laurence Behrens, eds. The Allyn & Bacon Handbook. 1994.

Cited: Adapted from: Rosen, Leonard J. and Laurence Behrens, eds. The Allyn & Bacon Handbook. 1994.