Critical Reading and Writing for Postgraduates
- Mike Wallace - Cardiff University, UK
- Alison Wray - Cardiff University, UK
Student Success
Reading critically, and writing using critical techniques, are crucial skills you need to apply to your academic work. If you need to engage with published (or unpublished) literature such as essays, dissertations or theses, research papers or oral presentations, this proven guide helps you develop a reflective and advanced critical approach to your research and writing.
New to this edition:
- Two new chapters on basic and advanced writing skills
- More advice on self-bias and perception
- Updates and additional examples throughout
- Updated online resources providing additional support.
A Companion Website provides additional resources to help you apply the critical techniques you learn. From templates and checklists, access to SAGE journal articles and additional case studies, these free resources will make sure you successfully master advanced critical skills.
Student Success is a series of essential guides for students of all levels. From how to think critically and write great essays to boosting your employability and managing your wellbeing, the Student Success series helps you study smarter and get the best from your time at university.
Supplements
Visit our hub for free academic skills, wellbeing and employability resources from our new and bestselling guides, designed to support you from day one all the way through to graduation and beyond.
Watch the recording of Critical Reading and Self-critical Writing for Postgraduates with Mike Wallace and Alison Wray. In this webinar, hosted by JS Group, they explain why a critical literature review is vital to excel in your dissertation or thesis and how to construct a strong, evidence-based argument to support your claims.
This book provided invaluable practical help for me in both organising my approach to research and in writing my thesis. A real strength of the book is that it backs up the various approaches it suggests with worked examples of all the points made. As a result, I saw a genuine and marked improvement in the quality of my own writing.
A comprehensive and sharp guide to taking your reading, writing, and thinking to the next level. The authors do not only explain the concepts they bring forward, but also show what it can look like in a text. It makes everything much easier to understand!
The tools in the book have helped me a lot! This book taught me how to logically structure a piece of work before even starting to write it, which, in my case, took away lots of stress, and made my work much easier to follow. I strongly recommend reading this book!
The best research-skills support I have encountered for social-sciences postgrads. It not only breaks down the anatomy of a research project in detail and with practical examples, but also illuminates theoretical issues such as author bias and reader response.
This book is invaluable, and I find myself turning back to it frequently as I reach the next stage of a project. It will always have a place on my desk!
A must-read for any student looking to develop their reading and writing skills at research level. It delves into how students can develop their critical thinking and research skills before tackling their writing woes. Wallace and Wray will become personal tutors, offering an array of academic knowledge through writing exercises in which students can apply in their research directly. It is one of the few books on the market written with the student in mind, and one in which effectively identifies the steps needed to write a research paper, dissertation, and/or thesis.
Should make a great contribution to the postgrad reading list
I highly recommend this book! It serves as a comprehensive guide to critical analysis. It is a step by step guide though the processes of reading and evaluating research, to developing and applying your arguments, while aiding in structuring your work at post graduate level. The authors have presented the content in a manner that is easily understandable. The layout of the book is well-structured, ensuring it is not overwhelming or cumbersome to read. Its supplementary online materials further aids the readers thoughts and approach. It also provides worked examples and commentaries to develop the readers argument.
Very accessible guide. Covers everything
A good text which guides post-graduate nursing students well in the art of critical reading and writing. Some students doing post-graduate studies are not very aware of the critical nature of nursing care and academia. I will definitely be recommending this text to my students.
A useful guide to critical writing aimed at postgraduates. I have recommended it to my cohort
Critical writing is an enigmatic topic for many students, yet they know they need to be critical to succeed. This is a comprehensive, well laid out, text that I shall be recommending to all my MSc students.
