Critical reading is a highly reflective technique. The reader should examine how the text is argued. The first step is to gain distance from the text. This requires reading through once to get a basic grasp of content. Critical reading does not focus primarily on information or ways of thinking in terms of the subject matter. Facts and examples are examined in terms of how they support the author's arguments. The method by which the author reaches conclusions should be determined.
Material contained in the Teaching and Learning Resource (TLR) at the University of Greenwich indicates that research on higher education displays extensive information on critical thinking. At the same time, the research lacks sufficient information on critical writing. The TLR indicates a need for students to understand the differences between mildly critical and strongly critical writing. While the stated intent of the TLR is not to devalue essay writing, the goal is to move the student writer toward a more critical perspective.
A necessary skill for student writers is to write about assigned titles. In order to align the writing with titles, the student must distinguish between weakly critical and strongly critical writing assignments. Weakly critical assignments will generally require only soundness of points of view and legitimacy of conclusions. Strongly critical assignments will require the recognition of knowledge claims that are contestable and problematic.
While working in a group is strongly recommended, the TLR provides guidelines for critical writing of materials that have been recently read by the student. The student should begin by examining the title. Then the student must develop an argument. The critical writing must be structured so as to be relevant and authoritative. The writing must go through a process that includes signposting, sequencing, structuring, summarizing and synthesizing.
Structure can be most easily accomplished through the use of paragraphs. The opening statement of each paragraph can serve as the signpost. The paragraphs must follow a sequence based upon the opening sentence. The opening paragraph can provide a signpost for the work. The concluding paragraph can summarize and synthesize the material.
According to the Writing Center at the University of Maryland, novice writers may use the strategies such as templates to organize their writing from the beginning. Experienced writers may produce less organized work that will require polishing. The first step can be analyzing their writing through cause and effect along with comparing and contrasting. Synthesis, the second step, can be accomplished through stating an opinion and supporting it along with a proposed solution for the perceived problem. This can lead to evaluation of the problem.
The final step is persuasion that will lend credibility to their stated view and increase acceptance of the writer's ideas. The use of critical writing can lead to higher order thinking skills, such as evaluation.