Have a clear and interesting question
Have a clear conclusion
Have a convincing evidence
Have a conclusion that addresses the issue
Make it easy for the reader to find the conclusion
Specific requirements for critical thinking
Accuracy of Argument
The thesis should be as accurate as possible! When writing an essay it is important not to leave out as much critical information as possible so that the ideas are exported smoothly to the professor and the message is not miscommunicated.
Sufficient information
Have enough information to make it clear where you stand on the issue. When deciding to support a conclusion, gather as much information as possible to make the position clearer.
Selective filtering
There is a lot of information when constructing an argument, so filtering is essential! Include reasons and evidence that may be used, but also filter out “general information” that is not relevant enough. Broad and vague ideas and missing information will weaken the validity of the thesis.
Description,Analysis.Evaluation and important!
Description
Helps build background and context Who wrote the paper?
When was it written?
What is it about?
What is the main purpose of the paper?
What is the main problem of the paper?
In what area?
Analysis
How was the research conducted to help dismantle the evidence and analyse the relationship between each part and the whole? Why are these theories being used?
Are there alternative methods or theories?
What are some of the causes of this problem?
Evaluation
What are the conclusions, treatments, and recommendations that lead to the conclusion of the study?
Are there any ideas that contradict your own?
What are the weaknesses and strengths of your study compared to previous literature?
★Emphasise the weaknesses of previous research
Most studies in the field of x have only focusedon .
Half of the studies evaluated failed to specifywhether .
The research to date has tended to focus on Xrather than Y….
★ Highlighting the shortcomings of the literature
A major problem with this experiment was that . . no attempt was made to quantify the associationbetween X and Y. The scope of this research was relatively narrow.
The scope of this research was relatively narrow,being primarily concerned with ….
The scope of this research was relatively narrow,being primarily concerned with .
The study would have been more interesting if ithad included ….
These studies would have been more useful if theyhad focused on …
