The ability to critically evaluate (sometimes called critically analyse or review) is an essential skill at university and the workplace, and life in general. So what does ‘critical analysis’ or ‘critical evaluation’ involve?
What does ANALYSIS mean?
What does ANALYSIS mean?
‘To show the essence of something by breaking it down into its component parts, examining each part in detail and explaining issues’. It also means:
Making connections (between theory and practise/data); and
Seeing relationships between information.
What does CRITICISE/CRITIQUE mean?
What does CRITICISE/CRITIQUE mean?
To give your opinion on something (for example, what has been done/has been written/an approach); and
To support your opinion with evidence.
Note: Critiquing is NOT simply stating that something is “bad”.
What does EVALUATE mean?
What does EVALUATE mean?
Weigh up strengths and weaknesses.
Appraise the worth of something - test assumptions - judge the worth of an argument or position.
Here are some examples of evaluative questions:
is …correct/incorrect? Why?
is …effective/ineffective? Why?
is …logical/illogical? Why?
is …valid/invalid? Why
what are strengths/weaknesses of ...? WHY?
how useful/useless is ...? WHY?
what are the benefits of ...? WHY?
how appropriate/inappropriate is …? WHY?
what problems are there with …? WHY?
how adequate/inadequate was ...? WHY?
Supporting your judgments
Supporting your judgments
When you write your assignment, make sure that you don’t simply describe what you are evaluating. You will get more marks for analysis, that is, clearly providing your judgement, and supporting it. Take one issue (component) at a time. Describe what you are analysing or evaluating, evaluate it and support your claims with scholarly research.
In Summary:
To critically analyse or evaluate means to: (i) break something down into its component parts; (ii) provide your opinion on each part by asking the right type of analytical questions; and (iii) support your opinions with evidence.
Links to further resources:
Critical Thinking
