Critical Thinking for Research
Critical thinking is not negative thinking. It does not mean looking for faults or blaming. Critical thinking means:
· Being aware of the diversity of values and behaviors among people
· Hunting for assumptions
· Testing the meanings of things
· Identifying unclear or faulty reasoning
· Identifying contradictions in arguments
· Applying judgment thoughtfully
Critical thinking requires curiosity, flexibility, skepticism, and honesty. Critical thinking can free you from simply accepting things you are told because they are comfortable.
1.
Your dad owns a Ford. His dad owned a Ford. Fords have been in
your family for years. You are considering purchasing a car and your dad
says, “I’ll help you with the down payment, but it had better be a Ford!
Everything else is junk!” You are interested in a Volkswagen. What do
you do?
2.
A friend invites you to a meeting of concerned people. The
purpose, it turns out, is to start a movement to demilitarize the United
States. You think this is a futile and shortsighted idea. Your friend
senses your discomfort and says, “Listen, this is important to me. If we
can’t see eye-to-eye on this, I think it says a lot about our
relationship.” What would be your response?
3. Someone you have never seen before approaches you and ask for your signature on a petition to clean up the environment in your town. Attached to the petition is a list titled, “Enemies to a Cleaner World,” and it names businesses owned by several of your friends. Cleaning up the environment sounds like a good idea, but you never perceived your friends parents as “enemies” of the environment. What should you do?
Critical thinking – applying judgment thoughtfully
Authority – the speaker’s or author’s level of expertise
Accuracy – truthfulness
Objectivity – the degree to which an idea is presented or judged without prejudice
Bias – unfair slanting of a case
Currency – the timeliness of an argument
Coverage – the extent of completeness in stating a case
Source 1 |
Source 2 |
|
Puritan values are largely responsible for U.S. socioeconomic success. |
Contemporary U.S. neuroses have deep roots in Puritan values. |
|
Enslaved blacks were denied access to basic reading and writing skills. |
Phillis Wheatly, a slave was one of the earliest New World poets. |
|
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. |
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated in 1962. |
|
Robert Frost was undoubtedly the greatest of all U.S. poets. |
Wallace Stevens was undoubtedly the greatest of all U.S. poets. |
v Factual disagreements are usually easily resolved; someone has probably made a mistake
v Propaganda is more concerned with making a point than revealing a truth. Be suspect of a source that seems to be selling a product or soliciting.
v Most generalizations have exceptions. Look for words such as usually, normally, in most cases.
v Author’s backgrounds tend to shape their interpretations.
v Valid differing points of view should be acknowledged frankly in a research paper.
1 Do the sources disagree over factual material or interpretation?
A If the disagreement is over facts, consult other sources to determine who is right.
B If the agreement is over interpretation, consider the following:
a Credential of both writers
b Purposes of the writers
c Value of the differences – Do both sides present valid and valuable perspectives?
d Critical perspective – where do the writers stand in perspective to others?
e Author’s backgrounds – Do the authors represent different time periods, cultures, or philosophical backgrounds?