Critical Writing: A Guide To Writing A Paper Using The Concepts And Processes Of Critical Thinking

Front Cover
......Page 1
Title Page......Page 2
Contents......Page 6
Brief Overview......Page 10
To the Instructor......Page 14
A Framework for Critical Writing......Page 16
Main Features of the Book......Page 17
To the Student: Before You Begin......Page 30
Test It Out......Page 31
A Few Things to Keep in Mind as You Work through This Book......Page 35
Acknowledgments......Page 38
Writing and Critical Writing......Page 40
The Components of a Paper......Page 43
Getting Familiar with the Components of a Paper: Extended Examples......Page 47
Reflecting on the Process of Critical Writing......Page 55
Adapting Critical Writing to Your Own Individuality......Page 57
The Tasks That Lie Ahead......Page 59
Writing for Clarity: SEE-I......Page 60
A Framework for Critical Writing......Page 66
Chapter 1: Practice and Assessment Exercises......Page 68
Introducing the Elements of Reasoning......Page 74
Getting a “Feel” for the Elements: Using the Elements to Understand a Topic......Page 79
Thinking Your Way through a Topic: Analyzing “Around the Circle”......Page 81
Examples in Practice......Page 83
The Usefulness of the Elements of Reasoning......Page 97
So What Is Critical Thinking?......Page 100
Chapter 2: Practice and Assessment Exercises......Page 101
Self-Assessment: Test It Out #1......Page 108
Constructing the Paper Out of the Analysis: Thesis, Main Points, Structure, Outline......Page 112
Going through the Process, Step-by-Step: An Example, with Commentary......Page 116
Enhanced SEE-I: Developing Your Paper......Page 123
Researching the Paper......Page 126
Two Roles of Research in Planning and Writing a Paper......Page 127
Doing Background Research......Page 129
Doing Focused Research......Page 131
Research and Critical Thinking......Page 134
Writing and Pre-writing......Page 137
Writing Better and Saving Time......Page 138
Where Are You in the Process?......Page 141
Chapter 3: Practice and Assessment Exercises......Page 142
Self-Assessment: Test It Out #2......Page 150
“The Other Side”......Page 152
“Weakpoints”......Page 154
Critical Thinking Traits of Mind......Page 155
Three Problems in Thinking about “the Other Side”......Page 163
Seeing “the Other Side”......Page 164
Describing “the Other Side” Fairmindedly......Page 173
Incorporating “the Other Side” into Your Paper......Page 174
The Order of the Writing Process......Page 176
Chapter 4: Practice and Assessment Exercises......Page 178
Self-Assessment: Test It Out #3......Page 184
Revising the Paper: Making It Better......Page 188
The Standards of Critical Thinking......Page 189
How the Standards Help......Page 193
Interventions: Enriching Your Paper with Socratic Questioning......Page 201
Making Socratic Questioning Interventions......Page 203
Socratic Questions......Page 204
Socratic Interventions in Practice: Extended Examples......Page 207
Writing Longer Papers......Page 215
Chapter 5: Practice and Assessment Exercises......Page 216
Fundamental and Powerful Concepts......Page 224
How Grammar Works in Writing......Page 229
Impediments to Writing Grammatically......Page 231
Practical Guidelines......Page 233
Giving Credit......Page 237
Taking It Seriously......Page 241
The Larger Vision and Looking Ahead......Page 249
Chapter 6: Practice and Assessment Exercises......Page 252
Responses to Starred Practice and Assessment Exercises......Page 258
Bibliography......Page 282
Endnotes......Page 284
Index......Page 290