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Academic Essays (DRAFT TEMPLATE CB)

Reading for an Essay

The guide to academic reading provides helpful advice about how to approach academic reading and note-taking.

Reading for an essay is different from other kinds of reading and benefits from having a strategy and a system for before you read, while you read and after you read.

Reading for an Essay

Before reading - set a purpose and select strategically

Having a clear goal for your reading will help you judge relevance and pinpoint information better.

Strategy

  • Define your research question first- even if your topic is broad, write down a working question first
  • Skim first, select later - use titles, abstracts, headings and conclusions to decide which sources are actually worth deep reading
  • Keep & organise an essay reading list - keep a spreadsheet (you might start building a synthesis matrix) and/or a folder in a reference management tool like Zotero or MyBib. For each source, make a note of
    • the citation
    • keywords
    • how it might relate to your argument

System

Have a 'triage' system where you label sources you find as:

  • A. Must read
  • B. Skim for specific sections or paragraphs
  • C. Probably not relevant (park in a 'just in case' folder)

 

During reading - read actively and purposefully

Actively questioning and annotating a text as you read can improve understanding.

Strategy

  • Use the SQ4R method (Survey, Question, Read, Reflect, Recite, Review) to help comprehend the text
  • Ask 'claim - evidence - connection' questions for each paragraph:
    • What claim is the author making?
    • What evidence supports it?
    • How does this relate to my essay question?
  • Chunk your reading  - divide your time into 30 minute reading sprints rather than reading marathons!
  • Highlight sparingly - only mark key concepts or direct evidence you might quote (over-highlighting reduces selectivity)

System

Have a note taking system - like Cornell notes.

After reading - synthesise and organise

This is where you start to connect your reading and notes to find the central argument and structure of your essay.

Strategy

  • Summarise your reading in your own words (better if within 24 hours of reading a source)
  • Group notes by theme - this helps you compare sources against each other to avoid 'source-by-source' essays

 

System

Have a synthesis matrix or evidence table to visually link sources and evidence that agree or disagree or address different parts of your essay

 

Source 1

(Author, title, year)

Source 2

(Author, title, year)

Source 3 

(Author, title, year)
Main argument?      
Key evidence/ quotes?      
How does this support or challenge your ideas for your essay?