Critical Thinking Skills Developing Effective Analysis and Argument

by Cottrell, Stella

• ISBN13: 9780230285293
• ISBN10: 0230285295
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-05-15
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

"Critical Thinking Skills" has taken the seemingly baffling art of analysis and broken it down into easy to understand blocks, with clear explanations, good examples, and plenty of activities to develop understanding at each stage. This easy to follow, step-by step guide to developing reasoning skills even applies the techniques to tasks such as reading, note-taking, and writing.

Author Biography

Stella Cottrell is Director for Lifelong Learning at the University of Leeds. She is the 1/2 million copy bestselling author of The Study Skills Handbook, The Palgrave Student Planner, The Exam Skills Handbook and Skills for Success, a key text on personal development planning.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. viii
Glossary	p. xii
Acknowledgements	p. xiv
What is critical thinking?	p. 1
Introduction	p. 1
What is critical thinking?	p. 2
Reasoning	p. 3
Why develop critical thinking skills?	p. 4
Underlying skills and attitudes	p. 5
Self-awareness for accurate judgement	p. 6
Personal strategies for critical thinking	p. 7
Critical thinking in academic contexts	p. 8
Barriers to critical thinking	p. 10
Critical thinking: Knowledge, skills and attitudes	p. 13
Priorities: Developing critical thinking abilities	p. 14
Summary	p. 16
How well do you think? Develop your thinking skills	p. 17
Introduction	p. 17
Assess your thinking skills	p. 18
Scoring sheet	p. 22
Focusing attention	p. 23
Focusing attention: Identifying difference	p. 24
Focusing attention: Recognising sequence	p. 25
Categorising	p. 27
Activity: Categorising text	p. 28
Close reading	p. 29
Information about the sources	p. 31
Answers to activities in Chapter 2	p. 32
What's their point? Identifying arguments	p. 37
Introduction	p. 37
The author's position	p. 38
Activity: Capturing the author's position	p. 39
Argument: Persuasion through reasons	p. 40
Identifying the argument	p. 41
Activity: Identifying simple arguments	p. 44
Activity: Reasons and conclusions	p. 45
Hunting out the conclusion	p. 46
Summary of features	p. 47
Summary	p. 48
Information about the sources	p. 48
Answers to activities in Chapter 3	p. 49
Is it an argument? Argument and non-argument	p. 51
Introduction	p. 51
Argument and disagreement	p. 52
Activity: Argument and disagreement	p. 53
Non-arguments: Description	p. 54
Non-arguments: Explanations and summaries	p. 55
Activity: What type of message?	p. 56
Distinguishing argument from other material	p. 58
Activity: Selecting out the argument	p. 59
Summary	p. 61
Information about the sources	p. 61
Answers to activities in Chapter 4	p. 62
How well do they say it? Clarity, consistency and structure	p. 63
Introduction	p. 63
How clear is the author's position?	p. 64
Internal consistency	p. 65
Activity: Internal consistency	p. 66
Logical consistency	p. 67
Activity: Logical consistency	p. 68
Independent reasons and joint reasons	p. 69
Activity: Independent reasons and joint reasons	p. 70
Intermediate conclusions	p. 71
Intermediate conclusions used as reasons	p. 72
Activity: Intermediate conclusions	p. 73
Summative and logical conclusions	p. 74
Activity: Summative and logical conclusions	p. 75
Logical order	p. 76
Activity: Logical order	p. 77
Summary	p. 78
Information about the sources	p. 78
Answers to activities in Chapter 5	p. 79
Reading between the lines: Recognising underlying assumptions and implicit arguments	p. 85
Introduction	p. 85
Assumptions	p. 86
Activity: Identify the underlying assumptions	p. 87
Identifying hidden assumptions	p. 88
Implicit assumptions used as reasons	p. 89
Activity: Implicit assumptions used as reasons	p. 90
False premises	p. 91
Activity: False premises	p. 92
Implicit arguments	p. 93
Activities: Implicit arguments	p. 94
Denoted and connoted meanings	p. 95
Activities: Associations and stereotypes	p. 97
Activity: Denoted and connoted meanings	p. 98
Summary	p. 99
Information about the sources	p. 99
Answers to activities in Chapter 6	p. 100
Does it add up? Identifying flaws in the argument	p. 105
Introduction	p. 105
Assuming a causal link	p. 106
Correlations and false correlations	p. 107
Activity: Identify the nature of the link	p. 108
Not meeting the necessary conditions	p. 109
Not meeting sufficient conditions	p. 110
Activity: Necessary and sufficient conditions	p. 111
False analogies	p. 112
Activity: False analogies	p. 113
Deflection, complicity and exclusion	p. 114
Other types of flawed argument	p. 115
Unwarranted leaps and castle of cards	p. 116
