Even if you are writing about a practical subject such as Sustainable Product Design or Theatre Arts you will be expected to consider practices of knowledge making. This means looking at theories, concepts, philosophies and other abstract ideas which underpin the practices and processes you are studying.
Academic writing is critical in nature. According to Jeanne Godfrey, being critical in academic writing means taking a questioning approach to ideas, theories and evidence; analysing sources and evaluating evidence, identifying strengths and weaknesses and deciding where you stand and why (Godfrey 2011: 17).
Thinking and writing go hand in hand - academic writing involves thinking and writing; and writing and thinking! In academic writing, you generally do the detailed analysis and evaluation before you state what you think (Godfrey 2011: 26). However, the drafting process can be a way of discovering what you think as you write.
Being critical doesn’t mean being negative—it means asking questions, making connections, and showing that you’ve thought carefully about your topic. In academic writing, criticality helps you go beyond description (“what happened”) to analysis and evaluation (“why it matters”).
Reference
GODFREY, Jeanne. 2011. Writing for University. 1st edn. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
Writing for University
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