A doctoral student of the Political Science program conducted an open Lecture on “Critical Literature Review for Academic Writing”

On October 30, 2026, at 2:10 p.m., as part of her teaching practicum, B.B.Masatova, a second-year PhD student in the Political Science programme, delivered an open lecture entitled “Critical Literature Review for Academic Writing” for second-year Political Science students, within the framework of the course "Fundamentals of Academic Work." 

The lecture was attended by her scientific supervisor, R.A.Nurtazina, Doctor of Political Sciences and Professor at the Department of Political Science, Faculty of International Relations.

The lecture addressed the theoretical and practical foundations of preparing a critical literature review as an essential stage of academic research. Particular attention was paid to developing students’ skills in searching for, selecting, analysing and organising scholarly sources, preparing critical literature reviews, and developing critical thinking and independent research perspectives.

During the session, students were introduced to the main stages of preparing a critical literature review. The lecture covered the formulation of research questions, searching for and evaluating scholarly publications, developing academic arguments, and identifying research gaps. Examples from political science were used to illustrate the difference between descriptive summaries of scholarly sources and critical analysis.

A key component of the lecture was hands-on practice with digital tools for searching scholarly information and managing bibliographic references. Students not only learned about the functions of academic search platforms and reference management software but also tested these tools themselves during the session.

The practical activities enabled students to develop skills in finding relevant scholarly publications, selecting sources related to their research topics, organising bibliographic data, and managing academic literature.

Through these exercises, students gained first-hand experience of how digital tools can help organise scholarly sources, generate bibliographic records, and support the preparation of critical literature reviews. Particular attention was given to the ways digital technologies can make literature searches more efficient and help systematise sources for subsequent academic writing.

The lecture also addressed the principles of academic integrity, citation styles, bibliographic referencing conventions, and the use of digital resources when preparing essays, term papers, and other academic assignments.

The open lecture aimed to develop students’ research competencies, academic culture, and critical and analytical thinking. Combining theoretical instruction with practical experience in using digital tools demonstrated how these resources can support independent research and the preparation of high-quality critical literature reviews.

The session highlighted the importance of critical literature reviews as a foundation for academic research and the value of digital research skills in the professional training of future political scientists.