What is criticality?

Third article in the Mastery in Writing series written by Sally Thompson, Senior Lecturer at the University of Cumbria. Critical thinking is a skill that you will develop more confidence in as you advance through your studies. When you are asked to be critical about a topic, there are a few things that you should not do. The following are what being critical does not mean: Having a rant on an issue you feel strongly about; Giving your own personal opinion without supporting it with what the literature says; Simply telling the reader what the literature says; Only viewing a topic or subject through a negative lens. Remember you need to ‘critically evaluate’ and ‘critically analyse’ – this does not mean criticise an individual or a situation. Rather, it means to unpick a subject area, consider from different perspectives and demonstrate a deeper understanding.