Critical Thinking Skills: Effective Analysis, Argument and Reflection

Cover
Contents
Acknowledgements
Introducing Critical Thinking Skills
	Do critical thinking skills matter?
	Building ‘critical muscle'
	Using the book
	Overview of the chapters
	Glossary
	About the Companion Site
1 What is critical thinking?
	Introduction
	What is critical thinking?
	Reasoning
	Critical thinking: Where does it come from?
	Benefits of critical thinking skills
	Underlying skills and attitudes
	Self-awareness for accurate judgement
	Personal strategies for critical thinking
	Critical thinking in academic contexts
	Barriers to critical thinking
	Critical thinking: Knowledge, skills andattitudes
	Priorities: Developing critical thinkingabilities
	Summary: What is critical thinking?
2 How well do you think?
	Introduction
	Assess your thinking skills
	Scoring sheet
	Focusing attention
	Focusing attention: Identifying difference
	Focusing attention: Recognising sequence
	Categorising
	Activity: Categorising text
	Close reading
	Close reading and listening
	Summary: How well do you think?
3 What’s their point?
	Introduction
	The author’s position
	Activity: Capturing the author’s position
	Argument: Persuasion through reasons
	Identifying the argument
	Activity: Identifying simple arguments
	Activity: Reasons and conclusions
	Hunting out the conclusion
	Summary of features
	Summary: What’s their point?
4 Is it an argument?
	Introduction
	Argument and disagreement
	Activity: Argument and disagreement
	Non-arguments: Description
	Non-arguments: Explanations and summaries
	Activity: What type of message?
	Distinguishing argument from other material
	Activity: Selecting out the argument
	Recognising other non-arguments
	Summary: Is it an argument?
5 How well do they say it?
	Introduction
	How clear is the author’s position?
	Internal consistency
	Activity: Internal consistency
	Logical consistency
	Activity: Logical consistency
	Independent reasons and joint reasons
	Activity: Independent reasons and joint reasons
	Intermediate conclusions
	Intermediate conclusions used as reasons
	Activity: Intermediate conclusions
	Summative and logical conclusions
	Activity: Summative and logical conclusions
	Logical order
	Activity: Logical order
	Summary: How well do they say it?
6 Reading between the lines
	Introduction
	Assumptions
	Activity: Identify the underlying assumptions
	Identifying hidden assumptions
	Implicit assumptions used as reasons
	Activity: Implicit assumptions used as reasons
	Inference, assumption and syllogism
	False premises
	Activity: False premises
	Implicit arguments
	Activities: Implicit arguments
	Denoted and connoted meanings
	Activities: Associations and stereotypes
	Activity: Denoted and connoted meanings
	Summary: Reading between the lines
7 Does it add up?
	Introduction
	Assuming a causal link
	Correlations and false correlations
	Activity: Identify the nature of the link
	Not meeting the necessary conditions
	Not meeting sufficient conditions
	Activity: Necessary and sufficient conditions
	False analogies
	Activity: False analogies
	Deflection, complicity and exclusion
	Other types of flawed argument or fallacies
	Unwarranted leaps and castle of cards
	Emotive language; attacking the person
	More flaws
	Misrepresentation and trivialisation
	Tautology; two wrongs don’t make a right
	Other fallacies
	Summary: Does it add up?
8 Where’s the proof?
	Introduction
	Primary and secondary source materials
	Searching for evidence
	Literature searches
	Reputable sources
	Authenticity and validity
	Currency and reliability
	Selecting the best evidence
	Relevant and irrelevant evidence
	Activity: Relevant and irrelevant evidence
	Representative samples
	Activity: Representative samples
	Certainty and probability
	Sample sizes and statistical significance
	Over-generalisation
	Controlling for variables
	Facts and opinions
	Eye-witness testimony
	Triangulation
	Evaluating a body of evidence
	Summary: Where’s the proof?
