Academic reading - how to do this effectively

Read Articles Strategically

Scholarly journal articles are written by scholars and for scholars, usually within a subject discipline. The main purpose is to report new findings to other scholars in the field. Since the scholars already share a highly specialized background, they assume their readers already understand some of the fundamental knowledge or jargon in the field. However, as a student or junior scholar, you may not yet have developed that knowledge, so reading journal articles can be a challenging task. However, there are ways to help you read better, and get the most of an article to support your research work.


Key take-aways

  • Read Abstract first to check if the article is relevant to your research topic
  • Scan section headings. Think about what information you need and where you might find it
  • Check keywords and use them to refine your next search
  • Look at the reference list for additional sources
  • Read figures or tables to understand the findings in greater detail

https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/1177484/how_to_read_effectively.pdf

Other useful sources:

Short guide by the University of YorkShort guide from University of Carolina
Short guide from Harold Washington College