Research Skills: Effective Reading Strategies

Task 1

• Complete the questionnaire to discover how you read

Characteristics of a Surface Approach to Reading

• Intention to complete task requirements • Memorise information needed for

assessments • Failure to distinguish principles from

examples • Treats task as an external imposition • Focus on discrete elements without

integration • Unreflectiveness about purpose or strategies

Characteristics of a Deep Approach to Reading

• Intention to understand • Vigorous interaction with content • Relate new ideas to previous knowledge • Relate concepts to everyday experience • Relate evidence to conclusions • Examine the logic of the argument

• Can you deduce any general principles of effective reading from the above?

• Reading is purposeful

• Reading is selective

• In reading, we anticipate

• Reading is based on understanding

Reading Strategies

• Rapid reading

• Effective reading

• Critical reading

• These 3 overlap…

• Note taking

• Reference records

Rapid Reading

• Reading the ideas, not the words.

• Increases reading speed without losing comprehension

• We use natural vision– Most of the time– But not when reading

• Tunnel vision when reading– Unnatural– Slow– Tiring

So why don’t we read rapidly?

• Taught word by word

• Comfortable habit

• Scared of missing info– Shouldn’t happen

• Scared of losing concentration– May actually increase!

Is it hard?

• More weird than hard initially– Have to unlearn old reading habits– Have to make time to practice– Have to use different materials

• BUT big benefits if you get the hang of it– Reading is faster– Reading is more efficient

So how do I learn it?

• Test yourself– You might already do it – You might find that you need it – http://www.readingsoft.com/index.html

• See the handout for practice tips and exercises

Effective Readers

• Read with a Purpose (eg: is this relevant to my task?)

Survey

• Preview– publishers blurb– abstract

• Scan– preface– table of contents– index

Survey

• Skim– Introductory and concluding chapters of books– Introductory and concluding paragraphs of journals– Prior to more intensive and critical reading– Look for key word, authors etc to see if section is relevant

• NEVER just start at chapter 1 and read through to the end– Be selective– Be aware of the text’s structure – use:

• chapter titles• headings• subheadings

Effective Readers

• Are active – critical of the source, look for the author’s biases

Question????

• What questions must your reading answer? • Think Kipling…. (no not the cakes bloke!)

“I keep six honest serving men. They taught me all I knew. Their names are What and Why and How and Where and When and Who”

(Kipling, 1902)• Facts• Arguments

Read

• Read sections in detail

• Be an active reader

• Take notes as you go

Recall

• Make notes– More on this later….

• Put into own words– Use Kipling’s 6Ws to describe

• Explain the ideas to someone else

Review

• Reread your notes

• Reread the original text

• Do these agree?

• Are your critical points fair?

Critical reading

• Highest level reading skill

• Essential for a literature review

Critical reading

• What are your questions?

• What is the writer’s goal?– Theoretical position

– Predictions/hypotheses

• Are their arguments sound and justified?– Use Kipling’s 6Ws to analyse

– Same questions – different level

Critical Reading Questions

• How would you have:– Carried out the study (empirical)– Argued the case (empirical and theoretical)

• Are the author’s interpretations valid?

• Are they convincing?– Are they claiming too much?

• What are the implications of the findings/arguments?

Note-taking

• Know what kind of ideas you need to record– Focus before starting

– Preliminary list of subtopics or Qs you want to answer

• What are the key– Points?

– Studies?

– Names?

Note-taking

• Don't write down too much– Summarise don’t copy– Copy quotes only when they’re phenomenal

• Label and organise your notes– Keep reference records (more on this in a sec)– Card or loose leaf pages

• Allows later shuffling and reorganisation

Note Taking

• Leave space– For own musings/ideas

• These can form first drafts and save time!

• Underlining and highlighting– Good or bad?– ONLY ever in your own copy!– Aide memoire– Focuses attention later

• Better to make notes in margins or use post-its

Note Taking

• Think about mind-mapping– Alternative to linear note taking– Useful for organising ideas and thoughts– Bit weird to do if you haven’t used it before– See handout and exercise for further details

Recap

• Rapid reading is about speed

• Effective reading is about efficiency

• Critical reading is about analysis and evaluation

• Make notes and take references as you go

Further Reading

• http://www.studyskills.soton.ac.uk/studyguides/Reading%20Academically.Doc

• Norton, L. & Scantlebury, E. (1995) Encouraging a deep approach to learning Liverpool Institute of Higher Education

• http://www.ex.ac.uk/dll/studyskills/reading_skills.htm