Critical Thinking for Strategic Intelligence

By Randolph H. Pherson and Katherine H. Pherson

There is a growing need in both the intelligence community and academic programs for a text offering a basic foundation in critical thinking. Pherson and Pherson offer a straightforward, easy-to-use handbook based on the core principles of critical thinking in intelligence analysis. This indispensible text is framed around 20 key questions that all analysts must ask themselves as they prepare to conduct research, generate hypotheses, evaluate sources of information, draft papers, and ultimately present analysis, including: how do I get started? Where is the information I need? What is my argument? And, how do I convey my message effectively?

Drawing upon their years of teaching experience, Pherson and Pherson have made sure that the book is richly illustrated with useful graphics that diagram and display the processes and structured analytic techniques for arriving at the best possible analytical products, and a set of carefully crafted case studies at the end of the book tie directly to end of chapter questions, allow readers to self-assess. Also, each of the book′s chapters are organized the same way, making it easy for analysts to trace the key steps:
Setting the Stage Looking More Deeply Key Takeaways Considering the Case Study

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1452226679
• ISBN13: 9781452226675
• Release Date: October 2012
• Publisher: CQ Press
• Length: 360 Pages
• Weight: 1.01 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.8" x 0.5" x 5.8"