In this dynamic guide, we will help you to understand what is a critical analysis writing and how to write a good critical analysis paper that fits news articles and research journals.
Here is a flow of our guide:
- What is Critical Analysis Writing?
- How to Analyze an Article
- How to Write a Critical Analysis?
- How to Analyze a News Article
- How to Analyze Research Articles
- Article Analysis Template: Follow for a Better Writing
- Example of an Article Critical Analysis
What is a Critical Analysis Writing?
Critical analysis writing means evaluation of author’s work where it can be a news article analysis, a research journal article, a book, transcript of a conference or even a movie.
In most cases, it has an aim to increase reader’s understanding of an article’s thesis and the contents. A critical analysis article writing is subjective because it expresses writer’s opinion, analysis or evaluation of a given text. In order to understand that you are working with a critical analysis, you have to remember that analysis means breaking down and studying of the parts. As already mentioned, there can be many types of articles to analyze. You have to understand what type of an article you are going to work with, so you can come up with a right tone and format of your future essay.
Remember that when you analyze your paper, your main task is to make sure that your audience understands the major points without much difficulty. You have to show your critical thinking skills and make judgments about the subject as you analyze an article, so you can come up with clear opinion and conclusions.
How to Analyze an Article
When you read an article or a news report, find and identify author’s main points and the thesis. Analyze the structure of the article step-by-step as you read. Always give yourself enough time to read through the article. If writing is “a must” for you as you read, you can start with an outline draft first where you mention the most important points. In most cases, look for a purpose of author’s written work. There can be several purposes of writing:
- Inform the reader: look if the article has a clear structure and whether it provides sufficient evidence supported by facts and additional research.
- Persuade the reader: look to find if the author has presented logical reasoning and counter-arguments, opposite opinions to persuade someone about particular opinion.
- Entertain the reader: see what emotions are caused by the article and how does it personally influence and inspire you.
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How to Write a Critical Analysis?
Start with reading an article in question to help yourself understand author’s opinion and a purpose. Next, start working with an outline that will guide you through the main ideas as you prepare to write a critical analysis. Make sure to:
- Try to avoid speaking of your ideas by starting with “I think”, “I believe” and “In my opinion” as the subject of your critical analysis is a subject, not your personality.
- Always make sure to introduce the subject in your paper, as the audience may not be aware of what you are writing of.
- Focus on both strengths and weaknesses of the author by trying to follow the same structure used.
- Always use evidence and the facts to support your claims and presented ideas.
- Use critical analysis writing to tell of article’s value and relevance.
- Always remain open-minded and unbiased as you analyze, read, and write your paper.
How to Analyze a News Article
Since the news article has a purpose to inform the audience, it is important to understand that the news reports are time-sensitive and usually relate to particular events and incidents. When working with the news article critical analysis, look out for the following:
- Check the headline of the news article and include it in your thesis
- Focus on structure, voice of the article, tone, and rhetoric
- Examine the structure of the news report to see how much of a personal opinion is included
- Look for metaphors, alliterations, and allegories to understand author’s true opinion.
- Determine the tone of the article by trying to identify the news report with one word. It can be critical, angry, passionate, satirical or even neutral.
How to Analyze Research Articles
When you have to analyze research articles, you should make sure that you:
- Describe the article briefly and explain it to the reader what the article is about. While you are reading the article, you have to look for details that identify the topic of the article.
- Identify the purpose of the author or a reason why the author believes that a topic of research is relevant and important.
- Identify the research methods and try to identify whether they appear to be suitable or not.
- Check and provide evidence and facts as you speak of a research article and back it up with your own examples.
- Check (and state, if applicable) whether the author refers to other research articles and if similar studies have been done. If yes, it should be mentioned and explained in your work as you speak of research methods and evidence.
- Analyze the sources that were used by the author to get a better idea of how the author has formed his or her thoughts. It will help you to analyze research articles with greater professional competence and a higher level of confidence.
Article Analysis Template: Follow for a Better Writing
To make it easier for you to write a critical analysis essay, we have a helpful analysis writing template that will guide you through the most critical points. This helpful writing template will make sure that you are following the right format, structure, and do not miss anything important!
Introduction
- State the title of the work that you analyze, specify author’s name and the date of publication, if available.
- Outline the main ideas of a news report or a research journal article to identify the author’s thesis.
- Come up with your own thesis statement and talk briefly of your main vision and ideas related to original paper.
- Keep it short! After all, it is an introduction!
