Critical thinking means approaching and evaluating information with a certain amount of skepticism and an awareness that what the author claims is only one of many ways to view the subject in question.
In the box below, are some points to consider when handling information.
Aspects of critical thinking:
- Finding out where the best evidence lies for the subject you are discussing
- Evaluating the strength of the evidence to support different arguments
- Coming to an interim conclusion about where the available evidence appears to lead
- Constructing a line of reasoning to guide your audience through the evidence and lead them towards your conclusion
- Selecting the best examples
- And providing evidence to illustrate your argument
As these points show, critical thinking also involves other concepts inextricably linked with academic credibility, such as argumentation and reasoning.