Generation of a project proposal for an undergraduate literature review: one dimension of critical thinking

Background: Higher education is concerned with developing the critical thinking skills of undergraduate students through academic study so that they are able to improve the delivery of health care in a dynamic and changing world of work. To continue his series on critical thinking from the July 2010 issue, the author discusses a second component of critical thinking. Contents: The generation component of critical thinking encourages students to develop skills of independent thinking and produce original and creative work. The worked example of a project proposal for an undergraduate literature review to evaluate the effectiveness of a range of topical preparations in the treatment of radiation-induced skin reactions, has been used to illustrate how students might go about demonstrating these skills. Conclusions: The worked example demonstrates how undergraduate students can be encouraged to analyse arguments, clarify their thinking and generate new ideas which constitutes the generation component of critical thinking.