The document outlines the importance of critical and analytical thinking in academia, emphasizing the need to evaluate arguments and evidence rather than accept information at face value. It provides strategies for effective critical and analytical reading and writing, including questioning assumptions and forming a set of evaluative questions. Additionally, it highlights the significance of supporting arguments with credible evidence while acknowledging the challenges and biases inherent in the critical thinking process.

1. Critical and Analytical Thinking
Critical thinkingWord ‘critical’ has positive and negative
meaningsThe word ‘critical’ in academia describes your attitude
when reading an article/chapterBeing critical means weighing
up the arguments for and against a particular point.
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Not just the bad parts
How to think criticallyBe persistent – consider an issue
carefully more than onceLook at the evidence for a viewpoint –
evaluate it – what are they trying to ‘sell’ me?What are the
implications of a view point – is it realistic and
rational?Knowing facts and what is right is not what academics
is aboutIt is important to identify strengths, satisfactory points
and weaknesses when being critical – then you must know why
this is soYou should be critical when reading, writing and
listening

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Need to fully understand an argument before you can be critical
– be confident
Evaluate=what is the value/effectiveness of something, inc. own
opinion and supporting each point with evidence
Question the credibility
You are just assessing ideas not learning the answers
Only want informed opinions
Analytical thinkingBeing analytical mean to look deeper into
what is being saidDo not take what you read as ‘given’Evaluate
what is being argued – do you agree with it?To be analytical is
to question what you read
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Not just reading what is said but ‘thinking’ about it
How to think analyticallyThink about the view point in relation
to the bigger picture – stand backCompare the same issue from
the point of other authors – do their views differ?Should be able
to see why authors have arrived at different conclusionsYou
should be able to argue why you think one set of view points is
preferable to anotherYou should be analytical when reading,
writing and listening
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Think about your readings together, put into context
You should be asking why a conclusion has been made – need
full understanding for this

3. Barriers to critical and analytical thinkingBeing critical does
not just mean criticiseOur reasoning skills are not objective –
we are biased ourselvesReluctance to criticise expertsWanting
to know what is right and wrongNot reading deeply enough
around a subject – surface knowledge
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Not always black and white there are lots of grey areas in
academics
Being analytical and critical is hard work, you have to read
carefully and widely
Critical and analytical readingPrepare for critical reading –
skim read the introduction and conclusionFind the conclusions
first to help clarify the rest of the readingWhat is the underlying
argument/ view point?Question hidden agendas or
assumptionsTheory can help fill in the gaps – what is theory?
- set of ideas to explain why something happens and predict
outcomes in the futureArguments are often based on theory but
an argument is not always a theory
Critical and analytical readingWhere is the evidence for a view
point?Check references – are they presented accurately and are
they credible? - evaluate that evidence – date, source, bias,
statisticsDoes the evidence support the conclusions
made?Taking notes that support critical readingRead without a
pen in your hand to avoid taking down lots of unnecessary
notesForm a set of questions to help you think more deeply
about what you have read

4. Critical and analytical reading
Statement: Childhood is fluid and is represented differently
within the various institutions in our society; these
representations change over time.
Form a Question Bank:
Why? What does this really mean? Do the reasons
support the argument? Is there any supporting evidence? Does
this match what I know about the subject already? Does it fit in
with what other people have said on the subject? Is this
relevant and useful to my current purpose? How does this add
to previous research on the subject? Are there any flaws in
this? What is the author trying to ‘sell’ me?You can apply
these questions and similar ones to all of your arguments and
essays to encourage you to question why things are the way they
are – before, during and after reading
Questioning
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Brainstorm activity
Critical and analytical writingYou should question your own
assumptions and biases as much as you do other authorsAsk
yourself questions – why have you used a certain example, what
are you trying to argue, where is the theory to support your
argument? Plan your argument before you start writing – what is
the question/ problem, what are the view points surrounding the
problem, which do you agree with, why? Mind MapDo not be
afraid of critically analysing works by people you know are

5. more experienced than you
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Think of yourself as an impartial adjudicator, you can be
critical without having to completely take one side
Tony Buzan
Critical and analytical writingThere are difference ways of
presenting an idea – description, explanation, critical analysis
(see next slide)In academic writing it is not enough to simply
describe an idea or theoryDescription – an account of how
something is done, or what something is likeExplanation – same
structure as an argument but they do not attempt to persuade the
reader to a particular point of viewCritical analysis – a
judgement of an idea giving reasons and evidence to support
your decision, you must look at ideas in detail
Description, explanation or analysis? Example:Attachment
theory states that children become attached to adults who
remain as consistent caregivers for some months during the
period from about 6 months to two years of age.
Attachment theory states that children become attached to
adults who remain as consistent caregivers for some months
during the period from about 6 months to two years of age. It is
suggested that this is due to the trusting bond developed from
the repeated interactions with certain individuals.

