ABSTRACT
This chapter provides guidelines for applying critical thinking to your writing. For a report on staffing possibilities within an organisation, the following information could be classed as relevant: the organisation's past reports on the subject; a review of actions from a rival company; and the CEO's last annual message, which addressed this issue. Three problems can create pitfalls for the writer trying to develop a logical argument: false assumptions, fallacies, and insidious fallacies. One important part of critical thinking is understanding the assumptions we make as we write. The common appeal to authority figures to support claims becomes fallacious when the person cited is not an authority on the topic being discussed. This fallacy is illustrated by advertisements showing famous sporting heroes talking about non-sports products and by glowing work references written by people not in the position to comment on the job seeker's work.
