Contents PART 1 Critical Thinking CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Critical Thinking…………………………2 1 Definition……………2 2 Intellectual standards……………5 2.1 Clarity…………………………………………………………………6 2.2 Accuracy………8 2.3 Relevance ……………………………………………………………11 2.4 Depth……12 2.5 Breadth ……………………13 2.6 Fairness………………14 3 Elements of thought ………………………16 3.1 Purpose, goal, or objective…………………………17 3.2 Questions……19 3.3 Information……………19 3.4 Inferences ……………20 3.5 Assumptions …………21 3.6 Points of view……………………23 3.7 Concepts and theories………………………………………………24 3.8 Implications and consequences …………25 CHAPTER 2 Basics of Arguments…………………………………………28 1 Definition of arguments……………………………28 2 Structure of arguments ………………32 2.1 Identifying premises and the conclusion………………………………33 2.2 Identifying hidden premises………34 2.3 Puting arguments in standard form……………………………………37 2.4 Analyzing complex arguments………………………………………39 3 From evidence to caim…………42 3.1 Defining evidence……………………………………………………42 3.2 Evaluating evidence ……………………44 3.3 Linking evidence to claim…47 3.4 Qualifying the claim…50 4 Counterarguments and rebuttals………52 4.1 Why include counterarguments?……………………………………52 4.2 How to address counterarguments?…………………53 CHAPTER 3 Written Arguments………………………………………59 1 Focusing the topic…………………60 2 Formulating the thesis………64 3 Planning the argument…………………………………………………69 3.1 Aligning the structure with the argument type…………………………69 3.2 Finding the right order for major points………………………………74 4 Developing body paragraphs……………………77 5 Introducing and concluding the argument…………………………………81 5.1 Introduction……………81 5.2 Conclusion………………………………………………………84 6 Creating logical flow………………………………86 6.1 Using transitional words or phrases………………………………88 6.2 Using pointing words ……………89 6.3 Repeating…………………90 CHAPTER 4 Deductive and Inductive Arguments ……………………94 1 Deductive reasoning………………………94 1.1 Defining and evaluating deductive arguments …………………………94 1.2 Common forms of deductive arguments……………………………96 2 Inductive reasoning…………99 2.1 Defining and evaluating inductive arguments…………………………100 2.2 Common types of inductive arguments……………………………101 3 Key distinctions between deductive and inductive arguments ……………105 4 Fallacious arguments…108 4.1 Appeal to emotion…………………………………………………109 4.2 Bandwagon………110 4.3 Circular reasoning………………………………………………110 4.4 False analogy……………111 4.5 Hasty generalization………………………………………………112 4.6 Red herring……………………112 4.7 False cause………………………………………………………113 CHAPTER 5 Logical Reasoning in Scientific Research………………116 1 Deduction and induction in research………………………116 1.1 Deductive research approach………………………………116 1.2 Inductive research approach………………………………………118 1.3 Hypothetico-deductive approach…………………………………121 2 Inference to the best explanation…………………………………………122 3 Research methods: qualitative and quantitative…………………………127 3.1 Qualitative research……………128 3.2 Quantitative research……………130 3.3 Mixed methods…………………………………………………135 PART 2 Critical Reading and Academic Writing CHAPTER 6 Overview……………………………………………………140 1 Critical reading and academic writing……………………………………140 2 Stages of writing a research paper………………………………………142 CHAPTER 7 Research Papers…………………………………………146 1 Title ……147 1.1 Features of the title……147 1.2 Forms of the title………………………………………………………149 2 Abstract………………150 2.1 Types of abstracts………………………150 2.2 Components of the Abstract……152 2.3 Writing style of the Abstract…………………………………………153 2.4 High-frequency words and phrases………………………………154 3 Introduction…………………………………155 3.1 Components of the Introduction……………………………………155 3.2 General-specific structure…………………………………………160 4 Literature Review………………163 4.1 How to review literature?…………………………………………163 4.2 How to organize the Literature Review?……………………………167 4.3 Theoretical framework……168 5 Methods……………………………………171 5.1 Components of the Methods………171 5.2 How to organize the Methods?……………175 5.3 How to justify the methods?……………176 6 Results ……178 6.1 Components of the Results……………179 6.2 How to organize the Results?………………………………………181 6.3 How to present the data in the Results? ……………………………182 7 Discussion…………183 7.1 Components of the Discussion……………………………………184 7.2 How to present the limitations of the study?…………………………189 8 Conclusions………………………191 9 Acknowledgments……………………………………………………193 10 References………194 11 Appendix ……………194 CHAPTER 8 Finding, Evaluating, and Recording Sources…………197 1 Finding sources…………………198 1.1 Types of sources ……………………198 1.2 How to find sources?