Talk:Analytical skill

Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment
This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 8 January 2020 and 25 April 2020. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Callen95.

Above undated message substituted from Template:Dashboard.wikiedu.org assignment by PrimeBOT (talk) 14:08, 16 January 2022 (UTC)

Confusion regarding the definition...
The first sentence uses the singular form of skill, while later we see "analytical skills". Are there multiple analytical skills (I guess there are). What are examples of these? I assume there are. The definition of analytical skill(s) that the article starts with is confusing: "Analytical skill is the ability to visualize, articulate, and solve both complex and uncomplicated problems and concepts and make decisions that are sensical based on available information." What is the difference between analytical and problem-solving skills? Is there an example of a problem solving skill which is not an analytical skill? Are all analytical skills problem solving skills, too? The wording should be tightened up (e.g., "complex and uncomplicated problems": so all problems, right?). — Preceding unsigned comment added by Szepi (talk • contribs) 17:15, 21 July 2013 (UTC)

Analytical skill is the ability to use critical thinking and problem-solving skills in order to find a solution or complete an exercise. Analytical skill is defined as the ability to visualize, articulate, conceptualize or solve both complex and uncomplicated problems by making decisions that are sensible given the available information. Such skills include demonstration of the ability to apply logical thinking to breaking complex problems into their component parts. Analytical skill is a misnomer as there are many different types of analytical skill, riding a bike is an analytical skill, carpentry is also, yet these two activities appear to have very little in common. The common thread, "analytical skill", is that both require an analysis of the environment and the ability to take the information gathered in this analysis and use it to complete the desired task.

It can be said that there are a many different "analytical skills" as there are many applications of analytical skill, many of which with little in common. However, if one has developed a single analytical skill they have developed critical thinking and problem-solving skills which translate to other analytical skills.

Riding a bike requires balance and a rudimentary understanding of physics, but most of all it requires analytical skill. The ability to take information and put it to use in your task is key, as one is riding they are watching for obstacles, planning when and how they will turn, estimating speed and judging distance to their destination. The ability to compile the information available and use it to complete the goal of getting from "point A" to "point B" is an example of analytical skill.

Riding a bike is something you can learn how to do in a classroom or by reading a book, but in order to develop the analytical skill necessary to be successful at it one must practice and experience riding. The same can be said of many things in life and many careers, carpentry for example is a career one can learn by attending school. In such a school they will have classrooms where they teach students about proper construction techniques and how to read blue prints. But, these school also have classrooms where the students practice reading blue prints and building according to the blueprint, this is done because carpentry is an analytical skill that requires an advanced ability to not only use the tools provided (hammer, nails, tape measure, etc.) but to conceptualize an end result based on a two-dimensional drawing.

This point is perfectly illustrated in 1999 by Richard J. Heuer Jr., "Thinking analytically is a skill like carpentry or driving a car. It can be taught, it can be learned, and it can improve with practice. But like many other skills, such as riding a bike, it is not learned by sitting in a classroom and being told how to do it. Analysts learn by doing."[1] But bike riding, carpentry and skilled trades aren't the only application of analytical skill, IT positions can also require a high degree of the problem-solving and critical thinking skills encompassed in analytical skill.


 * I have addressed these points to the best of my ability. I have included more specific and non-convoluted definitions of all terms and real world examples of scenarios and situations that use analytical skill.Kilometricoballpoint (talk) 08:00, 29 May 2020 (UTC)

analytical thinking
Can an individual be taught to be an analytical thinker? Josephchigarirobako (talk) 13:06, 20 January 2017 (UTC)


 * I have addressed that analytical skill can be taught and have provided examples on how this can be executed in sections such as 'Critical Thinking'.Kilometricoballpoint (talk) 08:01, 29 May 2020 (UTC)

More concise Lead needed
The word "skills" infers that analytical thinking is a set of skills, yet the opening line for this article calls Analytical skill "the skill of performing an analysis". Hence, the sentence after it does not seem to jive with the claim of the previous sentence (meaning the first sentence of the Lead). Also, it is not stated that Analytical skill is a cognitive process, which would be a beneficial statement to be more concise in describing the topic. It may be implied that "logical" can be considered cognitive in some aspects, but that implication would be too ambiguous for some people. If the word cognitive were used to describe Analytical skill, then the phrase "non-cognitive skills" would also seem more appropriate as stated in a later sentence. Overall, ambiguity is laced throughout this Lead. As a result, it needs to be re-formulated in order to be more concise for the reader. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jybarra23 (talk • contribs) 03:54, 16 October 2019 (UTC)


 * I have improved the lead to disregard ambiguity as much as possible.Kilometricoballpoint (talk) 08:02, 29 May 2020 (UTC)

Removing Educational Templates
I have kindly removed the previous educational templates of Callen95 and Jybarra, after receiving no contact if further edits will be made to the Wikipedia page. I will be using this Wikipedia page as part of my Educational assignment.