What is the main topic?
This should be obvious from the title and theintroduction.
This should be obvious from the title and theintroduction.
Who is the author?
What qualifications and experience does theauthor possess that allows them to write meaningfully about the topic?
‘Due to her role in…the author is in a unique position to describe…’
How is the text structured in relation to the topics, themes, issues andexamples discussed?
For a book refer to the table of contents,chapter titles and chapter introductions. If analysing a chapter from an editedtext, check the editor’s introduction. Think about how the separate sectionsbuild into the text as a whole.
‘The book consists of ninechapters each of which addresses…
‘This article deals with two key themes relating to…’
What is the stated purpose of the book or article?
Usually, this is stated on the back cover of abook (but beware of publisher hyperbole), or in the abstract/summary at thebeginning of a journal article.
‘The author’s aim isto examine…’
‘This is an originaland accessible guide to…'
What is the main argument?
Sometimes this is clearly stated, and sometimesmore difficult to identify; remember that not all texts are argumentative.
‘The author’s mainargument is that…’
‘The author calls intoquestion many of the basic assumptions about…’
What evidence is used to support the author’s claims and analysis?
Do they use statistical data, examples and casestudies, expert opinion and official documentation, all academically sourcedand cited? How valid and reliable is this evidence in supporting the author’sanalysis?
‘Throughout the article,case studies are used to…’
‘Drawing on NorthAmerican and British archives, this book…’
What theoretical approach has the author used?
This is not always obvious from the text itself.Often, it will be necessary to conduct some additional research into the authorto identify their background, or particular methodological, political or philosophicalapproach to the topic.
‘The author examinesthe nature of… from the perspective of…’
What are the strengths of the book or article?
Having taken the time to understand the text,where do you think its strengths lie? For example, what key questions does itanswer? Does it offer insights into complex problems, if so what? Does it openup new ways of understanding the topic, if so how? Does it present new evidence,or clarify concepts that were previously obscure? Is the written styleparticularly engaging?
‘Throughout the text,the author translates technical information into…’
‘The book is clearly written in a compelling,engaging style that…’
What are its limitations?
You should critique a piece of writing withinits own terms of reference – that is, against what it claims to do. But, if youare sufficiently familiar with the topic, you can also assess its limitationsagainst existing knowledge.
‘The narrow focusunfortunately leads the author to overlook…’
‘The author is veryquick to dismiss opposing opinions, and assumes that…’
What do you judge the overall value of the text to be?
Having undertaken a balanced assessment of itsstrengths and weaknesses, what is your overall judgement of its usefulness tothose interested in the topic, and in comparison to other scholarlypublications in the same area of study?
‘The authors have madea significant contribution to our understanding of how…’
‘Overall, the articleis an interesting… It offers an excellent… and is relevant to…’
‘The book is generallydisappointing… it offers very little new …’
