Basic Elements of Critical Thinking

Critical thinkers:

• Ask questions

• Gather relevant information

• Think through solutions and conclusions 

• Consider alternative systems of thought

• Communicate effectively

They’re willing to admit when they’re wrong or when they don’t know the answer, rather than digging into a gut reaction or emotional point of view.

7 Habits of Critical Thinkers

Interpretation

• Recognizing a problem and describing it without bias​

• Distinguishing the main idea from a text​

• Constructing a tentative categorization or organization structure​

• Clarifying the meaning of a sign, chart, or graph

Analysis

• Identifying similarities and differences between two approaches to a solution

• Isolating the main claim made in an editorial or statement and tracing it back to the supporting reasons for that claim

Evaluation

• Judging an author or speaker’s credibility​

• Determining whether the evidence at hand supports the conclusion being drawn

• Recognizing whether an argument’s conclusion follows with certainty or confidence from its premises

Inference

• Identifying the implications of the position someone is advocating

• Predicting what will happen next in a given situation

• Developing a workable plan to gather information to resolve an uncertainty

Explanation

• Constructing a chart or graph to organize your findings​

• Stating research results and describing the required methods and criteria

• Citing the evidence that led you to accept or reject another person’s position on an issue

Self-Regulation

• Checking for understanding of an author or speaker without injecting your own views and ideas

• Reminding yourself to separate personal opinions and assumptions from those of the author of a text

• Reconsidering your interpretation in view of new analyses or facts or errors discovered in your work