1. Critical Thinking: A Key
Component of the
Dissertation Process
by Lisa MacLeod

2. The Doctoral Dissertation

3. Why is thinking creatively important?
• Creative thinking is essential to successful management
of growth and change in organizations (Cohen, 2002).
• Critical thinking is a key element of the new paradigm to
educate students for the future (Eisner, 2003).
• Proposed gifted student model based on creative and
critical thinking (Mumford, 1998).
• Teachers avoiding the one goal they want their students
to attain (Winn, 2004).

4. Why apply creative thinking to the
dissertation process?
• Research needs to be justified.
• Critical analysis is necessary for everything that
is encountered.
• Critical thinking is a willingness to challenge and
be challenged.
• Critical thinking is important to forming a
hypothesis.

5. However, be critical of creative thinking!
• Barriers to creative thinking can be overcome through
creativity, innovation, change and effective problem
solving.
• Critical thinking does not stand alone and is only a part
of the realization of education.
• Students in high achievement classes are provided
creative and critical thinking activities.
• Critical thinking is also applicable to addressing no-controversial
issues (Swaner, 2005).

6. References
Cohen, S. (2002, August). Don’t overlook creative thinking.
Nursing Management, 33(8), 9-10.
Eisner, E. W. (2003, December). Preparing for today and
tomorrow. Educational Leadership, 61(4), 6.
Mumford, M. D. (1998, September). Creative thought:
Structure, components, and educational implications.
Roeper Review, 21(1), 14-19.
Swaner, L. E. (2005). Educating for personal and social
responsibility: A review of the literature. Liberal
education, 91. Retrieved July 21, 2014, from Questia
database.
Winn, I. J. (2004, March). The high cost of uncritical
teaching. Phi Delta Kappan, 85(7), 496-497.

7. The End