scientific-critical-thinkinglisted

# Scientific Critical Thinking ## Overview Critical thinking is a systematic process for evaluating scientific rigor. Assess methodology, experimental design, statistical validity, biases, confounding, and evidence quality using GRADE and Cochrane ROB frameworks. Apply this skill for critical analysis of scientific claims. ## Evidence Lab operating contract - Define the claim and the supplied evidence set before evaluating it; do not imply that an incomplete set is exhaustive. - Separate observations, author interpretations, reviewer inferences, and unresolved questions. - Apply a named framework only when it fits the study type, and state any domain expertise the assessment lacks. - Ask the researcher to confirm the intended decision context when it changes the standard of evidence. - Return a provisional audit, not a clinical, regulatory, legal, or publication decision. ## When to Use This Skill This skill should be used when: - Evaluating research methodology and experimental design - Assessing statistical validity and evidence quality - Identifying biases and confounding in studies - Reviewing scientific claims and conclusions - Conducting systematic reviews or meta-analyses - Applying GRADE or Cochrane risk of bias assessments - Providing critical analysis of research papers If a diagram materially improves the audit, route it separately to `markdown-mermaid-writing`; do not make visualization a condition of critical appraisal. ## Core Capabilities Seven capabil