Inside Track to Critical Thinking and Analysis

Description

This book is designed for students to use independently to enhance their critical thinking skills.  It contains advice and examples of students’ writing to illustrate poor performance and demonstrate how to produce effective critical discourse.  As university study requires students to demonstrate critical insight, this book shows how to develop this skill by breaking down the thinking and writing processes into steps.  It also points out that critical thinking is valued in post-university employment and discusses how to prepare for professional writing.    Cover Critical thinking and analysis Brief Contents Contents Preface Introduction About the authors Acknowledgements Reading Everyday critical thinking Introduction What is critical thinking? Definitions Key elements in critical thinking Critical thinking in daily life Asking questions Asking the right questions Scepticism Critical thinking in an academic context The demands of academia Critical thinking is not the same as criticising Critical thinking as your contribution Summary References Joining a conversation Introduction Reading for references References in a sample article Quiz Examining references Noticing the names Noticing the dates Putting the information together Moving forward The SQ3R technique for reading efficiently Summary Reference Building on scholarship Introduction Who me? building on scholarship Reading and action Mind the gap Student writers Thinking outside the box Students’ knowledge Too descriptive! Examples of critical thinking Sample assignment 1 Sample assignment 2 Sample assignment 3 Where do you stand? stance in academic writing Sample assignment 4 Summary References Planning Components of critical thinking Introduction Components of critical thinking in academia Connections Reflectivity Independence Time Management Intellectual Development Context Analysis Long-term planning Summary A strategy for analysis Introduction Generating disciplinary knowledge Using your judgement in academia Descartes’ critical thinking method Errors of understanding Errors of academic practice Applications of descartes’ theories Doubt Everything Examine other people’s ideas Scepticism is useful Critique your own ideas Analyse texts Revise your writing Talk about your ideas Edit your writing See beyond the surface level Summary References Writing Preparing to write Introduction Academic assignments Analysing a task Locating and selecting sources Previewing sources Skimming Scanning Writing and disciplinary specificity Conducting research Why read journal articles to inform your writing? Why persevere? The structure of different journal articles Referencing sources Summary Scholarly writing Introduction Journal article abstracts Key features of abstracts Key features of articles Analysis of a sample article Introduction Literature review Method Limitations Discussion Results Conclusion To sum up Summary References Reflection Reflective critical thinking Introduction Four steps to help your thinking 1 look at your questions 2 do not be closed-minded 3 clarify your thinking 4 stick to the point Summary References Your career Introduction Transferable critical thinking skills Reflectivity Independence Connections Criticality and your career The job description Reading the job description critically Reading the person specification critically Relating the person specification to yourself Your career ambitions Skills Knowledge Experience Summary References Conclusion Reading Planning Writing Reflection Summary References Index