During graduation, and even post-graduation, it is necessary to read several scientific texts to carry out academic work. However, just reading the material is not enough to understand the author’s ideas. For this reason, it is so important to be concerned with critical analysis.
Reading scientific articles published in specialized journals is becoming more and more common, after all, the internet has democratized access to this research . Other types of academic texts also expand the candidate’s repertoire, as is the case of master’s dissertations and doctoral theses.
Carrying out a critical analysis of a scientific study is not to speak ill of an author’s work, quite the contrary. The ideal is to show a position in relation to the ideas, while maintaining respect for the researcher who developed the work.
In this guide, you will learn how to critically analyze a scientific article, book, film or any other work. In addition, you will also have access to examples.
What is Critical Analysis?
Critical analysis is an exercise in reflection on a work, considering its positive and negative aspects.
Before reading the scientific text, it is recommended to investigate the context, the main topics discussed and which other authors dialogue with the work.
How is critical analysis done?
See, below, the step-by-step on how to do a critical analysis:
investigate the problem
Find out which problem is addressed by the work studied. Then, check which are the books and scientific articles that address this same problem.
To help in its interpretation, it is worth looking for critical reviews that talk about the studied work. Thus, the positive and negative aspects of the text become more evident during reading and interpretation.
doubt
Don’t know how to start a critical analysis? So know that the first step is doubt.
Start your analysis work already suspecting what the text says. As much as the author is a reference in the field of knowledge, this doubt will stimulate critical thinking.
Understand technical terms
While reading the text, you may come across technical terms that are difficult to understand. In that case, to understand the idea in its entirety, consult a dictionary and don’t let doubts accumulate.
Identify key ideas and theories
Identify which are the main ideas worked by the author, as well as the concepts used to defend the arguments. Also reflect on whether the assertions presented by the author can be questioned in any way.
Shape your positioning
To form your critical thinking, gather the favorable and contrary aspects about the work.
- Favorable arguments : these are ideas that favor your position.
- Contrary arguments: ideas that go against your position.
Use cross references
After reading the work carefully, look at the list of bibliographic references . Thus, you can find the works quoted by the author to support the ideas and you can search for them in full. This type of study makes it possible to deepen knowledge on a particular subject.
It is interesting to read not only the classic works, but also the current publications on the subject. In this way, his work is in line with current trends in science.
make records
As you read other works related to the research topic, make notes to record the main ideas and confront them when writing the report. It is a powerful record of arguments and reflections, which saves time in the preparation of the work.
Define the contributions
You recognized the main ideas and theories worked on by the author, now you need to analyze from another point: what were your contributions to the field of knowledge?
Check the points that were not treated
Recognize the main weaknesses of the work, that is, the gaps present in the text and the points that were not addressed by the author. The flaws present in the document deserve space in its analysis, as well as the mismatched information.
Important elements for analysis
To produce a critical analysis text, divide it into two parts:
External review
Some academic texts are considered classic and important for the theoretical framework of a research , but they are obsolete. Check if the work read has been updated by other authors.
Another important point is the translation. Evaluate how the work was translated and see if it is really following what the original text says.
Make use of other questions to move your analysis: Is the material composed of fragments? Did someone else write for the author?
With this external view, you can better understand how the work was built.
internal review
The work of hermeneutics comes into play, that is, the reading and interpretation of the document. At this stage, it is very important to consider the factors that influence the author’s thinking, but which are implied.
Some questions must be answered to better understand the ideas of the scientific text:
- In what context was the work written?
- What problem are you trying to face?
- What examples were used by the author?
- What are the author’s influences?
The evaluative issue of the work cannot be ignored either when it comes to a critical analysis of a text.
If a text is considered classic, for example, you need to understand why. In general, this happens for three reasons: it was a pioneer on the subject, it was the first to treat the subject from another perspective or it was the first to solve a certain problem.
Even when a work is not considered classic, you need to investigate its value for the context – which can be the theme of your monograph or scientific article .
Structure of a critical analysis text
Description
Initial part of the work, where concepts, theories and ideas are addressed, based on books, articles and other materials you have read. It is the contextualized presentation of the problem .
Research method
Define a research methodology , that is, the approach and procedure methods. It is at this stage of the report that you explain how the survey of the investigated works was carried out for the development of the critical analysis.
Interpretation
Based on the ideas and theories of other authors, make the interpretation and define a position in relation to the problem. Write the text objectively, directly and always in the third person.
Rationale
Every time a certain idea is presented in the text, seek a foundation in the literature. In this way, your work does not run the risk of being full of “guesses”.
How to critically analyze an article?
During college, or even in graduate school, the student may be challenged to produce a critical analysis of a scientific article. This type of work helps formulate a qualitative assessment of the research carried out. When the task is well performed, it is possible to learn to identify and select articles with scientific rigor and analyze them critically.
This article , published in the Revista de Odontologia da UFMG, shows how a critical reading of a scientific article should be conducted. The analysis is valid not only for the health area but also for other fields of knowledge.
Here are some more tips to streamline the process:
Examples of critical analysis
Reading and observing the structure of an example of critical analysis is the best way to learn how to build this type of text. From a reference, it is much easier to learn how to make a critical analysis of a film, book, article or any other work.
Below, we have some scientific productions that use the technique of critical analysis. Look:
- Critical analysis of a problem solving methodology in service delivery
- A critical analysis of a discourse in a didactic text
- Social management: a critical analysis of Brazilian experiences
- Critical analysis of the film “Les Miserables”
- Critical discourse analysis of a didactic text
Finally, follow the script presented in the text to analyze a work in detail and effectively. Also, consider a ready-made review to better understand the framework in practice.