9 Criticality when selecting, interpreting and noting fromsources
	Introduction
	Gain an overview first
	Identify the theoretical perspective
	The relation of theory to argument
	Categorising and selecting
	Accurate interpretation when reading
	Making notes to support critical analysis
	Make structured, selective notes
	Concise critical notes: Analysing anargument
	Concise critical notes on sources: Articlesand papers
	Critical selection when note-taking
	Comparing multiple sources
	Noting how multiple sources contribute toan argument
	Critical listening and viewing
	Critical awareness for audio-visual material
	Critical thinking when listening
	Critically active viewing
	Making notes: Audio-visual material
	Critical use of social media
	Real or fake news?
	Fake news: What can we do?
	Summary: Criticality when selecting,interpreting and noting from sources
10 Critical, analytical writing
	Introduction
	Characteristics of critical, analytical writing
	Developing a topic 1: Test and defend a‘thesis’
	Developing a topic 2: Define your terms
	Developing a topic 3: Critical use ofresources
	Developing a topic 4: Identify themes
	Developing a topic 5: Use the literature
	Shaping your thinking on a topic
	Writing it up: Set the scene for the reader
	Activity: Setting the scene for the reader
	Writing up the literature search
	Words used to introduce the line ofreasoning
	Words used to reinforce the line ofreasoning
	Signposting alternative points of view
	Words used to signpost conclusions
	Words and phrases used to structure theline of reasoning
	Drawing tentative conclusions
	Activity: Writing conclusions
	Critical analysis for essays: Essay titles
	Academic keywords used in titles
	Critical analytical essays: Introductions
	Structured argument: The body of the essay
	Essays: Bringing the argument together
	Citing and referencing your sources
	What do I include in a reference?
	Summary: Critical analytical writing
11 Mapping and evaluatingargument
	Introduction
	Using argument maps
	Standard map configurations
	Mapping interim conclusions
	Argument maps for complex arguments
	Mapping extended arguments
	Mapping arguments with counter arguments
	Tabulating thesis/antithesis/synthesisarguments
	Defending a given position
	Weighing your options: Multiple theses
	Finding the structure of extended arguments
	Tabulating an argument
	Example: Mapping an extended argument
	Decisions to make when argument mapping
	Extended arguments: Applying criteria
	Critical analysis: Sample essays
	Critically evaluating your own work
	Evaluating your work for critical thinking
	Summary: Mapping and evaluatingarguments
12 Critical reflection
	Introduction
	What is critical reflection?
	Why engage in critical reflection?
	Decide your approach and purpose
	Decide outcomes and outputs
	Approach: Method and audience
	Approach: Relating experience and theory
	Decide your approach: Summary checklist
	Reflection phases 1 and 2
	Examples of phase 1 reflection
	Examples of phase 2 reflection
	Models of reflection
	Deciding on your model for reflection
	The Core Model for critical reflection
	Applying reflection to professional practice
	Reflection and professional judgement
	Good and bad critical reflection
	Presenting your reflection to others
	Summary: Critical reflection
13 Applying critical thinking tocareer planning andemployability
	Critical thinking for professional life
	Thinking critically about your life and careerplanning
	Self-evaluation: Thinking critically about yourcareer path
	Thinking critically about your career: Takingaction
	Applying critical thinking when looking fora job
	Critical consideration of the ‘best fit’ jobsfor you
	Use the clues: Information provided byemployers
	Where do job applicants go wrong?
	Where job applicants go wrong: Examples
	Employer demand for critical thinking skills
	How critical thinking skills are useful inwork roles
	Demonstrating critical thinking toemployers
	Checklist: Critical self-evaluation of jobapplications
	Summary: Applying critical thinking to careerplanning and employability
Texts for activities in Chapters8, 9 and 11
	Practice materials
	Practice 1
	Sample essay 1 (Student sleep/well-being)
	Sample essay 2 (Student sleep/well-being)
	Practice 2
	Sample essay 3 (Global warming)
	Sample essay 4 (Global warming)
Appendix: Selected search enginesand databases for online literaturesearches
Answers to activities
References and Bibliography
Index