………………200 2 Evaluating sources……………………………………………………205 2.1 Evaluating the source itself ………………………205 2.2 Evaluating the content of the source………………………………209 3 Annotated bibliography ……………………………211 3.1 Types of annotations………………………………………………211 3.2 Writing styles of annotated bibliography ……………………………215 CHAPTER 9 Reading a Paper Critically ………………………………216 1 Reading a research paper efficiently………………………………217 1.1 Analyzing the title and interrogating the abstract……………………217 1.2 Reading for general understanding…………………………………219 1.3 Focusing on a particular section for particular information…………221 2 Reading a research paper critically……………………………………223 2.1 Reading critically for in-depth understanding……………………224 2.2 Reading critically for appraisal ……………………………………226 2.3 Writing critical appraisal ……………237 3 Taking quality notes…………………………………………………241 3.1 Methods of note-taking…………………………………………242 3.2 Ways to manage notes……………………………………………244 CHAPTER 10 Using Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism………………248 1 Using sources effectively and appropriately……………………………248 1.1 What is source use? …………………248 1.2 Citations,reference list, and style …………………………………250 1.3 Source use steps………………252 1.4 How to use sources effectively and appropriately?…………………255 1.5 When to references?………………………………………………258 2 Avoiding plagiarism …………………………………………………259 2.1 What is plagiarism?……………………………………259 2.2 How to avoid plagiarism?…………262 CHAPTER 11 Incorporating Sources…………………………………265 1 How to incorporate sources?……………………………………………265 1.1 The toolbox……………………………………………………265 1.2 Guidelines for incorporating sources properly…………………266 1.3 Some language features…………………………………………267 1.4 The anatomy of a source use example…………………268 2 Quoting properly…………………………………………………………270 2.1 When to use direct quotations? ……………271 2.2 Limits on direct quotations……………………272 2.3 Principles for quoting……………………………………………272 3 Paraphrasing properly…………………………………………………273 3.1 Features of proper paraphrase ………………………………………273 3.2 Text transformation in paraphrasing………………………………274 3.3 Appropriate use of source text………………………………………279 4 Summarizing properly …………282 4.1 How to summarize properly?………………………………………283 4.2 How to write a summary that suits your need?……………………284 5 Synthesizing properly…………………285 5.1 What is synthesizing?…………285 5.2 How to synthesize properly?……………………………………286 PART 3 Academic Conferences CHAPTER 12 Calls for Papers…………………………………………292 1 Academic conferences and calls for papers………………………………292 2 Information contained in a CFP…294 3 Tips on finding CFPs……………………296 4 Avoiding predatory conferences…………298 4.1 What are predatory conferences?………………………………………298 4.2 How to avoid predatory conferences?………………………………299 5 Responding to a CFP………………301 5.1 Differences between conference abstract and conference proposal……301 5.2 Differences between article abstract and conference abstract proposal….302 5.3 Writing a conference abstract/proposal……………………………303 CHAPTER 13 Oral Presentation of an Academic Paper ……………307 1 Planning oral presentations……………………………………………308 1.1 Preliminary preparation………………309 1.2 Content preparaticn……………………………………………310 1.3 Structure of oral presentations…………………………………311 1.4 Language used in oral presentations …………………………………319 2 Making slides …………321 2.1 Speaking instead of showing slides…………………………………321 2.2 Striving for simplicity ……………………………………………322 2.3 Structuring the slides………………………………………………322 2.4 Maintaining consistency…………………………………………324 2.5 Using appropriate non-textual formats……………………………324 2.6 Selecting appropriate fonts…………………………………………325 2.7 Using color judiciously …………325 3 Delivering presentations………………325 3.1 Anxiety management ……………………………………………326 3.2 Vocal delivery……………………………………………………327 3.3 Visual delivery…………………329 CHAPTER 14 Poster Presentation of an Academic Paper …………335 1 Academic posters……………………………………………335 2 Differences between oral and poster presentations………………………336 3 Significance of poster presentations……………………………………337 4 Basic steps of poster presentations………………338 4.1 Selecting content ………………………………………………338 4.2 Designing the poster……………………………………………345 4.3 Presenting effectively……………………………………………352 CHAPTER 15 Taking Notes at Conferences …………………………357 1 Why take notes at conferences? ……………357 2 What makes good notes?…………358 3 Common note-taking methods ……………359 3.1 The outlining method ……………………………………360 3.2 The mind-mapping method………………………………………361 3.3 The Cornell method………………………………………………362 3.4 The charting method……………………………………………364 4 Which note-taking method is the best? ……………………………365 |