Critical thinking
Move from description to reasoned judgement
Critical thinking means examining how strong a claim is, what evidence supports it, what alternatives exist and why your conclusion follows. It is not simply adding the word ‘however’.
Interrogate each claim
Ask what the claim assumes, whose perspective it reflects, what evidence would weaken it and whether it applies in the context of your question.
- What is the source's method?
- What evidence is missing?
- Would another explanation fit?
Compare evidence fairly
Do not treat every source as equally persuasive. Compare recency, relevance, sample, method, authority and limitations before deciding what weight to give each one.
Use counter-arguments productively
A counter-position strengthens your work when you explain it accurately and show why your judgement still holds, or how it needs to change.
Make your reasoning visible
Link evidence to your conclusion explicitly. A marker should be able to follow why you moved from the source or experience to the judgement you reached.
Decode the command word before analysing
Start by decoding your own coursework question. The tool is free and does not require an account.