Elements of Critical Thinking

Critical thinking has certain elements, which are not universal but are critical in the
process. One of the elements of critical thinking is the identification, which entails establishing
the problem or situation. After having a clear picture of the situation, then one can embark on
diving deeper into the real issue as well as the viable solutions. After identification, then one
conducts research by looking for sources that verify arguments and back them up. Through
independent research and verification, one is able to make conclusive and persuasive arguments.
Also, there are popular and scholarly sources, and the latter should be more preferred as they
provide valid information that is reliable and can be proven. Further, a strong critical thinker is
able to identify bias through being objective in evaluating information. Identifying bias is made
easier by first acknowledging that bias exists, there are sources that provide biased information,
then evaluating such sources with an open mind so as to be aware of any existing bias. Another
element of critical thinking is inference, which entails drawing conclusions based on available
information. It is about assessing information and understanding the raw data. It entails
identifying potential outcomes when assessing a scenario, being able to make an educated guess,
and possibly a conclusion. The last element is relevance, and a critical thinker should be able to
identify information that is truly relevant and has a clear objective.
Demonstration of good thinking skills
Dabla-Norris et al. demonstrate good critical thinking skills in their article, Causes and
consequences of income inequality: A global perspective. The authors start by identifying the
situation. According to them, the problem is that there is widening income inequality. They do

this by looking at inequality trends in developing countries. They then conduct research and this
is evident in the policies that they recommend. The authors state the reasons why policymakers
need to focus on the middle class and the poor. They also investigate current trends in inequality
across different economies. From the article, it is evident that the authors relied on scholarly
sources in their research. Lastly, the authors demonstrate good critical thinking skills as is
evident in their objective conclusions. They state that inequality is being contributed by
technological progress that is leading to a decline in certain labor market institutions. They also
state that there is no one-size-fits-all approach that can be used to tackle inequality (Dabla-Norris
et al., 2015). They compile an objective article, and it is evident that they critically analyzed their
sources.
Absence of Good Critical Thinking
The article, Who will close the gap between rich and poor? by Martine Dennis is an
example of the absence of critical thinking skills. The author identifies the problem but fails to
explain it in detail or even suggests probable solutions. Other than quoting from another news
source, the author does not analyze the problem of having a broken economic system. Also,
sources used are popular thus affecting the validity and reliability of the article (Dennis, 2020).
Overall, there are no conclusions made, as the author just reported what was said. Compared to
the previous article by Dabla-Norris et al. (2015), there is an absence of critical thinking skills in
the compilations of this article.

References

Dabla-Norris, M. E., Kochhar, M. K., Suphaphiphat, M. N., Ricka, M. F., & Tsounta, E.
(2015). Causes and consequences of income inequality: A global perspective.
International Monetary Fund.
Dennis, M. (2020). Who will close the gap between rich and poor?. Retrieved 19 February 2020,
from https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestory/2020/01/close-gap-rich-poor-
200121193602793.html