Terrance Explain at least five elements of critical thinking that you found in the reading material. QualiaSoup (2009) lists nine elements to critical thinking which are: (1) analyzing, (2) conceptualizing, (3) defining, (4) examining, (5) inferring, (6) listening, (7) questioning, (8) reasoning, and (9) synthesizing. I consider analyzing and examining as the first two steps to critical thinking. Analyzing and examining breaks down the research as a whole into separate pieces to determine their purpose. Using these two elements, you can determine if a source is credible, if the content pertains to what you are researching, and if the author is biased. Questioning does not mean rejecting an idea or claim but to withhold personal judgement until a review of all the factual information can be done before making a decision. This allows a critical thinker to remain unbiased and not jump to conclusions based on their assumptions. Inferring is the ability to draw conclusion based on the factual information obtained by assessing the raw data as a whole and discover probable outcomes (QualiaSoup, 2009). One thing to remember is, new information is always being presented and your original inference may not be correct. Finally, the reasoning used to draw your conclusions should be made based on facts and not emotions. Reasoning allows the critical thinker to make sound decisions backed by logic and not emotions or social pressure. Search the Internet, media, or the Ashford University Library, and find an example in which good critical thinking skills are being demonstrated by the author or speaker. Summarize the content and explain why you think it demonstrates good critical thinking skills. One article I found on international drug trafficking and law enforcements failure on the war on drugs is by German Lopez on Vox.com. Lopez (2016) analyzes the United States current drug problem and the cost it has on the United States trying to combat it through criminalization. In the article Lopez(2016) explains how the war on drugs, which started in 1971, has done little to stop illicit drug use in the United States. In the last forty years the drug war has cost taxpayers over $1 trillion while straining the criminal justice system and doing little as to drug use, production, and trafficking. I believe Lopez used critical thinking in his claim because as he presents in information he backs it up through research and statistics provided by reputable sources. He quotes many individuals in the article and provides both sides arguments to keeping or removing the criminal aspect of drug abuse. Additionally, Lopez does not just look at those outcomes as the only two options avoiding a false dichotomy. He offers other solutions such as reducing the level of criminality associated to drug trafficking and reducing drug schedules for certain drugs such as marijuana. Search the Internet, media, or the Ashford University Library, and find an example in which ...