"Just the Facts Ma'am" ... (Critical Thinking)

[Admin]

"Just the Facts Ma'am" ... attributed to 'Detective Joe Friday' of the television show Dragnet, it was actually never used on the show. Still, it sums up the essence of this post.

Given all the bickering it seems a good time to post about a methodology for making YOUR OWN decision/conclusion from amidst the cacophony of posts and articles on important topics. This seven (7) point process is one of several (many) models describing critical thinking:


Steps of Critical Thinking
1. Identify the problem or question.
Be as precise as possible: the narrower the issue, the easier it is to find solutions or answers.

2. Gather data, opinions, and arguments.
Try to find several sources that present different ideas and points of view.

3. Analyze and evaluate the data.
Are the sources reliable? Are their conclusions data-backed or just argumentative? Is there enough information or data to support given hypotheses?

4. Identify assumptions.
Are you sure the sources you found are unbiased? Are you sure you weren’t biased in your search for answers?

5. Establish significance.
What piece of information is most important? Is the sample size sufficient? Are all opinions and arguments even relevant to the problem you’re trying to solve?

6. Make a decision/reach a conclusion.
Identify various conclusions that are possible and decide which (if any) of them are sufficiently supported. Weigh strengths and limitations of all possible options.

7. Present or communicate.
Once you’ve reached a conclusion, present it to all stakeholders.


Remember that English Professor in college? The one who drove you nuts with their pedantic demand that you break apart every paragraph and each sentence? The goal was possibly to improve grammar, or maybe to remove superfluous prose? Recall those tools and skills and apply them to the posts you read here and the articles/news you read or hear elsewhere. Draw your own conclusions.

[BC]

I would add "Avoid logical fallacies" to the list.

A simple starter:

http://thebestschools.org/magazine/15-logical-fallacies-know/

[tfcrew]

I would add "Avoid logical fallacies" to the list.
A simple starter:  http://thebestschools.org/magazine/15-logical-fallacies-know/ 

1. I liked your link and have bookmarked it.

2. People who fail to comply with that given list of fallacies are idiots