Analysis - A highly developed cognitive skill involving the separation of a whole "thing" (book, theory, idea, formula, painting, song, etc.) into its constituent parts or basic principles for the purpose of their individual study. With such a methodical examination of the pieces, greater understanding of the whole is possible. Back. 

Angles of Analysis - The concepts, issues, and influences that provide "the meat" of the discussion of an author's thesis. These are the things that the author thought important or useful in the development of her thinking the thesis through. Back. 

Critical Thinking - A complex set of cognitive skills employed in problem-solving and intellectual consideration and innovation. Critical thinking requires mental agility and thoughtful consideration: one must, almost simultaneously, be able to process and then analyze what is being presented, to make connections between various bits of information, to draw inferences from what has been stated directly, to question any assumptions and connections made, and to remain generally skeptical until sufficient proof is offered. Practice in critical thinking is designed to make your mind more powerful. This power is something you can apply to any profession and one of the major benefits of taking a humanities class. 

Context - Everything -- social, cultural, political, historical factors -- that surrounds a particular event or development of thought. These are the forces of influence at play when the event actually occurs. Greater knowledge of the context of a thing leads to a deeper understanding of and more balanced perspective on its nature. But, such knowledge can be gained only through extensive reading and investigation. Back. 

Primary Sources - Materials which were produced at the time of the event or idea under study. Primary sources provide the intimacy and the immediacy of an on-the-scene perspective that cannot be recaptured in distant, often refiltered and reinterpreted history. The thesis is often less of stated proposition and more of a subtle revelation. Back. 

Rationale - The main ideas that underpin the thesis. If the thesis is the point, then the rationale is both the reason behind and the explanation or discussion of the point. It is the How? and the Why? part of the thesis. Categories of analysis are one part of the rationale and generally contain any specific examples the author wishes to include. Back. 

Secondary Sources - Materials created through the assimilation and synthesis of various primary and other secondary materials, usually to support a position or advance a claim. The thesis generally is a constructed, specific sentence(s), explained or supported by relevant main ideas. Such sources offer both a diversity of thought and viewpoint and often claims -- because of its remove from the subject -- greater objectivity. Back. 

Thesis - "The point." The thesis is the statement being made or the question being asked by the producer of the work; it is the centerpiece of that work. It may be stated overtly up front, or it may be subtly revealed through time. At its simplest, it the statement of Who? What? When? and Where plus the author's viewpoint or situation. Back.