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A critical analysis is different from a review. In the latter, the reader describes his or her general impressions of the work only in a few words while giving feedback. The analysis involves a deeper understanding of the topic and consideration of the most important details.
Where to Start
First, you need to read the text of the article and understand its main goals. After this, several main points should be highlighted. Next, you need to analyze each aspect separately, describing the smallest details.
The Essence of Critical Analysis
When making a critical analysis, it is necessary to examine whether the article corresponds to the basic requirements. For example, if the author positions his or her work as research of a certain problem, it is necessary to find out whether he or she answered the key questions and whether his or her work brought valuable conclusions for the science. It is also important to analyze the structure of the article. As you know, academic writing implies adherence to strict standards of formatting. Each style has its norms, which you can learn from the special guidelines.
It is also necessary to pay attention to the style of presentation. The author's speech must be logical. In addition, the text of the article should be as clear as possible and display only those things that relate to the subject of the study. If the work contains unnecessary information, be sure to mention this in your critical analysis.
Creation of Outline
You need to write an outline to show your ideas properly. Print the text of the article and reread it several times. Emphasize interesting and controversial places in it. Then analyze them and select the most relevant ones. Express your position on these or other points with which you agree and disagree. It is very important to confirm your opinion with arguments. You cannot write about the fact that you do not agree with the writer just because you do not like his or her attitude to the topic. It is necessary to prove the fact that the author is wrong. Only reliable academic sources should be used for this purpose. It means that notes from blogs or newspaper articles cannot be used as evidence of your rightness.
The Structure of the Critical Analysis
Critical analysis, like any other kind of essay, should consist of three main parts. First, you should create the text body of the text, where you can express your opinion on the article. Then you can draw conclusions based on your thoughts. The last paragraph of your paper should be as clear as possible. Avoid repeating the ideas that you talked about in the analysis. Many experts advise students to write the introduction at the last stage of the work since having a ready-made essay makes it easier to formulate the thesis statement.
