Reading and Note-Taking

Academic Reading

Ensuring you are physically comfortable (have eaten, drank, gone to the washroom and sitting in a comfortable place/position) is important for maintaining focus. Removing distractions such as mobile phones will make your study time much more productive and your academic reading much more successful.

Read with a purpose to be a more active reader. Think about APT (Audience - Who is the text for?; Purpose - Is the author informing, persuading, contrasting, evaluating, questioning, showing cause/effect, problem/solution, etc. and Tone - what is the author's attitude to the topic?

SQ3R

From: https://miuc.org/sq3r-study-method/

Tabular Notes

Tabular notes allow for the categorization and organization of ideas. General categories could include advantage/disadvantages, problem/solution, cause/effect, before/after or more specific categories based on the structure and content of a text. They can also be used to organize key ideas in paragraphs in an essay as pictured below.

While you read, avoid highlighting everything and instead make notes in the margin or on a separate piece of paper. Recording where you read/found the information is essential. When transferring information directly from the original source, remember to use quotation marks if you are using the author's words and paraphrase if not.

After-Reading Activities

Write a five-sentence summary of the key points or a post-it note summary

Elaborate: tell a friend about what your read, or say it orally to yourself, or record yourself on your phone

Make a graphic organizer of key ideas: T-chart, mind-map, quadrant, graph etc.

Critique the text: What are its strengths and limitations?