The ability to review and analyze the written word is equally important in academia as it is in business. It is also a helpful skill in terms of media analysis. When reviewing literature --- whether a book, newspaper article, business report or academic journal --- there are a few key steps. First, read carefully to pull out the main arguments within the text. Second, determine if these arguments are clear and logical. Third, decide whether these arguments have been presented factually, without bias and include relevant information. Finally, assess whether the evidence used to back up the arguments is valid and without bias.
Analytical skills can be used when you are engaging in problem-solving. One method for assessing problems is known as SCAMPER. It is a mnemonic for the stages of problem analysis: substitute, combine, adapt, magnify/minify/modify, put to other uses, eliminate/elaborate and rearrange/reverse. By using this process, you can break your problem down into its component parts and assess it more clearly. For each stage, ask yourself questions related to the key words. For example, if your problem is not having enough time, the "combine" question might be, "Is there a way to combine two activities into one?" Likewise, the "eliminate" question could be, "What can I get rid of?"
A SWOT analysis stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Analyze potential solutions to your problem by looking at them in each of these four areas. One way to do this is to divide a piece of paper into quarters. Each quarter is labeled with strengths in the upper left, and then moving clockwise around the page. For each solution, list its strengths; this could include benefits, partnerships and values. Then move on to weaknesses, or what are the potential problems with this line of action. Opportunities could examine new areas of growth or revenue, increased productivity or improved morale. Threats could be cost, friction from higher levels of management or time constraints. The solution that is strongest in the strengths and opportunities quadrants is the one you should likely choose.
Another way to analyze a problem is to look at its political, economical, social and technological aspects. PEST (sometimes rearranged as a STEP analysis) is a part of an environmental scan or analysis. As with SCAMPER and SWOT, it is a chance to analyze a problem from multiple angles. With PEST, you examine the various outside factors that can have an influence on analyzing the best solution to your problem. Political factors can include laws and policy legislation, while economic aspects are resources, tax base and general state of the economy. Social factors include demographics and culture of the population you are serving and finally, technological aspects may include automation and learning curve for new technologies.