Examples to Follow:
The “Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien is an educational and a self-critical story because the author makes a point about…
The article “Racial Prejudice in Pretoria, South Africa” by Joost Van Der Graaf provides an unbiased insight on racial relationships in South Africa in a unique manner because the author has studied…
Summary
- Provide a brief outline of the main ideas presented in your research article, news report, book or a movie.
- This is an actual part that should answer to the questions what, why, who, when and how exactly.
- Discuss the structure of an article that you are working with, talk about the style and the point of view presented by the author.
Examples to Follow:
This article tells about… An academic environment where the research has taken place is… The main subject in the news report is telling a story of his own vision of a financial crisis… The theme of a research article focuses on… The author clearly argues that… The research makes an important point of a difference between home-schooling and public education through the lens of … The authors conclude that…
Analysis
- State what you like and what you do not like about the article or a news report in a critical way.
- Explain your own ideas by offering specific examples from an actual article, a news report or a book.
- Next, you have to state and explain whether the author has achieved his or her intentions and goals or not.
You have to use analysis to see whether an original journal article or a paper is focused, clear, unbiased, informative, and persuasive enough. Another important point to check is whether an article directs to appropriate and specific audience and if it really meets intentions and a purpose. Check for correct conclusions and summing up of a research being done.
Conclusion
a) Restate your thesis in a different way, using new words.
b) Summarize your main thesis and ideas presented, using core points in a different tone.
c) If necessary and if appropriate, you should make a call to action for your target audience.
Examples to follow:
This article is important because it provides a unique… This article has a biased attitude because the author only focuses on… Instead of turning to real-life examples and the actual statistics, the author of the news report only makes assumptions…
Now let us move on to an actual critical analysis writing example of a research article, so you can learn and start with your own work!
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Example of an Article Critical Analysis
We want to offer you a real-life critical analysis example of a research article. Therefore, we did an actual work for you, based on an important topic of virtue ethics approach and morals in the field of healthcare.
An original article can be accessed here.
“A Virtue Ethics Approach to Moral Dilemmas in Medicine” Critical Analysis
“A Virtue Ethics Approach to Moral Dilemmas in Medicine” article by Patricia Gardiner, published in 2003 in Journal of Medical Ethics, is an example of innovative study of the role and place of morals and the virtue ethics in medicine and nursing practices. While majority of complex moral dilemmas are analyzed through the lens of consequences and the facts, the author takes a different approach where the virtue ethics play a key role in analysis and strategic thinking. In other words, the author tries to make it clear to the audience that once the principles of a person or an organization enter a conflict stage, there is always bias that forces an individual to choose the factors that should or should not dominate. Considering emotional and moral elements of an equation, Gardiner turns to virtue ethics as to a framework that focuses on the character of a moral agent itself instead of being limited by studying the rightfulness of an action alone.
Turning to analysis of two different moral dilemmas, the author walks an extra mile to illustrate the ways how different scenarios can be enhanced by the virtue ethics in such complex environments as healthcare. While the subject may appear to be philosophical to general audience, Gardiner approaches moral dilemmas as a general practitioner, which makes her opinion less biased from practical perspective. Still, turning to philosophy, the research article studies the place of a reason and analyzes the role of emotion on a daily basis. It allows the audience to see diverse circumstances and apply their emotions in practice. An important role is given to motivation because a virtuous person approaches a situation where internal attitudes, professional skills, and a reasoning should come in balance. The cases presented by the author, while familiar to most of us, speak of moral dilemmas in healthcare from a different point. Even though Jehovah’s Witness case has legislation’s element, the author speaks of a moral side and the virtue ethics. The same relates to the case of a doctor where professional judgment collides with anxiety, stress, and personal experiences. What kind of a moral choice should be made? The article helps a reader to understand decency and professionalism from a moral point that replaces consequentialism and deontology.
It is important to understand that Gardiner does not try to persuade a reader that virtue ethics is a superior solution or an only way to deal with moral dilemmas. One of the differences with the virtue ethics is that it recognizes emotional constituent as an integral and an important element of moral perceptions. It considers the role of motivation as important to provide a space for unbiased human interactions. Finally, it provides additional flexibility and allows a person to look for creative solutions in moral and ethically-complex situations where not all the parties involved can be satisfied. The article makes an important call for every professional in the field of healthcare to look beyond usual solutions used on a daily basis and implement such virtuous personal and professional characteristics as honesty, courage, empathy, integrity, and an ability to follow one’s obligations and responsibilities in a natural way.
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