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Opening Doors: Understanding College Reading, 3/e
Joe Cortina, Richland College
Janet Elder, Richland College

Thinking Critically

Glossary


Critical Thinking:    Thinking about something in an organized way in order to evaluate it accurately. Critical thinking is also referred to as reasoning or critical analysis.
Fact:    Something that can be proved to exist or to have happened.
Opinion:    Something that cannot be proved or disproved: a judgement or a belief.
Inference:    A logical conclusion based on what an author has stated.
Conclusion:    A decision that is reached after thoughtful consideration or information the author presents.
Deductive reasoning:    A process of reasoning in which a general principle is applied to a specific situation.
Inductive reasoning:    A process of reasoning in which a general principle is developed from a set of specific instances.
Author's argument:    The author's position on an issue. The author's argument is also known as the author's point of view.
Author's bias:    The side of an issue an author favors.
Author's assumption:    Something the author takes for granted without proof.
Propaganda devices:    Techniques authors use in order to unfairly influence the reader to accept their point of view.