Critical thinking is "reasonably and reflectively deciding what to believe or do," as well as making reasoned judgments to assess the validity of a something. According to the Foundation for Critical Thinking, a critical thinker is able to think with an open mind and within different systems of beliefs.
By using critical thinking skills to raise important questions about problems and state them as clear and precise as possible, you can gather and evaluate relevant information related to a topic as well as come to a well-reasoned conclusion about what it is. Using critical thinking while conducting on-line research can help you filter through web pages and figure out which ones contain actual, fact-based information and what are just filled with conjecture or made up stories that aren't true.
Three main researching skills to have are searching thoughtfully, evaluating information and finding sources to fill any gaps in the information. Search thoughtfully so that as you research your topic you come to a clear understanding of what it is. Evaluate the information that you have come across by reading it to confirm that it is useful information. Then try and figure out if there is anything missing from that information that you would need to cover for your report and go back to researching to find materials that provides it.
The internet has become a common researching tool. Search engines utilize keywords words to find information related to a subject. If you know what words are related to an essay topic, you can use them to find what you are looking for. For instance if you researching alligators, you can start by typing alligators into a search engine. Then you can type in keywords like egg laying reptiles, alligator habitats, and cold blooded. In addition to keywords, synonyms can also be used. Synonyms are other words with a similar meaning, like wetlands and swamps.