Reading and writing are necessary steps to research and learning. However, reading academic texts can be extremely challenging when you are entering a new field of practice. This electronic worksheet has suggestions to prompt working through new or difficult texts for readers at any level

Gaston Arhin, Kaneisha

Leveque, Sophia C.

Columbia University Academic Commons

Strategies for Reading New TextsDon't forget to consult your syllabus if you are unsure how closely you should read a text.Reading for understanding can be faster than reading for synthesis in a paper later. Why are you reading? To use as a source in a paperFor class discussionFor my own interest To learn and retain key contentWhat should you prioritize? Look up words you don't know! Take your time, readwhat you want/can, enjoy!Write down questions you have. Be able to relate to theclass itself. Make sure to scan headings and read themost important sections first. Read the abstract first, look up vocabulary you don'tknow. Pull quotes as you read, make sure to note pagenumbers. Summarize key points. Consider the citations theauthor is using as evidence-- if you need to read thosesources do so! Take note if you disagree.  Library Tip: Looking things up as you read is a part of the research you do as ascholar. Here are some library resources in CLIO to use as you read:Oxford Bibliographies: Get an introduction to most topics quickly. Especially good forhumanities topics.Oxford English Dictionary (OED): Look up words you don’t know.Gale Virtual Reference: Excellent encyclopedia for all subjects. Bonus for Topic finder tool.Sage Research Methods: Learn about quantitative and qualitative methods. Podcasts andvideo content included.Is there something they are famousfor? Jog your memory!Google or look them up in Wikipedia. Knowing the author’s contextwill help you make sense of their argument and biases. What is theiraffiliation or occupation? Yes! No! Context about the text you are reading helps you fill in gaps:When was this article published? What academic discipline best describes their work? Is the authoraffiliated with an academic institution or does their work give them authority on the topic?A reading plan can help you from feeling overwhelmed: Which sections will you read first?  If there is an abstract read that first, you may NOT want to keepreading. Often reading the literature review first can help because it provides context. Yes! No! Will you be takingnotes by hand? Yes! No! Feeling anxious about a reading? These are three steps to help you work throughany text. Have you read thisauthor before? Do you know the words in the title andabstract?  Scan the headings of the article. Which headings should youprioritize? Highlight or circle words you don’t know as you go to lookup. Look those up first, they will come up again throughout the text.Make sure to keep your notes safe! Consider taking a picture orscanning these to have a back up copy. Having notes digitally makes it easy to transfer for paper writinglater. Just make sure to keep track of page numbers for citationlater. Library Tip: Note taking style is personal, but the practice is very important to reading.There are many types of taking notes, but the important thing is to save these notes in aplace you can find them. The source evaluation process begins as soon as the information gathering process begins. Noinformation is bias free-- you should start evaluation before you do a complete reading. Thefollowing chart is adapted from Notre Dame's De Namur University's research guide "Selectingand Evaluating Sources" (2020).  On the next page there are six different note taking systems. Some work better fornote taking by hand versus on a computer, but all will help you keep track of yourreadings. Information Need Where to find itGeneral InformationAcademic, Peer-reviewed, Scholarly  Facts and Statistics  Historical information Opinions Maps, Images, Charts Nonfiction books, reference books/encyclopedias orreference/encyclopedia databases or web pagesAcademic books, scholarly and peer-reviewed journal articles (which are in databases). Handbooks, yearbooks, or almanacs (print or fromdatabases or online) and U.S. government information available on the web and in CLIO. Nonfiction books, reference books, encyclopedias, &online archives.EvaluationAlmanacs/reference books (print or from databases),  & Geospatial datasets. Magazine and newspaper articles (print or fromdatabases) or onlineDoes the publisherhire diverse writers? Does the authoracknowledge gaps or bias? When was the materialpublished? Facts