1. Academic Writing: critical analysis
In pairs, decide whether each of these features would show descriptive or critical writing
Descriptive or
Critical?
Descriptive or
Critical?
states what happened argues a case according to the
evidence
identifies the significance says how to do something
weighs up one piece of
information against another
gives the story so far
notes the methods used says when something occurred
explains how something works indicates why something will work
(best)
identifies whether something is
appropriate or suitable
states links between items
identifies why the timing is of
importance
structures information in order of
importance
draws conclusions shows the relevance of links between
pieces of information
gives information lists in any order
2. Where and how are these students showing critical analysis in their writing?
Example 1
Turning first to the alleged economic benefits of tourism, we can see that in the case of the
Cook Islands, there is a variety of sources of income from tourist receipts. In an
unsurprisingly positive report from the Tourism Council of the South Pacific (2013), after
beach activities and natural scenery (62%), visitors to the Cook Islands are looking for
entertainment and folklore and culture experiences (27%). Tourists contribute to the local
economy by spending money on travel to and around the country, as well as on
accommodation, food, entertainment and souvenirs. Results from this same survey, for
example, revealed that in the survey period (October 2012 to February 2013) 90% of tourists
surveyed stayed in hotels or similar accommodation, 78% of which are owned by multi-
national organisations. Also, close to 70% of total tourist expenditure was on
accommodation, restaurants and bars, with a further 16% on transport, tours and
entertainment (Tourism Council of the South Pacific, 2013). These figures are presented to
suggest, as Brown et al. (2016) have similarly proposed, that tourists are helping to create
jobs and investment in the local economy by directly by paying for services. However, the
study by Mabuso (2017) persuasively highlights the low-wage nature of this employment
and the lack of investment in local infrastructure, which has had the effect of stifling growth
locally despite the high profits external tourism companies have gained from their
placement on the Cook Islands. It could therefore be suggested that control of the Cook
Islands tourism industry by local people, with advice from those outside working in a
partnership mode as has been seen in Barbados (Mabuso, 2017), could mean that tourism
brings many more benefits than it currently is.
Example 2
Lim et al. (2006), a group of research staff of the Centre for Epidemiology and Population
Health, have explored the issue of ‘disappearing teaspoons’ through the implementation of
a longitudinal cohort study. This was undertaken at their own institution in Melbourne,
Australia. They placed 70 numbered teaspoons in various tea-rooms in the institute and
tracked them over a period of five months. Eighty per cent disappeared for good. Based on
3. the rate of disappearance, 252.4 teaspoons would need to be bought each year to supply a
working population of 140, with one teaspoon between two people. They argue that
teaspoons in their workplace are lost at such a rapid rate that, as a result, employee
satisfaction is reduced, and indeed, harmonious office culture in general, is threatened. In
terms of their research methods, there are perhaps some issues relating to their use of a
deductive approach: there are clearly limitations to research which explores pre-conceived
ideas. However, their use of a covert study seems an appropriate method in terms of
gaining objective insight into this issue; especially as this method was countered by a follow-
up questionnaire which revealed some of the reasons for teaspoon ‘theft’. The authors
acknowledge that this is an area of limited research; it is therefore impossible to make
comparisons with similar studies, or office cultures elsewhere. This is clearly a limitation,
and affects evaluation of the veracity or generalisability of their findings. However, as this
represents a sole study about teaspoon displacement, it is clearly an important one for
those interested in cutlery-based issues.
Example 3
The potential issues caused by the entanglement of cables and tubing at hospital bedsides
are numerous and can often seriously compromise patient care and recovery. For example,
in an intensive care unit a mess of cables that becomes caught and pulled can disconnect or
snap a critical fluid line leading to the rapid deterioration of a patient’s condition
(Mahmood, 2014). This could then be made more dangerous by anyone trying to reconnect
the line by pulling back at the cabling, potentially damaging a number of other life
supporting systems. Patients have also been known to become strangled by tubing this is
more common in paediatric care where child patients become restless and induce further
tangling by moving about (Olusunga et al., 2018). In circumstances when a patient is bed-
bound for an extended amount of time, movement and exercise can enhance recovery and
reduce loss of muscle strength (Burtin et al., 2009). However, the way that most wired
monitoring systems are set up limit the area in which a patient can move by effectively
tethering them to the machine. This has a wider impact on the NHS by contributing to bed
shortages because patients take longer to recover to the point at which they can be
discharged. A product is therefore required that can replace the current system of bedside
cables and tubing to improve patient safety and recovery, which would be beneficial to the
individual patient and alleviate some of the pressures on the health system.