6. Attachment theory states that children become attached to
adults who remain as consistent caregivers for some months
during the period from about 6 months to two years of age, and
it is suggested that this is due to the trusting bond developed
from the repeated interactions with certain primary carers.
However, there are many cases of abused children who form
strong attachments to their abusers despite being subjected to
severe neglect suggesting that there are problems with this
theory of attachment.
Critical and analytical writingYou can see that analysis takes a
greater length of discussion than an explanation. It is better to
analyse and criticise a few points in an essay than try to
superficially discuss lots of ideas
Your own arguments within your essay need supporting
evidenceAll ideas and arguments must be supported by evidence
to add credibility
For example:
- ‘In my experience I have found that in school, girls are more
obedient and attentive, whilst boys are more challenging and
disobedient’ – not credible
- ‘It can be suggested that in school girls are more obedient
and attentive, whilst boys are more challenging and disobedient;
this idea is supported by arguments put forward by Bleach
(1992) and Channer (1995) who argue…..’ - credible
Critical and analytical writingHas anything been written about
the subject already? – where can I find this informationWhich
are the most relevant and authoritative sources for this
subject?Recognise where evidence is relevant or irrelevant –
does it support the conclusions of the point, what conclusions

7. can you draw from the evidenceWe should not generalise from a
single case, in academics this is unacceptable – generalisations
should be well-founded and based on a reasonable sample –
think about this when reading the works of othersUse your
question bank to encourage you to look at your own work with
critical eyesEvaluate your own writing – use a critical and
analytical checklist (Stella Cottrell handout)
Critical and analytical thinkingNever take anything you have
read or been told as ‘given’ – question everythingUse evidence
and theory to back up all of your arguments and statements – do
not simply describe; analyse and criticiseBeing analytical and
critical is hard work but the more you practice the easier it will
becomeThe more you read the easier it will be to think critically
and analyticallyBe confident in what you are arguing and why
you arguing it
For this assignment you will research the weaknesses of your
organization and provide a detailed paper on your findings.
Consider the factors listed below and remember the given
outline from Module 1 is there for your use. This outline is a
great tool for getting your different sections fully completed
and researched. In addition, remember that this paper on the
weaknesses of your organization will become the third section
of your overall SWOT paper due at the end of Module 8.
Factors to consider when you think about company weaknesses
both from an internal and external point of view include:
What is the size and scale of the company, including the
environment the company operates in? Are they global,
corporate, or small business?
Consider supply and demand and the costs of operating the
company, including finances and outdated equipment and
technology.
What about the organization’s brand name and reputation?

8. These are extremely important when considering weaknesses
and should be researched thoroughly both in person and online.
What opportunities exist in your market or the environment that
you can benefit from?
Is the perception of your business positive?
Has there been recent market growth or have there been other
changes in the market that create an opportunity?
Is the opportunity ongoing, or is there just a window for it? In
other words, how critical is your timing?
For this assignment, complete the following:
Research and thoroughly explain at least TWO major
weaknesses of the organization.
Compare the cost of purchase or leasing equipment for your
organization.
Choose any type of equipment that would be applicable to your
organization (e.g., postage machine, copier, upgrading out-of-
date technology such as computers, etc.)
Research the cost of buying the equipment vs. leasing the
equipment
Using the calculator
(https://www.calcxml.com/calculators/lease-vs-buy-equipment),
analyze the financial impact and determine the best course of
action, provide a recommendation (state the cost difference and
why you made your recommendation) to change this weakness
into an advantage.
Discuss why each weakness is present and what can be done to
change this weakness into an advantage.
You should have a minimum of at least one full paragraph for
each of the weaknesses presented. For each weakness you need
to ensure you use relevant business theories, concepts, and
practices that are aligned to support the statements and findings.
Note that bullet points are not acceptable.
Each of these weaknesses must come from a force or forces
occurring within a dimension of the general environment within
the organization's external environment (keep in mind a
weakness can stem from more than one dimension within the

9. general environment). Be sure to include in your analysis the
relevant dimension of the general environment from which each
of these forces is derived.
MESSAGES FOR BUSINESS
Your paper should be submitted as a Word document (.doc,
docx or .rtf) file and adhere to the following guidelines:
· Be 3 pages in length (not including the title and the reference
pages).
· Be double-spaced, in Times New Roman font, with a font size
between 12 point.
· The margins should not exceed 1" on all sides.
· Follow APA guidelines for formatting, including the title and
the reference page.
You must follow the following format and guidelines for this
assignment:
1. Title Page: Include your name, the paper title, course title,
instructor's name, and date.
2. Introduction: Discuss the purpose of the message in succinct,
declarative sentences. The introduction should identify the
audience for the message and the choice of medium used, and be
based upon the concepts studied in the course.
3. Content: Present relevant and legitimate information to
support your purpose or argument and display evidence of an in-
depth analysis of the topic.
4. Conclusion: This should be a summative paragraph which
includes what you learned from rewriting the message.
5. References: A minimum of three references must be used to
support your discussion. Document all sources according to
APA style.
Scenarios:
a. As head of the Human Resources, you’ve been tasked with
informing all remaining employees that the organization just
laid off 10 percent of its workforce.
b. As the CEO of a small company, explain to employees a new

10. increase in bi-weekly health care costs.
c. As the Director of HR, announce and explain a new summer
dress code policy.
d. As a Customer Service Representative, acknowledge receipt
of a customer’s claim that your organization has overcharged
her or his credit card for an order.
For each of these scenarios:
1. Choose a medium that you think would work effectively for
the given message. More than one medium could work in some
cases, so be sure that you support your particular choice.
2. Argue why that medium is the most effective choice and
explain your choice. Your argument should be based on content
within the textbook and other appropriate research sources
using the Excelsior College Library.
3. Write a brief message response for each scenario.