At A-Level, you may have already studied some secondary critics: academic heavyweights who have been highly influential in their own fields. Perhaps you had a cursory glance of Roland Barthes' 'The Death of the Author', or stumbled across Karl Marx's famously paraphrased quote, 'religion is the opiate of the masses.'
Well, secondary criticism at university is a whole different ball game. Within your essays and research papers, you will be encouraged to use secondary critics. They'll nuance your work and situate it in its appropriate context. Not to mention, they're a great springboard for ideas. However, knowing how and when to use these critics isn't always the easiest task, so I have compiled a few tips for you here.
Where do I even begin?
You will have no better resource than your university library, which I implore you to take full advantage of. There will be thousands of books, journals, anthologies, documents and original manuscripts that you can draw your ideas from.
And don't be afraid to look on the internet for other resources. Jstor and Pub Med have a surplus of articles and papers that can be downloaded at the click of a mouse. Also, join your city library too. You'll be doing yourself a favour by opening yourself up to even more resources. Just some advice; if there's a book you want then check it out ASAP, before somebody else nabs it.
Old or new? What do I do?
Always use the most current sources. If there's a first edition or a third edition, then go for the third one. Academia is a river. Not a pond. Older ideas and theories quickly become dated and are washed away in favour of newer, improved versions. I'm sure you've heard of Freud – the father of psychoanalysis. Would it surprise you to learn that many of his ideas have been discredited now?
How many critics?
I'm going to give an unhelpful answer to this question. There isn't a definitive answer. Strike a balance. Too few and you'll lose marks for being ignorant of the historical contexts. Too many and your own critical voice will be drowned out.
What's more important is how you use these critics. Don't just namedrop. Look for critics that support your view, but also look for critics that you disagree with. Use them as a springboard to elevate your own argument. Lecturers will be impressed by counter-arguments to potential criticisms of your work. Chomsky hated B.F Skinner's theory of Behaviourism so much that he wrote a review, tearing it to shreds.
And lastly, a footnote about referencing. Whenever you refer to a secondary source, you have to reference it. Your lecturers will tell you more in detail about this, but depending what referencing system you're using, they can be a little difficult to get your head around at first. But don't worry, there are loads of great resources that you can use.
There's no getting around it. You're going to need secondary critics in your papers. They'll add weight to your essays and demonstrate how you've shown awareness beyond your initial learning.
- By James Linton
www.jameslintonblog.blogspot.co.uk
www.jameslintonwriting.wordpress.com
