Evaluate Existing Evidence

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Resource:: Critical Thinking

If you have a difficult problem at hand, always try to look for any work that has been done in the same area. You can find clues and possible solutions when looking at others work.

However, it's important to critically evaluate the information you get -

• Who gathered this evidence?
• How did they gather it?
• Why?

Take an example, like many studies, A study shows that animal farming causes no harm to the environment. This study at first looks pretty convincing until you realize that this study is funded by animal agriculture industries.

That doesn't automatically mean that the study can be invalidated, but this does pose a conflict of interest for the company, so it's always good to know the source and reasoning behind someone's work before taking in the evidence.