Becoming a Critical Thinker

Contents
Foreword
Glossary
Chapter 1: Why Critical Thinking Matters: Research, Knowledge and Epistemology
	Why critical thinking matters
	The importance of critical thinking
	So what is the critical thinking process?
	Research
	The process of research
	What is knowledge?
	Knowledge claims or statements
	Justification
	What counts as proof or evidence?
	Knowledge and epistemology
	Chapter summary
	Answers to Exercises 1–3
Chapter 2: Overcoming Barriers – Cognitive Biases
	How do we know that x is true?
	True or false beliefs?
	Barriers to knowledge – false beliefs, fake news and personal bias
		Why is it we prefer to believe some things rather than others?
	What is cognitive bias?
	Confirmation bias
	Belief preservation
	Why preserve or perpetuate a false belief?
	How do we know if we are biased?
		Cambridge Analytica and Facebook
	We are living in a post-truth era!!
	Relevance to academic study and life
	Chapter summary
	Answers to Exercises 1–3
Chapter 3: Overcoming Barriers – Problems with Perception
	Epistemology and perception
	Scepticism about knowledge
	Problems with perception – observation
	The bent stick
	The Necker Cube – inside/outside
	Perspective matters: how perceptions influence our beliefs
	Beliefs matter: how our beliefs can influence our perceptions
	Making observation more reliable
	How do we know that we know?
	Our limitations can be addressed
	Chapter summary
	Answers to Exercises 1–2
Chapter 4: Knowledge Claims – Recognising and Writing an Argument
	Knowledge claims and justification
	Why and when to use argument
	What is an argument?
	Persuasive writing and identifying an argument
		Examine the language choice
		Target audience
	Explanation or argument?
	Argument structure and argument mapping
	Important point
	Chapter summary
	Answers to Exercises 1–4
Chapter 5: Critiquing the Logic of the Argument – Logical Thinking and Common Fallacies
	Knowledge, justification and logic
	Assessing arguments
	Types of justification for arguments
		Simple example of an inductive and deductive argument
	Inductive reasoning
		Example of the process of induction
	Strength and limitations of inductive arguments
	Problems with inductive reasoning
		Argument by analogy
		Argument from probability
	Deductive reasoning
	Example of a deductive inference and argument
	Strength and limitations of deductive arguments
	Logical fallacies
	Chapter summary
	Answers to Exercises 1–6
Chapter 6: Critical Thinking and Digital Literacy: Evaluating the Information Source
	The need for digital (information) and critical literacy
	How reliable is the information we have access to? What can we trust?
	Becoming a more effective critical thinker (and writer)
	How do you check for credibility?
	Does it matter if it is wrong?
	What does verification mean?
	Accredited fact checkers
	Seek disconfirmation
	Digital information literacy: critiquing web sources for credibility
	Assessing credibility
	Can I use Wikipedia? Is it reliable?
	Evaluating information sources for academic purposes
	Credible sources – accessing reliable academic sources
	Chapter summary
	Answers to Exercises 3–4
Chapter 7: Critiquing the Literature – How Do You Know That Is So?
	Academic texts and critical thinking
	Reading academic articles
	Critical reading
	Reviewing (critiquing) an academic article
		Two main types of article
	Sets of criteria for evaluating and critiquing an academic article
		Criteria A: Article structure
		Criteria B: Assessing research quality
		Criteria C: Critiquing the argument
	Writing the review
	Chapter summary
	Answers to Exercises 1–2
Chapter 8: Critiquing the Evidence: Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methodologies
	Critiquing the evidence
	Types of evidence
	The research process
		The (natural) sciences
	Critiquing or evaluating causal justification
		Problems with scientific observation and research methods
		Null hypothesis
	Setting up a (scientific) experiment
		Humanities
		Social sciences
	Quantitative and qualitative research methodologies
	Mixed methods
	Critiquing quantitative (research) data
		Sampling
		Misrepresentation or vagueness of statistical results
	Be cautious with statistics; learn what they mean
	Critiquing qualitative research
	Rigour and reliability
	Chapter summary
	Answers to Exercises 1–7
Chapter 9: Writing an Argument – Making It Persuasive
	Critical thinking and writing a convincing argument
	What makes a good/strong argument?
	How do I write a persuasive argument?
	What counts as enough evidence?
	What can we infer?
	Qualifying our claims
	Using inference indicators
	Other useful discourse markers
	Providing balance and avoiding contradictions
	Logical structure of ideas
	Chapter summary
	Answers to Exercises 1–7
Chapter 10: Writing (Critical) Literature Reviews
	Addressing ‘the literature’
		Critical questions to evaluate an article’s contribution to the field
		The literature as a tapestry telling a story
		The main players
	Types of literature reviews
	Writing a literature review
		Choosing the right text
		Structuring the review
	Most common complaints from lecturers and thesis examiners
	Choosing the right critical language
	Sample review
	Chapter summary
	Answers to Exercise 1
Chapter 11: Critical Thinking as Critical Self-Reflection
	Thinking critically about oneself
	Having a critical thinking disposition
	The need for critical self-reflection
		Importance of understanding epistemology and its relation to practice
		Reflecting on our knowledge, practice and cultural differences
	Self-reflective practice in nursing
	Self-reflective practice in social work
	Self-reflective practice in education
	Critical thinking and the role of a self-reflective journal
	Chapter summary
	Answers to Exercises 1–7
Chapter 12: Critical Thinking in the Workplace
	The complexity of work-life in the contemporary world
	Critical thinking as a future skill-set
		Revisiting a critical thinking disposition
		What employers want now
	Relevance to employment
		Teamwork and critical thinking
	Public/civil service and government
		Avoid the ‘cut and paste’ mentality
	Industry and business
	Chapter summary
		Answers to Exercises 1–4
References
Index