Reading

Before reading an entire article, book chapter or other academic text, take a few minutes to establish what you need from it. This can help you focus your attention and use your reading time effectively.

Do I need to read this?

If a text is required reading for your module, you should engage with it as directed by your tutor. However, you may not need to read every section equally closely.

If you are finding material for an assessment or research project, first consider whether it is relevant to your question or topic.

Look at the title, headings, introduction and conclusion to identify what the text covers. For journal articles, the abstract can also help you decide whether the article warrants closer reading.

Why am I reading this?

Think about what you want to learn or find out.

For example, are you reading to:

• Understand an unfamiliar topic or concept?

• Prepare for a lecture, seminar or discussion?

• Find evidence relevant to an assessment?

• Understand a particular theory, method or argument?

• Compare different explanations or research findings?

Your purpose will influence what you focus on and the questions you ask.

For required reading, consider how the material connects to your module topics and learning activities. Your tutor or module materials can help clarify what is expected.

How closely do I need to read?

Not every text requires the same level of attention.

You might read an introduction to establish whether an article is useful, examine a particular section for specific information, or read a whole chapter carefully to understand an unfamiliar concept.

Focus your effort where it will make the greatest contribution to your task. A smaller number of carefully understood sources may be more useful than collecting large amounts of material without engaging with it.

Different reading techniques help you achieve different purposes. You can move between them as you work through a text.

Skimming: get an overview

Skimming means reading quickly to identify the main topic, ideas and structure of a text.

Look at the title, headings, introduction, conclusion and the beginnings of important paragraphs. Pay attention to keywords and repeated concepts.

Example: You have found several articles about student wellbeing. Skimming their abstracts, headings and conclusions helps you identify which are most relevant before reading them in depth.

Scanning: find particular information

Scanning means looking through a text for something specific rather than reading every sentence.

You might search for a name, date, definition, statistic, key term or particular research finding.

Example: You need to find how many participants took part in a study. You scan the article for the relevant information, perhaps in its methods section.

Once you find the information, read the surrounding text carefully enough to understand what it means and how it is being used.

Close reading: develop your understanding

Close reading means giving particular attention to the text so that you can understand its meaning, argument and supporting evidence.

This may involve rereading difficult passages, identifying unfamiliar terms, examining examples and considering how one part of the text connects to another.

Example: You are reading an explanation of a theory that is central to your assessment. You work through the explanation carefully, check unfamiliar concepts and consider how the author supports their interpretation.

You do not have to choose just one technique. You might skim a chapter first, scan for a relevant section and then read that section closely.

Active reading means engaging with what you read rather than simply moving through the words.

As you read, try to identify the author's main ideas and follow how they are developed.

Ask yourself:

• What is the main point of this section?

• What is the author trying to explain or argue?

• What evidence or examples are being used?

• How does this connect with what I already know?

• What do I understand, and what do I need to investigate further?

If you find a passage difficult, try breaking it into smaller sections. Identify unfamiliar words, look for examples and reread the passage after establishing the broader context.

You can also pause after a section and explain its main point in your own words. If you cannot do this, you may need to revisit part of the explanation.

Underlining and annotating

Annotating a text means adding brief notes, comments or markings as you read. This can help you identify useful information and record your thinking.

For example, you might:

• Highlight a key argument, definition or finding.

• Underline a passage you want to examine more closely.

• Write a question about something you do not understand.

• Note a connection with another source or something discussed in class.

• Record an alternative explanation or a point you want to investigate.

Be selective. Highlighting large amounts of text without thinking about why they matter is unlikely to help you understand or remember the material.

Annotation is one approach to active reading, not a requirement. You may prefer to make separate notes, create a mind map or use another method.

Only write or highlight directly on materials you are permitted to annotate. Do not mark Library books or other borrowed items.

For fuller guidance on recording and organising information, see Note-taking.

Critical reading means understanding an author's ideas and examining how they are supported.

Being critical does not mean automatically disagreeing or looking for faults. You may conclude that an argument is convincing and well supported. The important thing is to consider the reasons and evidence rather than simply accepting a claim.

Start by making sure you understand what the author is saying. Then consider the argument more closely.

Questions to ask when reading critically

Claims and arguments

• What is the author's main claim or conclusion?

• How does the author develop their argument?

• Are any important assumptions being made?

Evidence and reasoning

• What evidence supports the argument?

• How was that evidence obtained or developed?

• Does the evidence support the conclusion being drawn?

• Are there limitations or uncertainties that matter?

Different perspectives

• Are there other interpretations or explanations?

• How does this argument compare with other material you have read?

• Does the author acknowledge evidence that challenges their position?

Relevance to your task

• What does this text contribute to your understanding?

• How useful is its argument or evidence for your particular purpose?

• What further questions does it raise?

You will not necessarily need to ask every question of every text. Choose questions that are appropriate to the material and your purpose.

Worked example: questioning a research finding

Imagine you are reading an article which reports that university students who spend more time using their phones also tend to report poorer sleep.

You might initially identify the main finding:

Students reporting higher phone use also reported poorer sleep.

Reading critically involves asking further questions:

• How did the researchers measure phone use and sleep?

• How many students participated, and how were they selected?

• Does the study show a relationship, or does it establish that phone use causes poorer sleep?

• Might other factors, such as stress or workload, help explain the findings?

• Do the authors acknowledge limitations in their research?

You might conclude that the findings provide useful evidence of a relationship, while recognising that they do not necessarily establish cause and effect.

This is an example of critical reading: understanding what the authors found, examining the evidence and making a judgement about what can reasonably be concluded.

For further guidance, see Critical Thinking and Analysis and Evaluating Information.

Reading is more useful when you take time to consider what you have learned and how it connects to your task.

After reading a relevant section or completing a text, try to:

• Summarise the main ideas in your own words.

• Identify important arguments, evidence and conclusions.

• Record any questions or areas you still need to understand.

• Consider how the material connects with other sources or ideas.

• Decide what, if anything, you need to read next.

Connect your reading with other information

As you read more widely, look for connections between texts.

For example, two authors may agree on a particular finding but offer different explanations. Another source may use a different research method or reach a contrasting conclusion.

Identifying these connections can help you develop a fuller understanding of a topic and prepare to use evidence in your academic work.

Make useful notes

Keep enough information to recognise the source and return to important passages later.

Try to distinguish between:

• What the author says or argues.

• Evidence or examples presented in the text.

• Your own questions, interpretations and observations.

Record the source details and relevant page numbers or locations where appropriate. This will make it easier to check information and reference sources accurately when preparing an assessment.

See Note-taking for practical methods of organising and developing your notes.

If you are working with research articles, the Library's Reading Journal Articles guide explains how to approach their different sections, including abstracts, methods, results and discussions.