Six Principles of Critical Thinking
Replicability
A finding must be capable of being duplicated by independent researchers following the same "recipe."
Falsifiability
Claims must be capable of being disproved.
Ruling out Rival Hypotheses
Findings consistent with several hypotheses require additional research to eliminate these hypotheses.
Occam's Razor
If two hypotheses explain a phenomenon equally well, we should generally select the simpler one.
Correlation vs. Causation
The fact that two things are associated with each other does not mean that one causes the other.
Extraordinary Claims
The more a claim contradicts what we already know, the more persuasive the evidence for this claim must be before we should accept it.