Critical Review Questions

To improve your research skills you need to learn how to write a critical review:

These are some questions you should ask about a text:
• Has the author formulated a research question/problem/issue?
• Is the question clearly defined?
• Is the significance of the question clearly established?
• Could the question be approached more effectively from another perspective?
• What is the author’s research orientation?
• Who is the intended audience for the text?
• Are main points adequately explained?
• Are comments adequately supported?
• Are the research/methodology/samples/tests/conclusions valid?
• Are measurements clear and sufficiently detailed?
• Is more (or less) data needed?
• Are arguments logically sound/interesting/relevant/timely?
• Is more information needed?
• What style/language/examples are used?
• Does the text contribute new knowledge/perspectives or contradict and refute existing views?
• What are the limitations of the text?
More personal perspectives:
• How does the text help me to understand the topic?
• What part of the text inspires me?
• How does this text relate to the research question I’m developing?

From: http://life.curtin.edu.au/learning-support/critical_review.htm