Critical thinking is one of the fundamental techniques of successful studying. It requires completing such different stages as summarizing, analyzing and responding to the issue. Therefore, critical thinking topic can concern any part of human knowledge with a specific outlook on the chosen subject. Despite the fact that this argument can vary from physics to fashion industry, in most cases humanitarian and social studies are the best fields to open up the potential of critical thinking perspective. Hence, here are five steps to choose the critical thinking topic successfully.
Define the Problem
The first step concerns the summarizing part of the critical thinking approach. Since any part of human knowledge can be viewed through critical thinking, there is an enormous variety of choices. However, when picking up the topic that will help to develop the specific issue, it is crucial to mind some other factors besides the personal preferences. For example, timing and theoretical background of the topic in order to find current peer-reviewed materials. Also, it is important to remember not to make up the problem but discover and define the one that already exists as critical thinking cannot be applied otherwise.
Do the Research
After identifying the issue, it is time for shaping the idea. Thus, to proceed with the topic it is necessary to discover the problem and do the preliminary research while clarifying the details of the issue. This “pre-step” is helpful in formulating the precise question, which can be distinguished from the general ideas that relate to the chosen topic. Therefore, this step includes discovering different hypothesis, comparing and selecting the theories that correlate with the issue and can expose it in various perspectives. The research can help to compose a little theoretical background for critical thinking topic that can assist in the next step.
Why? How? What If?
One of the most significant features of critical thinking is asking questions. This approach leads to the analyzing part, where one can explore own potential in formulating the hypothesis on the issue. After being aware of the problem through the research, it is essential to compose the possible answers to the questions, which help to discover the problem through critical thinking. The most applicable are such inquiries: “why does this issue important?”, “how does this problem differ from the others?” or “what if this issue did not exist?”. Although the formulation of the questions can differ, the principle of this triad stays the same and appears to be the most effective in discovering the significance of the critical thinking topic.
Explore Practical Situations
Another crucial part of the critical thinking approach is the applicability of the issue to the concrete case. This aspect denotes the minor significance of the chosen topic as the inquiries have the particular value of practical use. Therefore, it is essential to mind this side of the critical thinking perspective in the process of choosing the topic. The three questions “why?”, “how”, “what if?” are necessary to the brief analysis because they can define the practical applicability of the subject. There is no need to be accurate with the pragmatic approach while choosing the topic. The awareness of the possibility to apply the problem to the real situation is enough. Thus, this step leads to the last thing that has to be noted in the successful choice of critical thinking topic.
Think about the Resolutions
The exploration and discovery of the issue are pointless without the ideas of its resolution. It is not necessary to develop the detailed plan of resolving the problem but rather know about the decisions that were proposed before and try to come up with the suggestions. The theoretical background that was formed previously is massive assistance in developing the possible resolutions. The personal response to the issue is one of the crucial parts of the critical thinking perspective. Thus, minding the decisions of the formulated problem is the final step to have the complete idea about the rules and the appliance of critical thinking.
Appropriate research and thinking about the resolutions will help you to choose the relevant topic. Also, use different questions to analyze the situation to formulate your idea clearly.