If your feedback says "you need to develop your critical analysis" or "this work lacks analysis"

You tutor is probably trying to help you to add your own sense-making and ideas to the things you have read.

Analysis or critical commentary can be improved in two ways; 

1) Knowing how to develop a response to your essay title from the things you are reading. 

2) Adding an analytical comment to the evidence you are using to back-up your point. 

Answer

What does the feedback mean?

'Analytical commentary', 'critical analysis', 'evaluation' are all similar ways to express the need to add something to the evidence you are finding and bring together.  At degree or postgraduate level it is not enough just to speak using other peoples words. Students can often be worried about stating their own opinion, but your opinion (and collation) of the evidence you are reading is your critical commentary. 

Next steps

  • Consider your essay title as a question - Have you answered it? Have you taken a position of agreement or disagreement, and is that clear to the reader? 
  • Apply your evidence - When you use evidence (in-text citations and references), is it clear why? If you are making statements like "Sahard (2020) suggests X"...have you also added a sentence that start " this is important because...". 
  • Develop your critical commentary - Students often understand that they need to have a response to what they are reading, but struggle to know what to say. See the attached links for resources that can help you improve your critical writing skills.

Links & Files

Topics

  • Last Updated 20 Mar, 2024
  • Views 120
  • Answered By Zara Hooley

FAQ Actions

Was this helpful? 0 0