Scientific Critical Thinking

Scientific Critical Thinking

Overview

Critical thinking is a systematic process for evaluating scientific rigor. Assess methodology, experimental design, statistical validity, biases, confounding, and evidence quality using GRADE and Cochrane ROB frameworks. Apply this skill for critical analysis of scientific claims.

When to Use This Skill

This skill should be used when:

• Evaluating research methodology and experimental design
• Assessing statistical validity and evidence quality
• Identifying biases and confounding in studies
• Reviewing scientific claims and conclusions
• Conducting systematic reviews or meta-analyses
• Applying GRADE or Cochrane risk of bias assessments
• Providing critical analysis of research papers

Visual Aids (Optional)

Only add figures when the user explicitly requests a diagram (for example, a GRADE flowchart, bias decision tree, or evidence-quality framework).

When figures help:

• Critical thinking framework diagrams
• Bias identification decision trees
• Evidence quality assessment flowcharts
• GRADE or risk-of-bias evaluation frameworks

How to create figures:

• Preferred: Use the scientific-schematics skill for AI-generated diagrams from a natural-language description
• Alternative: Build figures in your usual tools (draw.io, PowerPoint, matplotlib, etc.)

From the scientific-schematics skill directory, with OPENROUTER_API_KEY set:

python scripts/generate_schematic.py "GRADE evidence assessment flowchart with downgrade and upgrade factors" -o figures/grade_flowchart.png --doc-type report

Disclosure: AI schematic generation sends your prompt to OpenRouter (a third-party API). Do not include unpublished sensitive details unless that transmission is appropriate for your project.