How to be a critical reader

In this free course you will focus on how to be a critical reader. Reading critically is an essential skill at university. It means being aware of your own purposes and opinions as you read and being able to recognise the writer's purposes and opinions in their writing.

• Introduction
• Learning outcomes
• 1 What is critical reading?
• 1 What is critical reading?
• 1.1 Thinking about your opinions
• 1.2 Two meanings of ‘critical’
• 1.3 Thinking about what a text is saying and doing
• 1.4 Facts and opinions
• 1.4.1 Fact or opinion? (1)
• 1.4.2 Fact or opinion? (2)
• 1.5 Hedging
• 1.6 Supporting opinions through evidence and examples
• 1.7 Using evidence from other sources
• 1.8 Style and language
• 1.9 Context
• 1.9.1 Author and type of text (1)
• 1.9.2 Author and type of text (2)
• 2 Being a critical reader
• 2 Being a critical reader
• 2.1 Introducing the two texts
• 2.2 Preparing to read the two texts
• 2.3 What is the text ‘Anthropathology’ saying and doing?
• 2.4 What is the text ‘The science of evolution’ saying and doing?
• 2.5 Comparing the two texts
• 2.5.1 What are the similarities and differences? (1)
• 2.5.2 What are the similarities and differences? (2)
• Conclusion
• Keep on learning
• Glossary
• Acknowledgements