Information

Critiquing a short sample of published work

This introductory activity invites you to look carefully at a pice of work on a topic which probably is not familiar to you. Having that distance from the content should help you to focus on how the piece is written, rather than what is written.

One sample of published text.

This is taken from Jane M. Ussher, Managing the Monstrous Feminine: Regulating the Reproductive Body, (London and New York: Routledge, 2006)

Step 1

Read through the text, looking at the sparse notes provided to start you off.
What do you think of this author's writing style, in terms of clarity, concision and coherence?
And any other literary flourishes that engage you?
Are they following the 'rules' or have they reached a stage where they write for their own, and their reader's pleasure?

**Sample of work**

**Tips and Hints**

First impressions - tick off your list if you thought to mention it. What do you think of the title? And the use of subheadings? Starting with a quotation? And the use of sources? Any questions and comments about content?

The next pages show you how you could be more systematic about this kind of analysis.

Moving on

Step 2