Critical and active reading practices are a core component of research and learning. This guide offers a few strategies and tips for note taking and reading that may help!
Look for structural cues: headings, sub-headings, figures or images
Look for context: where, when, who created the text
Attempt to infer author's purpose and audience
Annotate the text with your questions
Relate text to your own beliefs and experiences
Identify new terms, concepts or sources to explore
Note key points or conclusions
Outline to see structure & flow of the text
Summarize to check your understanding
State main points and thesis for quick review
How does the work contribute to your inquiry?
How might the source help: as evidence, background, argument?
What does the author ask you to accept or believe?
What evidence or persuasion does the author supply (fact, opinion, assumption)?
How does the text relate to other readings (contradict, support, extend)?
