Answers

Critical thinking is a phrase used to encompass all of the higher order thinking skills.

It involves analysing information, evaluating it, and questioning what you see, hear and read rather than accepting it at face value. It means being both sceptical and objective.

It does not mean simply being critical, but rather evaluating evidence and creating your own logical and well-reasoned arguments.

For example, your lecturers will tell you not to use Wikipedia in your assignments, but they still recommend it for certain purposes, for example, gaining background information on a topic that you know nothing about and for introducing you to credible sources through the citations at the end of the articles.

This is an example of thinking critically – by identifying what aspects of a source are valuable and the aspects which have limitations.

Watch this short video for an introduction to critical thinking:

If you would like more help understanding critical thinking and writing, book an appointment with an Academic Skills Tutor or email our team at AcademicSkills@arden.ac.uk