change.How does colonialismfactor in? How has it changed over time? Breaking News Does the authoracknowledge gaps or bias? Web pages or social media sites. Magazines or newspapers in CLIO. Is the reporter on the ground? Do you need to evaluate the source as part of your research? Find an object source as the site of analysis.Do you need information to determine the validity of your own arguments? Find a context source to frame theobject source.Do you need a point of view to add depth to your argument? Find a critical source to offer [critical]commentary on the object source. Want to use theories or conceptual frameworks to validate their use in academia? Find a theory to apply to theobject source.During source gathering determine the general purpose of your sourceProvides asystematic formatfor condensing andorganizing noteswithout recopying.After writing thenotes in the mainspace, use the left-hand space to labeleach idea and detailwith a key word or"cue." Save space fora summary at thebottom of the page.Provides a way tocondense largeamounts of facts.Set up your paperby drawing columnsand labelingappropriateheadings in a tablebased on topicalcategories to becovered in a lecture.Provides a creativestrategy for trackinggeneral overviews of atopic by showinghierarchies,relationships andconnections betweenideas. Make notesusing either sentencesor keywords.Provides a guide for afuture product, like apaper. Before writing,use the visual structureto demonstratehierarchies andrelationships betweenideas within your futurepaper.Provides a way tosimplify, visualize, andestablish connectionsbetween ideas withinand outside of alecture. While writing,arrange informationspatially and showconnections witharrows or lines.Provides a visualrepresentation of one’sthought process. Useyour time to combinedifferent note-takingstyles, arrange yourpage, and organize allnecessary informationinto something tailoredfor you.Structure: Outline Review: Cornell NotesHolistic: Flow ChartsI. IntroductionA. HookB. Background InformationC. ThesisD. TransitionII. Body Paragraph OneA. Main point onei. Supporting detail oneii. Supporting detail twoB. Main point twoi. Supporting detail oneii. Supporting detail twoC. TransitionIII. Body Paragraph TwoIV. Body Paragraph ThreeV. Body Paragraph FourVI. ConclusionA. TransitionB. Restate ThesisC. Review main pointsD. Final Thought/ So What?NotesSummaryKeywords, commentsVisual: Bullet Journal NotesI. Main Point OneA. Key Detail OneB. Key Detail TwoII. Main Point TwoA. Key Detail OneB. Key Detail TwoIII. Main Point ThreeA. Key Detail OneB. Key Detail TwoSubjectDateVocabulary/ Key TermsSummary of OutcomesNext Steps; To Review FurtherRelational: Charting MethodEventDatePeopleOutcomesDepth: Mind Maps/ WebsCentral Topic/ QuestionWriting about what you have read can be difficult. Here are some prompts toconsider as part of your analysis. Does the author address gaps? Is there anything that indicates the author received funding from a company, think tank, orother source that might influence the text? Does the author's affiliation with a university, non-profit, or other organization affect thetext in any way? Does the information provided feel complete or like it only provides a limited view of asubject? If so, why? Is the topic quickly changing or evolving? Is the information likely still relevant, or is it basedon knowledge or assumptions that are now outdated?BiasDo you agree with the results or conclusions? Why? What is the theory or method discussed? How does the publication contribute to your understanding of the topic?What are its key insights and arguments?Does the reference list have sources from one time period or spread out across a certaintimeline relevant to the field? EvaluationsDoes the text refer to iconic texts/studies? Or rely on secondary literature? Is there a pattern emerging? Does the research use established frameworks or take an innovative approach?Debates, conflicts and contradictions: where do sources disagree?Comparing texts to one anotherIf you need more assistance with writing don't forget about the Writing Center. The Library has abook called "How Scholars Write" by Aaron Ritzenberg and Sue Mendelsohn (2021) found herein CLIO: https://clio.columbia.edu/catalog/14565057Library Tip: Don't forget that reading and synthesizing take time. Plan for breaks andrest! 

Strategies for Reading New Texts

https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/doi/10.7916/d8-rqhk-jz18/download

Strategies for Reading New Texts

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