Analytical thinking

Steps

Max

Pts.

Points

Earned

Comments

Problems

State the problem

10

Purpose

· Is the purpose well stated and clearly implied?

· Is it justifiable?

10

Question

· Have I stated the question as clearly and precisely as possible?

· Have I stated the question so as to detail the complexities in it?

· Does my formulation of the question give me [or others] some unjust advantage?

10

Information

· Have I included all the important relevant information?

· Have I left out any relevant information I would rather not have to consider?

· Have I checked to see that my information is accurate?

10

Interpretation & Inference

· Am I clear about the inferences I have made in coming to this conclusion?

· Have I considered the fact that any or all of my inferences may be more or less sound?

· Do my inferences clearly follow from the evidence, or have I failed to consider important information in coming to my conclusions?

· Can I articulate the assumptions that have led to my inferences?

· Do I have a vested interest in coming to a particular conclusion, and if so, has this clouded my judgment?

10

Concepts

· Have I identified the main concepts guiding my thinking through this issue?

· Am I even clear about what a concept is and the role concepts play in human thinking?

· Have I distorted some idea to fit my vested interest? Do any of my concepts need to be questioned?

· Have I thought deeply about the concepts I am using?

10

· Am I using concepts superficially?

Assumptions

· Do I recognize the beliefs I have taken for granted in reasoning through this issue?

· In other words, have I uncovered the important assumptions guiding my thinking in this situation?

· Have I questioned assumptions that may not be based in sound reasoning?

· Am I holding onto assumptions that cannot be justified based on the evidence?

10

Implications & Consequences

· Have I traced out the important implications in this situation?

· Have I thought through the potential negative as well as positive implications connected with this issue?

· Are there implications I would rather not face, and so I am refusing to consider them?

· Have I anticipated the implications of the obvious implications, and then the implications of those implications, and the implications of those implications, and so on, as well?

10

Point of View

· Have I considered all-important viewpoints relevant to this situation before formulating my viewpoint?

· Have I inadvertently distorted some other viewpoints in order to maintain my viewpoint?

· Have I articulated and considered other ways of looking at the situation, in good faith, before coming to conclusions about how to think and how to act?

10

Summary

While reasoning through the logic of this problem, I have gained the following insights and come to the following decisions

10

Total

100

Checkpoint #1

35