Emotive language; Attacking the person	p. 117
More flaws	p. 118
Misrepresentation and trivialisation	p. 119
Tautology; Two wrongs don't make a right	p. 120
Summary	p. 121
Information on the sources	p. 121
Answers to activities in Chapter 7	p. 122
Where's the proof? Finding and evaluating sources of evidence	p. 125
Introduction	p. 125
Primary and secondary source materials	p. 126
Searching for evidence	p. 127
Literature searches	p. 128
Reputable sources	p. 129
Authenticity and validity	p. 130
Currency and reliability	p. 131
Selecting the best evidence	p. 132
Relevant and irrelevant evidence	p. 133
Activity: Relevant and irrelevant evidence	p. 134
Representative samples	p. 135
Activity: Representative samples	p. 136
Certainty and probability	p. 137
Sample sizes and statistical significance	p. 138
Over-generalisation	p. 139
Controlling for variables	p. 140
Facts and opinions	p. 141
Eye-witness testimony	p. 142
Triangulation	p. 143
Evaluating a body of evidence	p. 144
Summary	p. 145
Information on the sources	p. 145
Answers to activities in Chapter 8	p. 146
Critical reading and note-making: Critical selection, interpretation and noting of source material	p. 147
Introduction	p. 147
Preparing for critical reading	p. 148
Identifying the theoretical perspective	p. 149
The relation of theory to argument	p. 150
Categorising and selecting	p. 151
Accurate interpretation when reading	p. 152
Making notes to support critical reading	p. 153
Reading and noting for a purpose	p. 154
Concise critical notes: Analysing argument	p. 155
Concise critical notes: Books	p. 156
Concise critical notes: Articles and papers	p. 157
Critical selection when note-making	p. 158
Activity: Critical selection	p. 159
Commentary on critical selection activity	p. 161
Note your source of information	p. 162
Summary	p. 164
Information on the sources	p. 164
Answers to activities in Chapter 9	p. 165
Critical, analytical writing: Critical thinking when writing	p. 167
Introduction	p. 167
Characteristics of critical, analytical writing	p. 168
Setting the scene for the reader	p. 170
Activity: Setting the scene for the reader	p. 171
Writing up the literature search	p. 172
Words used to introduce the line of reasoning	p. 173
Signposting alternative points of view	p. 175
Words used to signpost conclusions	p. 177
Words and phrases used to structure the line of reasoning	p. 178
Drawing tentative conclusions	p. 179
Activity: Writing conclusions	p. 180
Critical analysis for essays: essay titles	p. 181
Academic keywords used in titles	p. 182
Critical analysis for essays: reading	p. 183
Critical analytical essays: introductions	p. 184
Structured argument: the body of the essay	p. 185
Essays: Bringing the argument together	p. 186
Citing and referencing your sources	p. 187
What do I include in a reference?	p. 188
Summary	p. 189
Information on the sources	p. 189
Answers to activities in Chapter 10	p. 190
Where's the analysis? Evaluating critical writing	p. 191
Introduction	p. 191
Checklist for evaluating Essay 1	p. 192
Evaluate Essay 1	p. 193
Evaluation of Essay 1	p. 195
Commentary for Essay 1	p. 196
Checklist for evaluating Essay 2	p. 198
Evaluate Essay 2	p. 199
Evaluation of Essay 2	p. 201
Commentary on Essay 2	p. 202
Evaluating your writing for critical thinking	p. 204
Summary	p. 206
Critical reflection	p. 207
Introduction	p. 207
What is critical reflection?	p. 208
Why engage in critical reflection?	p. 210
Decide your approach and purpose	p. 211
Approach: outcome, focus, model, method	p. 212
Approach: method and audience	p. 213
Approach: relating experience and theory	p. 214
Decide your approach: summary	p. 215
Resource: Outline approach to reflection	p. 216
Reflection phases 1 and 2	p. 218
Examples of phase 1 reflection	p. 219
Examples of phase 2 reflection	p. 220
Models of reflection	p. 221
Deciding on your model for reflection	p. 222
The Core Model for critical reflection	p. 223
Applying reflection to professional practice	p. 225
Reflection and professional judgement	p. 226
Good and bad critical reflection	p. 227
Presenting your reflection to others	p. 229
Summary	p. 230
Information about the sources	p. 230
Texts for Activities in Chapters 8, 9 and 11	p. 231
Texts for activities in Chapters 8, 9 and 11	p. 233
Practice activities on longer texts	p. 239
Features of an argument	p. 240
Features of an argument	p. 244
Finding flaws in the argument	p. 247
Finding flaws in the argument	p. 251
Features of an argument	p. 255
Features of an argument	p. 261
Finding flaws in the argument	p. 266
Finding flaws in the argument	p. 271
Appendix: Selected search engines and databases for on-line literature searches	p. 277
Bibliography	p. 278
Index	p. 280
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