How to add criticality to your academic writing

University tutors often tell students that they could have received a higher grade if they had shown more critical engagement in their writing. But what does this actually mean, and how can you ensure that you're achieving this?

Diana and Tom show you what criticality looks like in academic writing and walk you through a step-by-step approach to help you analyse and engage critically with your written assignments.

What is critical thinking in an academic context?

Tips for summarising

By Diana Hopkins and Tom Reid
Diana Hopkins is Course Leader in the Academic Skills Centre at The University of Bath and a senior fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Tom Reid is Course Leader, Syllabus Developer and Senior Teaching Fellow in the Academic Skills Centre at the University of Bath and a senior fellow at the Higher Education Academy. Diana and Tom are co-authors of Work Well in Groups (SAGE, 2020), Write Your Lab Report (SAGE, 2020) and The Academic Skills Handbook (SAGE, 2018).