Writing a Critique

Writing a Critique

When you are writing a critique, you are really evaluating and analyzing a source. In a critique, you are highlighting the strengths and the weaknesses of a work and discussing how effectively a source made their point.

In your critique, while you should give some of your own opinions about the source, you want to back up your opinion with valid reasons. Try to be objective, fair, and sincere any time you are writing a critique.

Difference between Critiquing and Criticizing

There is a difference between writing a critique of a source and criticizing a source.

A critique is an analysis of a work. Critiques are based on knowledge of a topic and are not based solely of your opinion about a work. Critiques are focused on the effectiveness of a work. 

Criticizing a work has you focused on your personal opinion of if you liked or disliked a source and does not consider any objective knowledge about a source.

Things to Consider when Writing a Critique

You can write a critique on various types of sources (events, books, presentations, films, etc.). Depending on what you are critiquing, you may want to focus on different elements. Below is a list of possible elements you might include in your critique:

• Author's writing style
• Speaker's presentation style
• Speaker's stage presence
• Speaker's responses to a Question and Answer portion
• Design of event or event space
• Information or facts given in a source
• Quality of content in the source
• How did the source maintain your interest
• Visual aids
• Bias of source
• Social or cultural implications of a source
• Film techniques