Before we can critique sources, we must first understand the difference between fact and opinion.
A fact is a statement that can be proven true or false.
An opinion is a statement of belief which may or may not be backed up by facts, but cannot be proven true or false.
Can be verified
Cannot be verified
How do you know if what you are reading is factually accurate?
How do you criticize someone’s opinion/argument/thesis in a way that makes sense?
By understanding how to formulate an argument using logic and what makes an argument fallacious, you will be better able to formulate your own logical arguments and criticize those of others. You may think you know why some argument is wrong, but unless you can explain why, then you are speculating.
An entire course could be devoted to studying logical fallacies, but I recommend checking out these sites:
