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Your reading will often provide the material that you need to write an academic paper
writing is much easier if you follow this basic advice ... skim the entire book
look at the cover
and the information at the back of the book
read about the author
skim the introduction page
the notes at the end
and any foot notes
look at the illustrations and photos
you get a basic idea off the contents which will be useful later
note the genre or type of reading
is it a dense academic text, a novel, or a newspaper article
what is the purpose of the text? to inform
entertain, or persuade the reader
Why do you think the book was written, and who is the intended audience?
Is it for the general reader, or is it aimed at a narrow specialist reader
in a particular field?
What do you know about the author?
What else has he or she written?
if you're reading was assigned to you by your teacher
how does it fit in with what you have covered in class lectures
is it related to other areas of the course or previous readings on the topic
Can you see any links with the course you are studying?
plan where you're going to read and when
you should schedule your reading
and be prepared to adjust your estimate
of the time and amount of material to be covered
be realistic and flexible
some material can be read quickly
whereas difficult readings need to be broken up into manageable sections
write what you plan to do in your calendar and keep to it
remember
you must be an active, not passive reader
write down
any reaction you have to what you're reading
this can be a simple notes ... for example
difficult vocabulary
or questions which may be answered later in class discussion and developed further
in your writing
perhaps you have been set a question by your teacher
as you read
keep this question in mind and make a conscious effort to note any
information
that can help you formulate an answer
as you read
consider not just what is written
but what might have been omitted
Can you detect any bias in the author's writing?
Is there anything that you feel the author has deliberately avoided in order to make
his or her argument stronger?
as you read
always have a pen and paper
or some other means or recording your thoughts and reactions
take a little time after reading each section to make brief
notes out about what you have read
and your reactions
share your notes with others reading the same material
quick 5 minute scheduled exchange of notes and reactions are effective
find a study buddy
reading and writing is must easier if you can work with someone who is
reading the same material
it is motivating to plan your reading together and exchange information and
ideas as your reading progresses
finally
when you have finished all the reading
take 15 minutes to review the notes you have made
and record what you have learned
and the reactions in the last summary of the whole text
if you and your study buddy
have followed the above advice
you will now have a comprehensive understanding of the reading
and useful information which you can use as the basis of your writing