Critically Reflective Writing.md

Critically Reflective Writing

• look at handout for analysis terms analysis and evaluation
• look at handout for descriptive vs critical / analytical writing
• look at Manchester Academic Phrasebank
• look at Verbs for Reporting
• Poulson and Wallace - Learning to read critically in teaching and learning
• SHU study guide

Paragraph Structure

Four stage model

1. Topic sentence - Descriptive

• main focus

2. Introduce Evidence

• give context on evidence
• introduce a link between sources

3. Evidence

• show evidence to back up argument
• highlight any agreement or disagreement
• why? to demonstrate that you've gathered a body of evidence

4. Discussion

• show that you have questioned your evidence
• explain conclusions drawn
• build as a thread

Critical Analysis vs Evaluation

In marking grid references to analysis and evaluation.

Critical Analysis	Critical Evaluation
Break down a topic into key (3 to 5) elements Examine each element in depth whilst being balanced in terms of word count Consider how these parts relate to one another	Break down a topic and question into key elements Present strenghts and weaknesses, identify gaps and justify suggested solutions. Compare and contrast to find similarities and differences in the wider literature Question the relevance and importance of the evidence

Descriptive vs Critical writing

What is the significance of what happened rather than just what happened.

Descriptive writing	Critical
Long quotes Observation derived from a single source	Paraphrases States significance

Manchester Academic Phrasebank

Use of Reporting Verbs

To communicate stance and opinion.

Verbs for reporting - University of Adelaide

Move away from neutral terms.

Synthesis

ability to take different pieces of literature and recognise connections