Critical Reading and Requirements

Critical reading and critiquing research Chris McMillan

What did I learn in the previous session and what I am hoping to get out of today’s session?

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Consider how to approach academic reading

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Reflect upon active reading techniques

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Understand how to critique academic research

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Practice active reading strategies

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Last week we considered critical thinking as a questioning attitude

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This week we will seek to apply this attitude to reading and critiquing research

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This will involve the discussion of a range of thinking techniques…

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…and a lot of reading practice and discussion: as always, respect is the key to maintaining productive discussion

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Critical Thinking: A questioning attitude towards knowledge

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Analysis: The process of breaking a topic into smaller parts

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Critique/Critical Analysis: Disciplined, critical and systematic analysis

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Assignment questions

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Problems and issues

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Academic research

‌getting involved in the academic debate

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Taking a critical and active attitude to reading is the most important first step in this debate

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Once you have identified the parameters of your project, it is vital to read widely

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You are not reading simply to catalogue information, but to find your intervention into the research

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Brunel Library holds approximately 500,000 books

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Searching ‘research’ in the library database produces 18,466,866 hits

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Projects have limited word counts

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What to do?

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What is it you need to find out? Construct the parameters of your project

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What do you need to read? Establish the seminal research in your field

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What do you want to read?

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Is it relevant?

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Is it recent?

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Is it academic?

What makes an academic source academic?  

Peer reviewed Validated within community of scholars

How can you tell a scholarly source apart from a popular source? (especially tricky online)  Found through library databases  Published by a university or scholarly or professional society  Full publication data available

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An academic source has authority, but this does not mean that it cannot be challenged

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Tonight we will consider how to challenge scholarly research in an academic fashion

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This begins with an active and curious attitude towards research and reading

How do you normally approach academic reading?

How could you go about it differently to achieve better results?

…’take’ suggests you are just getting something from somewhere else. (wiktionary: ‘to get into one’s possession’) …’make’ suggests you are at least partly creating something. (wiktionary: ‘to create, construct or produce’).

NoteMAKING means we are contributing to the process, adding our own response and aspects of our knowledge and learning style

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Read the ‘Spelling’ hand-out

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Try to identify the main argument and supporting evidence and reasoning

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Make notes as you read and create three questions that you would use to challenge the author

Why are you reading?

Survey Question Read Repeat Review

Set goals for your reading Read quickly: skim or scan In-depth Critical Analysis Are your questions answered?

Key Tip Don’t read, interrogate

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Familiarise yourself with the structure and the context of the research

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Identify and summarise the main argument/conclusion

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Consider the method used to generate knowledge

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Evaluate the reasoning defending the argument

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Critically examine the evidence supporting this reasoning

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Summarise your position

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Who are the researchers?

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What is the context for the research?

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What is the research trying to do?

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What elements are you interested in? ◦ Set yourself questions

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Where in the research can you find this information? ◦ Skim read

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Find the issue/question/objectives to which the research is responding

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Consider the core response to these issues

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Both these elements should be located in the introduction and conclusion of academic work

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How has the knowledge been generated?

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What research methods have been used? ◦ Are they valid and reliable?

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What are the philosophical underpinnings or frameworks of understanding of the research? ◦ e.g. What assumptions are the researchers making about how the world works?

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Examine the research and identity the explanations that you disagree with

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This is often an instinctive process, but needs to be developed academically – it is discipline specific

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An argument can be consistent but still disputable: ◦ ‘The private sector is more efficient. G4S is a private sector firm, therefore they should be awarded this security contract’

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Often critique is a matter of identifying founding assumptions

You don’t necessarily need to know each type of logical fallacy by name – here is an instructive (but not ultimate) list

This is the act of critical thinking as much as anything.

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Assumptions are unstated reasons

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When is a point argued, and when is it assumed?

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Assumptions provide an opportunity to critique an argument

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Conversely, some assumptions are necessary

‘Vegetarianism is wrong because it is unnatural’ ◦ Is vegetarianism unnatural? (critique of reasoning and evidence) ◦ Are unnatural things wrong? (critique of assumptions)

‘University enrolments in the Social Sciences will fall as fees rise and students look for value for money courses.’ ◦ At what point would you not have to argue any assumptions in this statement?

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Read the ‘Class’ article

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Identify the main argument

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How is this supported?

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How has it been generated?

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Is there sufficient evidence?

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Is it reliable and valid?

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Is it representative and relevant?

◦ Does it use examples, primary research or secondary research?

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Thinking about the ‘class’ article; ◦ What kind of evidence has been used? ◦ Is this evidence academic?

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In groups, consider how you could respond to this argument (either for, against, or somewhere in between) ◦ What evidence would you try to find? ◦ What questions would you ask?

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Summarise the author’s position

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Critically note the strengths and flaws of the research

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What have you learnt?

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What do you disagree with?

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How will you use this source in your own research?

Key Tip

Always consider how you will use the research in your writing

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Read the short academic paper on student fees

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Practice the SQ3R method

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What is the context?

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What is the main argument?

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Consider methods, evidence and reasoning

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What is your critical intervention?

Survey Question Read Repeat Review

What did I learn from today and how could I use it in my own work?

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Critical and active reading is the first step to finding your intervention into academic debate

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Always focus your reading and interrogate research for answers

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Try to find the key arguments and identify how they are supported and why

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November 1st : Developing and Planning Arguments

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November 8th: Writing Critically