critical thinking

The word critical has positive and negative connotations. In academia, being critical means weighing up the particular arguments and evidence for and against an idea. You need to identify others’ positions and evaluate the evidence for all arguments. You should be able to see why each author has arrived at particular conclusions and argue why one viewpoint is preferable to another. You should be able to read between the lines and recognize underlying or false assumptions: you should recognize writing techniques that are there to persuade you towards an argument. You must look deeper into what you are learning and think about its relation to the bigger picture. You must be able to present your critique in a structured, clear, and well-reasoned and supported way.