Introduction

In many of your classes, especially English Composition, Philosophy, and Humanities, you will have to write a paper on any number of issues such as racism, sexism, or capital punishment. Whatever your topic, you will probably have to read a variety of source materials before you can begin to write your own paper.

Reading  through these materials is not an easy task.  Skimming  through introductory and concluding sections of books and essays helps you get a rough idea of where an author stands on an issue. Sooner or later, though, you will have to do the "donkey work" of  carefully reading  the materials you've selected for your issue.

Before you can evaluate an issue, you have to be able to identify the range of positions one can take on that issue and to summarize fairly what those positions are.

Here's where critical reasoning and critical reading can help you!

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Last revision: May 20,1998
Send comments or additional sites to Frank Edler fedler@mccneb.edu