1. Critical Reading & Writing
Tips
Tricks
Advice
Standards

2. What is “critical”?
Critique: “a detailed analysis and assessment of something, especially a literary, philosophical, or political theory.”
Not (necessarily) criticism: “the expression of disapproval of someone or something based on perceived faults or mistakes.”

3. Critical Reading Active reading.
As you read, you are constantly questioning, comparing, agreeing, disagreeing, and evaluating.
You should never read something and digest it as fact until you have read critically. Authors are human and they have human emotions, biases, and motivations.

4. Why bother?
Critical reading takes massive brain power and undivided attention.
It’s crucial for:
determining the value of reading material,
detecting logic that is faulty on the part of the author,
separating fact from opinion,
calling out illogical or sensational claims, and
determining whether to accept the information being presented or reject it.

5. CR Questions Author: Are they qualified? Why did they write it?
Who has a viewpoint on this?
Which viewpoints are represented in the article, and how? Biased/critiquing/etc
Which viewpoints are left out? Why might that be?
What is the goal of the article? Inform/persuade/comment?
What kind of language is used? Emotional/sensational/etc.
Are the evident biases that are detectable right away? After reading the whole article?

6. Critical Writing It’s all about the thesis.
The thesis is the main point you are trying to get across in your paper.
The intro leads to it
Every point you make supports it
The conclusion solidifies it
Thesis = anchor for your writing

7. Concrete Steps for Writing
Establish your thesis
Create an outline
Do a draft
Revise (x2, 3, 4, etc)

8. Outlines are CRUCIAL

9. Generic Outline

10. Introductions & Conclusions

11. Citation
Easybib and similar sites are great for ordering things correctly.
They WILL NOT proof your citation. See “ND.”
Some professors prefer MLA, some prefer APA, others may want Chicago or other formats.
Correct citation means BOTH in-line citation and bibliographies.
Patel in APA, Edwards in MLA

12. References for this ppt
Aimes online writing lab:
Purdue online writing lab:
Hancock, Ophelia. Reading Skills for College Students. 7th ed.
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2007.
Bloomfield College reading skills tutorial:
users.bloomfield.edu/department/tutorial/ReadingSkills/PPT/CriticalReadingSkills.ppt