The following was developed by Linda Elder and Richard Paul as a list of Universal Intellectual Standards that serve as criteria for effective critical thinking as demonstrated in your communication with others. You should try to keep these points in mind any time you discuss issues in class or work on case analyses, projects, or other assignments.
Clarity is the gateway standard.
If a statement is unclear, we cannot determine whether it is accurate or relevant. In fact, we cannot tell anything about it because we don't yet know what it is saying. A statement can be clear, accurate, and precise, but not relevant to the question at issue. For example, students often think that the amount of effort they put into a course should be used in raising their grade in a course. Nevertheless, it lacks depth because it treats an extremely complex issue, the pervasive problem of drug use among young people, superficially.