ABSTRACT
Critical reading and writing in an academic context are concerned with evidence and analysis. Analytical writing is writing that looks at the evidence in a detailed and critical way. In particular, it weighs up the relative strengths and weaknesses of the evidence, pointing these out to the reader, so that it is clear how the writer has arrived at judgments and conclusions. Learning to be critical in your reading means looking beyond the words for the evidence, but also being open-minded and willing to be convinced. Critical analysis looks at good and bad points, strengths and weaknesses. Critical reading and writing mean being objective and making accurate judgments, based on reasoning: reasoning involves analyzing evidence and drawing conclusions from it. The way in which we view other people's work or analyze the evidence can be affected by our own assumptions, prejudices, beliefs and values.
