CRWTS

• Critical writing depends on critical thinking
• Critical reading


  Focused on getting beyond facts/information and into analysis or interpretation, engaged not only with what a text says, but also with how it presents that information and the context in which it was written
• Non-critical reading


  Focused on learning and understanding the information provided by a source, useful when consulting texts looking for facts/information
• Modes of critical analysis

  • Restatement (what a text says)
  • Description (what a text does)
  • Interpretation (what a text means)
• Transitioning from critical reading to critical writing

  • Reading and writing are the two of the macro skills essential for learning
  • Critical reading is not a process of passive consumption, but one of interaction and engagement between the reader and the text
• Reacting to a text

  Often done on an emotional and largely subjective, rather than on an intellectual and objective level, quick but shallow
• Responding to a text

  Requires a careful study of the ideas presented and arguments advanced in it, analytical and evaluative
• Differences between descriptive and critical/analytical writing

  • Descriptive writing (observation and imagination)
  • Critical/analytical writing (observation and logic to raise solid arguments, supported by evidence and elaborated in the text)
• Strategies to connect reading and writing

  • Annotate the text
  • Write exploratory responses
  • Use reading for invention
  • Keep a double-entry/dialectical journal
  • Don't give up!
• Critical academic writing


  An involvement in an academic debate, a refusal to accept the conclusions of other writers without evaluating the arguments and evidence they provide, the aim is to discuss the controversies in an intelligent way
• Tips to help reflect critical thinking in critical academic writing

  • Answer the right and relevant questions
  • Give enough context
  • Include references to material read
  • Group different studies thematically or categorically
  • Explain source material to show why it is valuable and relevant
  • Discuss ideas from source texts
  • Justify judgments
  • Acknowledge drawbacks or limitations of ideas
  • Avoid absolute statements, use hedging language
  • Make intelligent suggestions, guesses or hypotheses
  • Make meaningful and objective conclusions
  • Do not ignore arguments just because you disagree
  • Avoid praising authors just because they are famous
  • Check that your argument flows logically
• Constructing a good academic argument


  An evidence-based claim designed to advance a specific field of study, demonstrates understanding of foundational research and implications of results
• Elements of a well-reasoned argument (Toulmin method)


  • Claim
  • Reason/Grounds
  • Qualifier
  • Warrant
  • Backing
  • Conditions of Rebuttal
• Critical evaluation of source materials

  Allows you to evaluate the strength of the argument being made by the work
• Critical reading means applying certain processes, models, questions, and theories that result in enhanced clarity and comprehension
• Cleveland State University Writing Center: '"Critical reading means that a reader applies certain processes, models, questions, and theories that result in enhanced clarity and comprehension."'
• Simon Fraser University "Resources on Argumentation in Academic Writing": '6 Elements of a Well-Reasoned Argument'
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: '"To read critically is to make judgments about how a text is argued. This is a highly reflective skill requiring you to 'stand back' and gain some distance from the text you are reading."'
• Sheldon Smith, Founder and Editor of EAPFoundation.com: '"In addition to what a text says, the reader needs to consider how it says it, who is saying it, when it was said, where it was said (i.e. published), and why it was said (i.e. the writer's purpose)."'
• University of Minnesota Center for Writing: '"When you understand how what you read is written, you can work to incorporate those techniques into your own writing"'
• Walden University Academic Skills Center: '"You are not simply absorbing the information; instead, you are interpreting, categorizing, questioning, and weighing the value of that information"'
• Feedback aids in revision and practice
• Feedback helps you take ownership of your writing
• Feedback gets you on the same page as your teacher
• Eric Schmieder: '"I think you have to face criticism with an open mind and a willingness to learn. Sometimes the comments are harsh, but mostly they are well-intentioned efforts to help you improve. Consider the source and select ones whose feedback you value when possible."'
• Feedback connects to your goals
• Feedback can be more important than your score
• Feedback helps you ask the right questions
• Feedback lets you determine what is most important
• How to do critical business writing

  1. Start by thinking about the purpose of the communication

  2. Target the specific audience

  3. Outline your goals and points

  4. Research and fact-check

  5. Pique the readers' interest

  6. Reach your audience

  7. Always proofread
• Three main ways of communication in business

  • Verbal
  • Non-verbal
  • Written
• Written business communication


  Emails, letters, technical reports, company brochures, press releases, manuals, presentation slides, case studies, sales materials, white papers, visual aids, social media updates, and other business documents
• Writing skills ensure effective business communication
• Importance of business writing skills

  • You can be more influential
  • Business writing conveys courtesy
  • Writing skills help to keep good records
  • You boost your professional confidence
  • You promote yourself and your career
  • You demonstrate your intelligence with quality writing
  • Good writers are credible
  • Business writing builds a solid web presence
• Strategies in critical writing

  1. Experienced writers showcase flexibility

  2. Writer thoroughly examines the subject through writing

  3. Writer decides on style and organization

  4. Writer decides which critical strategies to use
• Analysis


  The process of breaking something into its parts and putting the parts back together so that you can better understand the whole
• Causal analysis


  The process of explaining the causes and effects of a situation, event or action
• Synthesis


  The process of bringing together all your opinions, ideas, and research findings to create a new perspective on the topic
• Analytical strategies in critical writing

  • Comparison and contrast
  • Causal analysis
  • Synthesis
  • Evaluation
  • Persuasion
• Causal analysis


  Identify the origins and understand the results of a situation, event or action