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University Library Services

Study Skills- Being Critical

A guide to being critical in your university writing

The Meaning of Critical Thinking

Explore the definition of critical thinking by interacting with the Thinglink activity below. 

Engaging in critical thinking can involve asking questions, not only of the source material but of yourself and other students depending on your task. It is common for academics to disagree about the same or similar topics and to present a convincing argument. It is important that you show your lecturer that you have considered different perspectives. It is also important to demonstrate that you understand those perspectives by discussing what the writers may mean and coming to a reasoned conclusion. A reasoned conclusion will be based on the evidence gathered to indicate your understanding. 

See the video below on being a critical student:

Being a Critical Student video by University Library Services & Study Skills

The video above highlights that being critical does not only apply to thinking about academic texts but about making informed decisions in daily life or deciding on how you are being persuaded when watching an advert. 

Developing Critical Skills

The poster below can act as a checklist to ensure that you are considering different elements of the CRAAP test when reading sources for your assignments.

Critical Thinking Poster by University Library Services & Study Skills

References

Chatfield, T. (2022) Critical thinking : your essential guide. 2nd edn. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications Ltd.