Reading and notetaking

You do not have unlimited time, so you need to use it wisely.  It is better to read a shorter section and do all steps of the get set, read, do and review strategy, rather than only read a larger section.  

As you get set to read, you will consider:

• The purpose. 
• What the text could be about.
• How it relates to what you already know and the overall course work.

It is important to first determine why you are reading, so that you can select the appropriate strategies or chose specific section of the text to read. 

Your purpose might be:

• Preparing for a class.
• Researching an assignment question.
• Digesting the weekly course readings.
• Looking for an answer.
• Entertainment.

Your purpose also helps you identify what not to read and to recognise when a source is not appropriate.

Some sources are not as reliable as others, and we need to evaluate the sources to make sure they are suitable for academic writing.  In general, it is best to use articles from recognised peer-reviewed journals.

As a general rule, for assignments, you should only use sources such as: 

• Textbooks.
• Journal articles.
• Government documents.
• Credible discipline websites. 

Always refer to the assessment criteria requirements before using sources outside this list. 

Questions to ask as you evaluate each source should include:

• Who is the author? Do they have authority/credibility to write about this topic? Are they a known researcher/publisher in their field and/or the topic conversation? 
• Is the information current? Is the journal article published within a recent timeline? Is the journal article peer-reviewed and published through a reputable journal?  You should always be mindful of how old a source is and try to use the most current source where possible.
• Is reliable evidence used to support the main points or argument? Is there a reference list or links to further information?
• Are there similar themes or ideas as presented in other works read so far? Are there differences to take note of?

Want to know more about evaluating a source? The 'Evaluate your sources' resource from the UniSC Library (link below in 'Additional resources' below) has a framework to use when evaluating sources of information.

With your purpose in mind, scan the text you are about to read to see if it is helpful. Skimming through the text also familiarises your mind with the content which prepares it for later information to be remembered more easily.

Here are some practical tips:

• Spend a few minutes previewing the reading.
• Notice the structure of the document.
• Think about your purpose and what you want to learn.

For a textbook specifically:

• Skim the title, headings, and sub-headings. 
• Find the key terminology and concepts – these might be in the margin or bolded in the text.
• Scan the graphs, tables or figures.

For journal articles specifically:

• Read the abstract and the first paragraph of the discussion.
• Use Ctrl F (the find function on the computer) to search for the key words that you are interested in.
• Decide that the article is on track for your purpose.

A good strategy to keep you focused and to see how the reading fits in with the wider learning is to write questions you will answer after reading the text.  

For each section of the text, construct a question you expect the text to answer.  Make sure your questions align with your purpose.  

Here are some practical tips:

• Turn course learning objectives into questions.
• Turn headings and sub-headings into questions.

For journal articles specifically: 

• Turn your research question or keywords into specific questions you expect this article to answer.

This video (2:51 min) from QUT (2018) provides some strategies to reading with purpose.