CRITICAL WRITING IN THE ACADEME

Simon Fraser University "Resources on argumentation in academic writing

"Argumentation is less about trying to change „what readers believe, think, or do,‟ and more about convincing „yourself or others that specific facts are reliable or that certain views should be considered or at least tolerated‟".

According to Sheldon Smith, founder and editor of EAPFoundation.com in an article on Critical Reading,

"In addition to what a text says, the reader needs to consider how it says it, who is saying it, when it was said, where it was said (i.e. published), and why it was said (i.e. the writer‟s purpose)."

Belmont University resource titled, "Writing an Argument,"

"The purpose of argument writing is to present a position and to have an audience adopt or at least seriously consider your argument." Further, it notes that "Good argument writing is critical, assertion-with proof-writing. It should reflect a serious attempt on the writer‟s part to have considered the issue from all angles."

The University of Toronto resource, "Critical Reading Towards Critical Writing"

"To read critically is to make judgments about how a text is argued. This is a highly reflective skill requiring you to "stand back" and gain some distance from the text you are reading."

The University of Minnesota Center for Writing says

"When you understand how what you read is written, you can work to incorporate those techniques into your own writing",

Walden University Academic Skills Center

You are not simply absorbing the information; instead, you are interpreting, categorizing, questioning, and weighing the value of that information" in support of critical reading processes.

Lancaster University publication

aim of academic writing is not to present „the right answer,‟ but to discuss the controversies in an intelligent way.

According to the University of Birmingham publication, "A short guide to critical writing for Postgraduate Taught students,"

Critical writing is an involvement in an academic debate. It requires „a refusal to accept the conclusions of other writers without evaluating the arguments and evidence they provide.‟"