Effective Reading

What is it? Previewing (or surveying) a text (either a book or an article) means that you get a general sense (overview) of what is in a given piece of work without reading the main body of the text.

When to use it? When you need to assess a material so that you can decide it if contains the information you need and if this book/article is useful for your purpose; when you want to identify the sections of the text you may need to read and the sections you can omit; when you want to get a general idea about a book or a journal article.

How to use it? Start by reading: the title and author; the abstract (if available); the main parts (main headings and subheadings, chapter summaries, etc.); review any graphs, tables or diagrams; read the first sentence in each paragraph.

What is it? Skimming involves gliding your eyes very quickly over large chunks of text. It is different from previewing because you are reading the body of the text. The main benefit of skimming is in being able to pick up the key ideas quickly without paying attention to detail. 

When to use it? When you want to quickly get the key ideas in a large text (for example skimming the newspaper to get the general news of the day). Skimming is especially useful when there are few headings or graphic elements to gain an overview of a text. Skimming helps you decide whether or not to read the full text.  Skimming adds to the information that you picked up in previewing (surveying).

How to skim? Read any bold print and graphics. Start at the beginning of the reading and glide your eyes over the text very quickly (make sure you are actually not reading the text in total). Only read a few words from each paragraph, try reading only the first and last sentences. It may also be useful to read the abstract and/or conclusion. Always get familiar with the reading material by previewing it or skim reading it before you read it in full.

What is it? Scanning is running your eyes (like radar) over part of a text to find specific pieces of information relevant to your current task. You skim read material to get the general picture.  You scan when looking for specific information.

When to use it: When you want to quickly find specific information from a large text (e.g. the definition of a term, the result of an experiment, finding your flight on an airplane schedule, etc.)

How to scan text? Don’t read every work. Start by reading the title, headings, subheadings, book index to find the information you need. Move quickly through the body of the text. As soon as your eye catches an important word or phrase, stop scanning and read the relevant section in full.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Previewing, scanning and skimming are reading strategies to save time but they are no substitutes for thorough reading and should only be used to get a general idea of the text and to locate material quickly.

What is it? Intensive reading is reading a text in detail (from beginning to end) with specific goals. Usually the goal of intensive reading is to read a difficult text thoroughly to understand and remember what you’ve read (for example, read a front-line text or a chapter whose content is central to your task or reading a work contract or an insurance claim). The goal of intensive reading may also be to read a text in order to understand and evaluate its content (for example, a journal article relevant to your research).

When to use it? When you have previewed (surveyed) an article and used skimming and scanning techniques to find what you need to focus on, then you can slow down and do some intensive reading to understand and remember the material or understand and evaluate its content.

How to read intensively? Read a text from beginning to end. Underline, highlight and make brief notes. Mark any unfamiliar words or terms. Be alert to the main ideas (each paragraph should have a main idea, often contained in the first sentence or the last sentence). After you have completed the text, go back to the unfamiliar vocabulary and look it up in a subject-specific dictionary. Write down the bibliographic information (and record page numbers).

What is it? Critical reading in an academic context does not mean simply criticizing or “finding fault”. Critical reading means reading in depth by engaging in what you are reading. Critical reading involves questioning, evaluating, categorizing information and making connections within the text and comparing what the author is saying with other experts who have written on the same topic. Critical reading also requires recognizing the writer’s purpose, assumptions and underlying values (social, cultural and historical influences), as well as exploring alternatives to the stated ideas.

When to use it? When you are asked to read thoroughly a piece of writing and evaluate it critically or when you gather evidence to support your argument/research. Even if not explicitly stated, any time you read a piece of writing during your studies at university, you are expected to read critically.

How to read critically? While you are critically reading a section of a book or an article, actively search for information to assist you answer questions regarding the author’s purpose, the content of the text, the structure/framework and the style and format. The sort of questions you need to ask are:

• What position is the writer presenting?
• What evidence is the writer giving by supporting his or her position?
• Is the evidence presented accurately?
• Has the evidence been collected using appropriate methods?
• Is the writer basing himself or herself on a particular theory or approach?
• Are the writer’s claims reasonable?
• How does the writer’s position compare with the positions of other writers in the field?
• Do I agree with the position the writer is presenting? Why or why not?

Further questions which will help you read critically are available in the Critical Reading Questions Handout.

At university it is important to be able to understand what you read and to be able to recall the main ideas afterwards. You can use the SQ3R method to help you remember a reading for tutorials, seminars or to revise for exams.

The SQ3R (SURVEY, QUESTION, READ, RECITE, REVIEW) is an active study strategy that enhances your reading comprehension and learning efficiency by helping you process and increase retention of written information. Although SQ3R method may seem time consuming in the beginning, it is highly efficient. Try this method for yourself by following the steps below:

• Step 1- Survey – skim through the text (book, article or chapter) to get an overall idea what it’s about and whether it can be useful for your task. It may also help to have a glance over the headings, the contents and index. If it looks relevant, go to the next step.
• Step 2 - Question – If you are reading this text for a particular purpose (for example, to answer an assignment or prepare a presentation), ask yourself how it is relevant. Formulate questions (e.g. What? Where? When? How?) based on your needs.
• Step 3 - Read – once you have your list of questions, start reading the text in a focused but fairly speedy way. Read with alertness to answer the questions you posed. Write notes, in your own words, under each question. 
• Step 4 - Recall – test your memory by mentally visualizing the main points of the material without looking at the text or your notes or alternative speaking aloud. Plan to spend more time on recall than reading.
• Step 5 - Review – Check how well you recall and if your answers were right by returning to the text. Go over the parts you got wrong or couldn’t answer.