Critical thinking in an AI-shaped world

Critical thinking — the ability to question, evaluate evidence, and reason ethically — underpins learning and research. As AI reshapes how knowledge is produced and used, we help students and researchers apply critical thinking to engage with technology responsibly. Rooted in the social and behavioral sciences, we embed these skills across our publishing, platforms, and partnerships to support informed judgment and real‑world impact. 

Critical Thinking Challenge

Sage invited academic librarians, faculty, and researchers to share strategies to help make critical thinking an everyday habit for learners and received nearly 200 submissions from 36 countries across six continents. Winners are awarded stipends to be used for research or library needs.
Learn about the winning submissions
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Community and events

Explore recordings from Sage’s annual Critical Thinking Bootcamp, featuring educators, librarians, and thought leaders discussing AI, misinformation, and the future of critical inquiry.
Watch recordings
Critical Thinking Bootcamp

Resources for teaching and learning

Explore our curated collection of resources for librarians, educators, researchers, and students — showing how critical thinking turns ideas into real-world impact, supporting ethical decision making, sustainable practices, and informed action across education and society. 

Blog posts

The Critical Thinking Mindset: A blog series

The Critical Thinking Mindset: Blog series

This blog series explores how replacing “common sense” with critical thinking can improve understanding of complex social and academic challenges.

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Teaching students to question the machine

This post urges students to critically question machine-generated knowledge and examine whose voices are amplified—or excluded—in the classroom.

 

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Rethinking AI's role in cognitive accessibility for expert domains

Why simplifying expert language with AI can undermine understanding, and what this means for cognitive accessibility in complex, high‑stakes domains.

Featured products

Critical Reading and Writing for Postgraduates

Critical Reading and Writing for Postgraduates - Wallace and Wray

The critical thinking toolkit

The Critical Thinking Toolkit - Beesley et al

Critical thinking by Tom Chatfield

Critical Thinking - Tom Chatfield

Critical thinking for strategic intelligence

Critical Thinking for Strategic Intelligence - Pherson and Pherson

White paper: AI and the Future of Pedagogy

Dr. Tom Chatfield is a technology philosopher, author, advisor, and speaker with a deep interest in critical thinking, AI, and future skills. Following the release of his new white paper, “AI and the Future of Pedagogy,” we asked him some questions about how libraries and classrooms can help students build critical thinking skills in an AI world.
Download the white paper
AI and the future of pedagogy white paper front cover

Sage’s annual Charleston Conference Travel Grant Contest

How can the academic library of the future support critical thinking and information literacy in an AI-driven world? Academic librarians and library workers answered this question and we've compiled some of the top responses. The grand prize winner will receive complimentary conference registration and a travel stipend.
Read the top submissions
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Research and scholarship

At Sage, we publish trusted, peer‑reviewed research on critical thinking across the social sciences, highlighting its importance in learning, work, and everyday decision‑making. Our journals explore how critical thinking is taught, supported, and evolving in response to AI, global uncertainty, and changes across disciplines. 

Enhancing Students’ Critical Thinking Through Mathematics in Higher Education: A Systematic Review, Sage Open

Cultivating Critical Thinking, Social Justice Awareness, and Empathy Through Online Discussions, Journal of Creative Communications 

The Importance of Promoting Critical Thinking in Schools: Examples from Germany, Gifted Education International 

Sustaining Critical Minds: How Classroom Learning Cultures Shape Student Thinking Dispositions, Active Learning in Higher Education 

Generative AI’s Impact on Critical Thinking: Revisiting Bloom’s Taxonomy, Journal of Marketing Education  

Partnerships and public good 

Critical thinking thrives through collaboration. At Sage, we work with libraries, researchers, educators, and public-interest organizations to strengthen trust in knowledge and support the systems that enable informed inquiry.  

Championing good information curation

The People’s Case for Curators, a new guide from Sage and Sense about Science, champions the role of information curators, such as librarians, editors, and journalists, as they help people navigate today’s complex information landscape. Based on insights from curators themselves, the guide highlights the urgent need to make their work more visible and valued with recommended actions for how to be a part of the solution. It outlines the principles that underpin their roles such as encouraging curiosity, building for understanding, organizing and evaluating source material.
Download the guide
The People's Case for Curators. A guide that champions the role of information curators and sets out the principles that underpin their work. Sense about Science and Sage logos on the bottom.

Impact

Independence with Impact Report 2025

Independence with Impact Report

Critical thinking is an essential life skill—one that sits at the heart of the social and behavioral sciences. That’s why we embed critical thinking across everything we do, from our data‑literacy learning products to the broader services and resources we provide. Explore how this commitment translates into real-world impact in our 2025 Independence with Impact Report.
Read the report