Dissertation Lecture//Critical Analysis.

Notes from today's optional Critical Analysis Dissertation Lecture, which I hope will help me to develop and critically structure my future dissertation writing drafts.

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NOTES

- Dictionary Definitions- 'Critic', 'Criticism', 'Critical'.
To find faults, become analytical without bias.

- Being critical is about being rational and using rational thinking. 
- Reasoned Thinking- 'Stepping away' and using evidence and logic to come to your conclusions. You can have opinions and argue for a case, but the argument has to be backed up by evidence and the ultimate decision has to come from an objective process and reasoned writing style.

- Have awareness of perspectives. You may feel passionate about a subject, but you require reasoning.
- There's more than one way to approach a subject.

- Perspectives you may encounter- Marxist, Neolibralism, etc. Asking different questions and themes will lead you to different answers. Consider the approach and what you hope to achieve.
- With questions there are also counter-questions.

- You don't NEED a balanced argument, it can appear "weak". Have an opinion, and then back it up with as much philosophical and evidenced writing as possible.

- Consider different points of view before you reject them. Think about topics from as many different angles as possible.
- REMEMBER, no text is neutral, there is always an agenda. This about the cultural, political and contextual situations of the text.
- Consider your own biases and why you're writing. CONTEXT, CONTEXT, CONTEXT. EVERYTHING has a context.

- Consider the influence of one of more of the following: The time, the place, society, politics, economics, technology, philosophy, scientific thought..

EVIDENCE- What is the evidence for what you are saying? Every time you want to make a judgement, support it.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS IS: EVIDENCE, REASON, LOGIC, ARGUMENT
IF THERE'S NO ARGUMENT, THERE'S NO DISSERTATION

ARGUMENT

- What do you want to say and communicate it? What evidence do we find, and where do we find it?

TRIANGULATION

The art of pitting alternate theories against the same body of data.
We need to steak our argument and then give proof to your argument, whilst triangulating other sources and opinions, but, again, refer back to your opinion and back it up.

Notes on practice academic writing will be posted onto moodle, with ways to refer and practice triangulation.

A CLEAR LOGICAL PLAN

- Keep it simple- refine what you want to say and focus on the key issues.
- Look into your key issues in depth and bring in the maximum evidence in to support your views.
- Discuss your issues and the evidence you have found in a clear and logical manner.
- Move from the general to the specific.

Critical Analysis of a text step-by-step guide on eStudio **LOOK & READ**
CHECK OUT SECTION IN THE LIBRARY ABOUT CRITICAL ANALYSIS