Critical Academic Writing for Technology-Oriented Masters Courses

Contents

• What do we mean by 'critical academic writing'?
• Why is it crucial for Masters students in technology?
• Key features and techniques, including the use of critical vocabulary.
• Practical strategies and examples to get you started.
• How to structure your critical writing effectively.
• Common mistakes and how to avoid them.

What is Critical Academic Writing?

Critical academic writing goes beyond describing or summarizing information.

Strong, critical writing requires you to actively analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information.

Doing so enables you to build your own, well-supported arguments based on evidence.

In short, critical writing is an active, engaged intellectual process.

Questioning assumptions; Carefully weighing evidence; Constructing reasoned arguments.

Essential at Masters level

At Masters level, you are expected to demonstrate your own independent thinking.

This means moving beyong simply demonstrating an understanding of the field.

You should be aiming to show your ability to apply that understanding to the topic area you are researching.

What your assessors are looking for:

• Higher Expectations: They want to see you engaging, utilising, applying the ideas, theories or models you are researching, not just recounting them.
• Disciplinary Relevance: In technology, you need to:
  • Critique research methods and data.
  • Evaluate the impact and limitations of findings.
  • Synthesize diverse sources to propose innovative ideas, recommendations or solutions of your own.
• Professional Value: Critical writing is a highly valued employability skill. It helps you solve complex problems and communicate insights effectively in any professional setting.

Key Features and Techniques

Critical academic writing - Core approaches:

• Analysis: Break down arguments, identify relationships between ideas, and question underlying assumptions.
• Evaluation: Judge the quality, reliability, and relevance of your evidence. Use frameworks like CRAAP (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose) to assess your sources.
• Synthesis: Integrate evidence from multiple sources to build a coherent argument. This isn't just a collection of summaries; it's about weaving information together to support your point.
• Argumentation: Develop a clear thesis statement and support it with logical reasoning and strong evidence. Remember to address counterarguments and alternative perspectives to show a balanced understanding.
• Academic Style: Use precise, formal language. Avoid overusing direct quotes; instead, paraphrase and synthesize information to demonstrate your understanding.

Using Critical Vocabulary and Phraseology

To clearly demonstrate your critical thinking, use appropriate language.

Incorporating specific "critical verbs" and phrases signals to your reader that you are actively engaging with the material, not just summarizing it.

Applying critical thinking and communicating it through the use of critical vocabulary elevates your writing from descriptive to critical.

See the Academic Phrasebank for detailed advice on phraseology: https://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/ and https://graduate.indianapolis.iu.edu/doc/support/gmc/Academic-Phrasebank.pdf

Analysis - Examples:

For Analysis (breaking down and examining):

• "This study analyzes the factors influencing..."
• "The data reveals a correlation between..."
• "We must deconstruct the argument to understand its components..."
• "The framework distinguishes between..."
• Other words: examine, investigate, explore, identify, differentiate, categorize, compare, contrast.

Evaluation - Examples:

For Evaluation (judging worth, credibility, or significance):

• "Jones's methodology is critiqued due to its small sample size..."
• "The findings suggest a limitation in the current model..."
• "This approach effectively demonstrates the potential of..."
• "However, its practical application is questionable because..."
• Other words: assess, appraise, evaluate, argue, debate, challenge, justify, validate, refute, weigh, consider, dispute, conclude.

For Synthesis (combining ideas to form a new whole):

• "Integrating insights from both theories, we can propose a hybrid model..."
• "The literature converges on the idea that..."
• "This forms the basis for a new understanding of..."
• "Drawing upon these diverse sources, it can be synthesized that..."
• Other words: integrate, combine, formulate, construct, develop, propose, draw conclusions, derive.

Practical Strategies and Examples

Putting this into practice:

Reading Critically

• As you read, ask: What's the author's main argument? What evidence supports it? What are its limitations or weaknesses?
• As you read, consider: What does this mean for your ideas? How does it align or contest your current thinking?
• Annotate as you read. Make notes on strengths, weaknesses, and any gaps you find.

Writing Critically

Move from description to analysis:

• Descriptive Example: "Smith (2020) found that AI improves efficiency." (This just states a fact.)
• Critical Example: "While Smith (2020) demonstrates AI’s potential for efficiency, the study’s limited sample size raises questions about generalizability. Furthermore, Jones (2022) suggests that ethical considerations remain underexplored." (This analyzes the finding, questions its limitations, and introduces another perspective, using critical verbs.)

Remember to use evidence to support every claim and cite appropriately.

Structuring your writing

Familiarise yourself with the function each part of a piece of academic writing:

• Introduction sets the stage for the academic work, providing background information, stating the research problem or question, and outlining the paper's scope and purpose.
• Literature review critically evaluates existing research and scholarly articles relevant to the topic, demonstrating the author's understanding of the current state of knowledge and identifying gaps that the current study aims to address.
• Methodology sections details the research design, participants, data collection instruments, and data analysis procedures, explaining how the study was conducted to ensure replicability and validity.of that evidence.
• Results section presents the findings of the study objectively, often using tables, figures, and statistical analyses to summarize the collected data without interpretation.
• Discussion interprets the results in relation to the research questions and existing literature, exploring their implications, limitations, and suggesting areas for future research.
• Conclusion summarizes the main findings and their significance, reiterates the answer to the research question or problem, and offers final thoughts or recommendations.

Structuring paragraphs

Every paragraph should have:

• A topic sentence stating your main point.
• Evidence to support it.
• Your analysis of that evidence.
• A link back to your overall thesis.

Example:

"Research indicates that while digital communication has enhanced cross-cultural connectivity, it often fails to foster deep relationships (Harrison, 2017). This suggests that technological solutions alone may not address the complexities of intercultural engagement, highlighting the need for further research into context-specific factors."

Avoiding common mistakes:

• Being Too Descriptive: Don't just report what others have said. Always add your own analysis and interpretation.
• Lack of Focus: Stay aligned with your thesis and research question. Every part of your writing should contribute to your main argument.
• Overusing Quotes: Use direct quotes sparingly. Paraphrase and synthesize to show you've truly engaged with the material.
• Weak Evidence: Always evaluate your sources for credibility and relevance. Avoid outdated or non-scholarly material.
• Ignoring Counterarguments: Acknowledge and address alternative viewpoints. This shows a balanced, nuanced, and truly critical argument.

Q&A?