Critical Thinking - Using facts to back up arguments

Today, we're going to talk about the first step of Critical Thinking, that is using the right facts as part of your assignments, papers or exams. Using relevant facts is, of course, important to show the tutor that you have read widely on any given topic. It is important, as well, that these facts actually back up the arguments that you are making. For example, if you are discussing the relevance of Porter's economic theories in the Canadian economy, it isn't enough to cite another author who states that Porter is important. You must use appropriate data or facts to back up any assertion that you want to make about Porter's significance in your paper.

Data make up the building blocks of a good argument. To find relevant data, it is important to use reliable sources. Using sources such as those available through the University of Leicester Library guarantees that you won't find yourself with information that is out-of-data or unreliable. Some online sources, such as Wikipedia, have interesting information but it can be incorrect. Neither is it vetted by "experts in the field". You will find the journals suggested by U of Leicester are vetted by these experts. You also need to make sure your information is correct and applies to the arguments you are making. Consider looking at the Management Room at:
http://rooms1.library.le.ac.uk/rooms/

Click on the topic 'Management' on the blue bar at the left of the page. Here you will find a number of topics relevant to your studies such as: Management, Finance and Human Resources. These pages will show a variety of reliable resources you can use for writing your papers. That's all until next week.