Critical Thinking and Intelligence Analysis

David Moore has written an elegant and largely persuasive argument for the Intelligence Community to move forthrightly and adopt critical thinking in order to improve the quality both of its analytic processes and its intelligence judgments. Since I have recently written about the need for the Community to identify and cure deep-seated and systemic "analytic pathologies," I am obviously sympathetic to the general case for incorporating more rigorous analytic processes-among which "critical thinking" is one attractive approach.

Along with Moore, I also believe strongly that the traits often associated with critical thinking need to become fundamental characteristics of every analyst and to be practiced consistently in their work habits. Moore discusses these aspects at some length and highlights their value to making sounder judgments.

Abstract:

Analysts and analysts alone create intelligence. Although technological marvels assist analysts by cataloguing and presenting data, information and evidence in new ways, they do not do analysis. To be most effective, analysts need an overarching, reflective framework to add structured reasoning to sound, intuitive thinking. "Critical thinking" provides such a framework and goes further, positively influencing the entire intelligence analysis process. Analysts who adopt critical thinking stand to improve their analyses. This paper defines critical thinking in the context of intelligence analysis, explains how it influences the entire intelligence process, explores how it toughens the art of intelligence analysis, suggests how it may be taught, and deduces how analysts can be persuaded to adopt this habit.

Publisher - Independently published

Author(s) - David T. Moore

Paperback

Published Date - May 08 2024

ISBN - 9781998109869

Dimensions - 22.9 x 15.2 x 0.9 cm

Page Count - 156