A crucial step to writing critically in your assignments is to learn how develop your own argument. An understanding of how arguments are constructed and how you analyse them in the literature is an important part of this process and was covered in the Analysing and evaluating arguments in the literature page. This page concentrates on how to develop an argument in your own writing.

Take a position

For writing to be critical you need to decide what position you are taking within your essay/assignment. There is no point providing different points of view on a subject if you never actually tell the reader to what extent you agree with them or what opinion they have led you to hold. After your initial reading, you should be able to establish your position and this will become the overall mega-argument of your essay. Don't be too dogmatic about it though, if your further reading leads you to alter your opinion then be willing to do so.

Persuade don't inform

Many students are told their writing is too descriptive and that is because they are failing to be persuasive. When you read one of your own essays/paragraphs, can you genuinely say it is not simply informing the reader of what you have read? For it to be part of a critical argument you need to make clear your position (see above) and persuade the reader of why you think that position is the right one.

Use your evidence to back up your points

Do not make a point in your essay without backing it up with evidence. Even if something is your own point of view, there will be a reason why you have developed that viewpoint and you have to make this clear. Usually this will come from your reading around the subject - ideas, quotes, information or data from books, journal articles, official documents etc. Sometimes the evidence will come from your own experience, especially if you are out on placements as part of your programme.