Study Support: Academic Reading

Skimming is when you read information fairly quickly to gain an overview of a book chapter or journal article. 

If you are skimming a journal article reading the journal abstract, introduction and conclusion will help you to decide if the journal article is relevant.

Close reading is when you slowly read information to understand and reflect on what is written. You may need to read sections more than once to understand the main arguments.

Critical reading is an active process which involves asking questions whilst you are reading an information source to identify how the author develops their argument and evaluate the strength of the research.  For example, you could consider:

• Is the author an expert in this subject?
• Is the information presented in a logical and consistent way?
• What is the purpose of this source?
• What are the main conclusions from their research?
• What evidence have they used to support their findings?
• How do their arguments compare with another academic's research on this subject?

The SQ3R method provides a framework that you could use to help you understand and remember information.  It involves the following five stages:

1. Survey-scan the contents page and section headings to obtain an overview of the item to help you decide if it will provide you with the information that you need
2. Question-write down a list of questions that you will be able to answer after you have finished reading.  You could use the section headings or an assignment title to help you think of relevant questions.
3. Read-the information paying close attention to the sections which provide you with the answers to your questions. You could make a note of the keywords and phrases.
4. Recall-put the item to aside, write a summary of the information that you have just read and try to answer your questions. If you are finding it difficult to remember the information then read those sections again. 
5. Review-your notes to check that you have correctly recorded the main points and if you have missed out any important information.  

This is the method that most people use where notes are written on a page using headings and subheadings.  Students often use this method when they are taking notes during a lecture or from books.   

• Write down the main points rather than trying to record all of the information
• Underline keywords
• Use numbers or bullet points
• Use your own words rather than copy and pasting information to avoid unintentional plagiarism
• Leave space so that you can later add information 

The Cornell Method provides a framework that you can use when you are taking notes. The method involves dividing the page into the following sections:

1. Lecture title and date
2. Lecture notes
3. Main points and questions
4. Summary

During the lecture you make your notes using the second panel and then after the lecture you review your notes to record the main points and any questions that you have. You then use the summary section to write a short description of the lecture content.

A mind map is a visual way of taking notes using words, images and lines which enables you to see the connections between different ideas. The main topic is written in the centre of the page and then words related to the main topic are connected by lines to record associated information or ideas. 

• Using colour and images will help you to remember information.
• Notes taken from different sources can be displayed on one page
• Help you to plan and structure assignments
• Can be useful when you are revising for exams

Mind maps can either be drawn by hand or created online and there are a number of sites available that you can use to create mind maps online such as Canva and MindView.

You are likely to spend a lot of time reading information and research online which if done for a large amount of time can lead to health issues such as blurred vision and headaches.  The following tips may help:

• Take regular breaks away from your screen to reduce eye strain
• Adjust the settings on your computer such as the brightness, background colour and font size to make reading more comfortable
• To avoid being distracted you could use a site blocker app such as Stay Focused
• There are different preferences available to assist with reading PDF documents, click here to access information about these preferences
• Use reading techniques such as skimming and scanning to identify if the resource is relevant to your need

When you are reading a number of information sources it can be difficult to monitor and maintain a record of the items you have read. 

You could keep create a document or spreadsheet to keep a list of the sources, email the reference details to yourself or use reference management software. There is also free referencing software available that you can download such as Zotero and Mendeley which enable you to upload and create a library of the information sources that you have read.

More information is available from the Introduction to Zotero online video.

The following tips will help you to take more effective notes:

• Before the lecture, find out what topic will be covered and read any recommended texts
• Use your own words to summarise the main points 
• Leave space between different points so that you can add information later
• Use headings and sub-headings and highlight keywords
• Use abbreviations for frequently mentioned words to save time
• Pay attention to phrases that indicate significant information, for example, I will explain three ways that…
• Some of the notetaking apps allow you to search your notes using keywords  

• Ensure that your notes are stored safely either on paper or online so that you can quickly find the information you need