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Wolfson College Academic Skills: Critical reading and evaluation

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Critical or academic reading is about questioning what you encounter in books, articles, webpages, new sources etc. It isn't about finding fault; instead you should be constantly comparing with what you already know, have read, and want to say.

Everyone is different and reads at different paces for different reasons and contexts. Ultimately it is more important to do deep reading than simply get it done. But you may find some tools and techniques on this page to help you identify areas to spend your time on so you don't waste time on material you already know or sections that are irrelevant.

Top tips

1. Your reading should be just as structured as your essay. Before beginning, you need to plan. Create a list or mind map to analyse your question and help identify what you do and don’t know. Draw out themes you are comfortable with and those which will need more research. This is where to focus your reading

2. Then ask yourself: Why I am reading this? What questions do I want it to answer? This will depend on whether you are looking for information, to improve your understanding or to analyse a text. You may ony want an additional citation to strengthen your argument.

3. Once you know what you want from a reading session, your strategic approach to reading should ideally include the following steps:

  • Survey
  • Question
  • Read
  • Recall
  • Review

4. Do not accept what you read at face value, always question the information, ideas and arguments you come across. Use evidence to help you form your own opinions, arguments, theories and ideas.

5. Critical reading is only effective if you take critical notes. Your notes to need to interpret the overall meaning of what you have read within the wider context of what you know from other sources and your argument. If you write your notes in a critical way, you should be able to drop them into your essay without much editing.

This video introduces the idea of critical reading but it also helpful to look at in conjunction with our notemaking resources.

How to

Underlying Principles of Academic Reading

  • Moving beyond task-oriented attitude of ‘doing the reading’
  • Active academic reading is about higher-order cognitive skills: analysis and synthesis,
  • Generally, active academic reading is not about reading every word in order and then quickly reaching for the next reading
  • Active academic reading is about reflection (note making)

Active Academic Reading

  • Positioning the text in terms of your piece of writing
  • Surveying the text for clues about its arguments, methods and results
  • Reading in a focused manner
  • Reflecting on the usefulness of the text for your work

Stop road signBefore you read…stop!

Ask yourself: what do you want to achieve by reading this?

  • Background/understanding
  • Answer a specific question about context
  • Example/case study/data
  • Extract their citation/their thesis
  • Summary for a seminar

Use KWL to get you started

Reading academically mean reading with real purpose. That way, you won't waste time reading things you already know or that are irrelevant.

KWL method of approaching reading
Know Want to know Learned
What do you know about this before reading?

What is left unanswered? This is the motivation to start reading

 

Fill this in as you go and record your progress
When you have done an initial skim and scan of the text (see below) then review these questions:
How has your thinking moved on? What is left unanswered? This is the motivation to read in more depth  

 

 

Try it out

You don’t have time to read everything, nor do you need to. Take a structured approach to target your reading:

Scan

  • If it is a book, look at the contents page and index. If the information you are looking for isn’t mentioned here, you probably don’t need to read any further.
  • If it is a chapter or journal article, use the structure of headings and subheadings to give you an idea about the content.
  • Do you recognise anything in the reference list? Is it linked to material you have been reading? Do they support or refute one another?
  • Quickly look at the text to identify keywords or phrases.
  • Figures, data and images are much easier to digest at speed than words.
  • Evaluate the relevance and usefulness of the resource and decide if you need to read more.

Skim

  • Note key points made in the summary or abstract.
  • Read the first and last paragraphs or sections to identify the main argument. Then decide if you need more specific information from the body of text.
  • This is the case for paragraphs too.  A good writer should introduce an argument in the first sentence and  summarise it in the last.
  • Look for repetition of arguments, phrases or words to give clues to the author’s intentions.
  • What do they consider crucial? Does this match what you think is crucial?

Then, and only then, should you decide if you need to read further and take in-depth notes. If not, move on the next text.

Once you have established what an individual thinks, you’ll need to link it to the bigger picture. Develop a checklist to evaluate what you read:
Authority

  • Can you tell who wrote it? If the author is not identified who is the sponsor, publisher, or organisation behind the information?
  • Are the author’s credentials or organisational affiliations listed?
  • Is the source reputable?

Purpose

  • What is the purpose of the information? To inform, sell or entertain?
  • Does the point of view appear objective or can you determine bias? Is this clearly stated or apparent through a close reading?
  • Does the text/site provide information or is it a critical evaluation of other information?

Currency

  • When was the information published/posted? Does this matter in your field?
  • When was it last revised? Have there been new studies or developments in theory since then?
  • If reviewing a web source, are the links current or broken?

Accuracy

  • Where does the information presented come from? Are the sources listed?
  • Can you verify the information in other sources or from your own knowledge?

Relevance

  • What is the depth of coverage?
  • Is the information central to your topic or does the source only touch on it?
  • Is it unique? Is better quality information available from another source?
  • Who is the intended audience?

Reading-aloud

Speaking as we read is something associated with childhood. Whilst reading silently can speed up the rate at which we digest text, it sometimes hinders clarity of thought.  If passage is difficult or you are finding it hard to concentrate, reading aloud can focus your mind and improve comprehension. Speak into the digital recorder on your phone to listen to it again if you are struggling to understand passages or need to revise them.

Note down words or concepts you are struggling with and then follow them up on another occasion. Don't get distracted whilst reading the passage.


Finger-tracking

Again, this is something we do when learning to read as a child but has huge value for  advanced readers too. It is best employed when you don’t need to read every word. Run your finger across the text or, as you get more experienced, in a zigzag fashion down the centre of the page. You will still be able to take in the gist of argument despite not reading every word. It will help identify repeated keywords and arguments.

It is good practice to take a moment after reading to see if you can do the following by way of a summary:

  • Restate: reiterate the same topics and facts. What is it about?
  • Describe: discuss the topics and facts within the context of the author’s argument. What do they think?
  • Interpret: apply meaning within the wider context of your prior knowledge and values. Is this what you think? What are the implications of your analysis?

If you are struggling to do this, you may need to re-read sections before moving on to another text.

If you make effective notes in this way, you can then lift chunks directly into your essay or assignment. It is therefore important not to simply describe what you have read but to analyse it too. That way you will writing critically; comparing, contrasting and synthesising information while clarifying the importance of some authors, arguments and sources overs others.

Find out more

  • An introduction to Critical Reading - breaking it down - This is a self-paced course on Moodle, created by Cambridge librarians. It should take around 45 minutes to complete.The course is an opportunity to sharpen your techniques for reading scholarly literature effectively. It  outlines techniques to read productively, and introduce a question-based method to help with being critical. The course allows you to reflect on your current way of working and also includes a practical exercise to consolidate the skills which have been taught. 

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