This book is a "three-in-one" text that students may use to: (1) Develop their critical understanding of research literature through a focus on reviewing relatively small-scale investigations in a particular field of inquiry; (2) Increase their appreciation of what it is possible to achieve through professionally conducted research investigations of modest size or components of larger studies, informing their thinking about the scope and focus of their own dissertation or thesis; and (3) Learn about major findings, generalizations and concepts connected with a diversity of important topics in their field of inquiry. Part One of this book offers students a view of how to read literature critically and how to build a critical approach into their writing. Part Two consists of research reports written for publication by leading academics in the field of language and literacy. Students are invited to practice their critical reviewing skills on them. Part Three consists of an exemplary critical literature review chapter that not only offers insights into a key aspect of the area of study, but also demonstrates how a high quality literature review may be constructed. There are two appendices: Appendix 1 contains a list of useful sources of guidance; Appendix 2 supplies a blank form for the critical analysis of a text. The following chapters are included in this volume: (1) "Critical Reading for Self-critical Writing" (Mike Wallace and Louise Poulson); (2) "Designing and Writing about Research: Developing a Critical Frame of Mind" (Louise Poulson and Mike Wallace); (4) "Researching Children's Language and Literacy Practices in School" (Janet Maybin); (5) "The Dialogue of Spoken Word and Written Word" (David Skidmore); (6) "Researching Response to Literature and the Media" (Richard Beach); (7) "Analysing Spoken Language in the Classroom" (Judith Baxter); (8) "A Study of Students' Artistic Interpretations of 'Hamlet'" (Peter Smagorinsky and Cindy O'Donnell-Allen); (9) "Literacy versus English?: A Professional Identity Crisis" (Andrew Goodwyn); and (10) "Systematic Literature Reviews: The Impact of Networked ICT on Literacy Education" (Richard Andrews). (Contains a General Index, 6 Tables, 7 Figures, and 12 Endnotes.)