Critical analysis is a process of examining and evaluating someone elses work, such as a book, an essay, or an article, in order to form a judgment by the application of rational, skeptical, and unbiased analyses and evaluation. It is a desirable skill in all aspects of university work, as it allows you to understand and analyze the evidence, ideas, and claims within your particular field of study. Critical analysis is associated with a "deep approach" to learning, which means that you relate new knowledge to what you already know, examine theoretical concepts and ideas, compare and contrast issues and perspectives, and distinguish between what is evidence and what is an argument.

A critical analysis requires two steps: a careful reading of the work and thoughtful analysis of the information presented in the work. It involves making a judgment about the quality of evidence and including when it can and cant support your argument. Critical analyses are most frequently done in academic settings, such as a class assignment, but critical thinking skills are vital outside of an educational context as well.

To write a critical analysis essay, you need to read the text you are going to write about carefully and thoughtfully analyze the information presented in the work. You should provide informed reasoning backed by evidence and ideas from trustworthy academic resources such as books and peer-reviewed journal articles, identify context, background, and/or bias that may lead to distortion within what you read and hear, and distinguish between what is evidence and what is an argument.

The structure of a critical analysis paper usually begins with a short summary of the work and then dives into the argument. Since most of these paper assignments are short, it is important to be concise in all parts of your analysis. Writing an outline (and following it) is crucial to remain focused on your argument and avoid summary or irrelevant description.