Stella_Cottrell_Critical_Thinking_Skills_Deve

Descriptions

Descriptions give an account of how something is done, or what something is like. They do not give reasoned accounts of how or why something occurred nor do they evaluate outcomes. In reports and academic writing, description should be factual, accurate and free of value judgements. Description is sometimes confused with critical analysis as both can investigate an issue in detail. Descriptive detail is not intended to persuade to a point of view but aims, rather, to give the audience a more thorough impression of the item or issue being described.

The solution was placed in a test-tube and heated to 35" centigrade. Small amounts of yellow vapour were emitted. These were odourless. Forty millilitres of water were added to the solution, which was then heated until it began to boil. This time, grey steam was emitted. Water droplets gathered on the side of the test-tube.

This describes the steps taken in an experiment. Careful description of methodological procedures is an important part of writing up any kind of experimental research. No reasons are given for what happened. That critical analysis of the results would be in a separate part of the report.

The painting depicts several figures gathered aiound a cottage and in the fields. These figures are dressed in peasant dress. All of them are located in the shadows either of the house or of the trees. It is not possible to make out any individual features on their faces or in their clothing. By contrast, the figures of the noblemen who commissioned the painting are dressed in fine and individualised apparel. These figures are all located in the foreground of the

painting, in full sunshine, and their facial features are clearly distinguishable.

This passage describes some salient features of a landscape painting. The details that the author has chosen to select suggest a point of view.

However, this is not made explicit. If a conclusion was added, these details might provide useful propositions t o support an argument about the way rich and poor people are depicted differently in art at a particular time and place. However, the passage does not contain a conclusion and so is a description rather than an argument.

Usually, when people see an object that is familiar to them, such as an elephant, a tree, a bowl, a computer, they grasp immediately what it is. They recognise the overall pattern that the object makes and don't need to work out from other sensory information such as sounds, smell and colour, what the whole object might be. However, people with a condition known as visual agnosia cannot see a whole pattern in this way: they cannot recognise objects visually. If they traced the outline of the object with their hand, they might recognise an elephant, but they can't see an elephant. They can see, and they know they are seeing something, but they can't see an elephant.

In this instance, the author is describing what the condition of visual agnosia is like. The passage is a report of the facts, as far as they were known at the time of writing. The author is not trying to persuade the audience to a point of view. You can check this by looking through the passage for an argument and reasons t o support it. The word 'however', which is often associated with a change in the direction of an argument, is used here to indicate a change in the direction of the description of how vision works.

Extraneous material

Usually, arguments are not provided separately from other material. They may be surrounded by:

introductions descriptions explanations background information summaries

other extraneous materials.

Satellite imaging has been used to match water temperature swirls drawn on a map of ocean currents made as long ago as 1539. The map was ~roduced"Y a Swedish cartographer, Olaus Magnus. It had been thought that the rounded swirls, located between pictures of serpents and sea monsters, were there for purely artistic reasons. However, the size, shape and location of the swirls matches changes in water temperature too closely for this to be a coincidence. The maa is likelv to be a n accurate reoresentation of the ocek eddicurrent found to the iouth and east of Iceland. It is believed that the map-maker collected his information from German mariners of the Hanseatic League.

Analysis of the example

The overall armment in the example above is that an old sea map is likely to be an accurate chart of part of the ocean.

Descri~tion The passage opens with a description of the method used to test the map:

Satellite imaging has been used to match water temperature swirls drawn on a map of ocean czlrrents . . .

Background information a map of ocean currents . . . made as long ago as 1539. The map was produced by a Swedish cartographer; Olalis Magnus. It had been thotight that the rozlnded swirls, located between pictures of serpents and sea monsters, were there for purely artistic reasons.

~~a~~~ to s u p ~ o rthe conclusion Note that the reason follows logically from the description of the swirls and is well-placed to refute the idea that the swirls were primarily there for artistic reasons: the size, shape and location of the swirls matches changes in water temperature too closely for this to be a coincidence.

Conclusion The conclusion follows on logically from the reason: The map is likely to be a n accurate representation o f the ocean eclcIy current fozrnd to the ~ 0 ~ 1andt h east ofIceland.

Ex~lanatorvdetail The passage finishes with information that helps to explain how the mapmaker gained information to make the map: It is believed that the map-maker collected his information from Gennan mariners of the Hanseatic League.

Developing the skill

When you can identify different kinds of material, you will find that you can categorise parts of the text quickly as you read. You may be able to scan a text and pick out the argument. If not, it can be useful to keep a pencil or a highlighter near you when you read your own books. Use these to underline or mark the conclusion and the reasons. Extract these and note them down in your own words.