Reading social science texts and strategies for note-taking

Aims  Develop an understanding of academic reading as an interactive process  Apply different approaches to reading material, including quick-overview reading and critical/analytical reading  Consider different approaches to note- taking

Think about…  “Avoid an educational process that only provides you with information; rather your brain needs training in how to use information, how to think creatively from that information, how to critique.” (Metcalfe, 2006, p.3)  Strong writers are often avid readers (Redman & Maples, 2011, p.39).

CHALLENGES Volume of reading requiredSummarising and condensing masses of information Managing reading timeSustaining critical analysis Maintaining focusKeeping track of notes, ideas, themes, concepts Selecting and prioritisingEncountering the ‘unfamiliar’ Challenges involved in academic reading

Passive reading Passive reading, is often:  Casual  Unquestioning  Without a more specific purpose than entertainment, enjoyment or utility  Seeks to follow the author’s narrative or story  May not be sole focus of attention  A one way process

StrategyExample Question what you think the author is stating “Although Ellis (2011) seems to be suggesting that the riots were a direct response to the death of Mark Duggan, is he really supporting the idea that this was a form of mass protest, or is he suggesting that they are suggestive of other social, economic and political factors?” Identify how the writing is structured and think about how this can be used to convey thoughts and ideas. “The first part of the report describes the historical background around Risk Factor Analysis (RFA). The second section explains how current practice has been shaped by RFA. The third section demonstrates limitations of RFA. The final section proposes a novel holistic approach in response to limitations addressed in the previous section.” In this example the author moves from describing and explaining to demonstrating limitations and finally proposing something new. Active reading strategies (i)

StrategyExample Identify terms, expressions or phrases which are unfamiliar to you and consider how you could gain clarity in relation to these. “The journal article mentions the terms ‘nihilistic’, ‘inter alia’, ‘liquid modernity’, ‘systematic structural exclusion’ and ‘atomisation’ but I’ve never heard of them. Maybe I could find a definition in a dictionary, or using a reputable online glossary of terms?” Be prepared to ask challenging questions: How, what, who, when, where, why? “How did the researcher ensure that no errors or bias entered the data analysis stage?” “What are reasons why this intervention was found to be ineffective, in some practice contexts?” “Who is not being heard or represented in this account?” “When was this research first carried out and what impact did the social, historical, economic or political context of that time have on the approach taken?” “Where (in which environment) was the research carried out?” “Why were some aspects of the topic not considered?” Active reading strategies (ii)

StrategyExample Become a detective – always be on the look-out for valid and reliable evidence, and question what is presented as evidence. “There is only one key source used to support the author’s main argument about the UK riots in August That source is from research carried out in1974 in a completely different country (Cuba) and socio-political context”. Separate the wheat from the chaff. Not everything that you read is going to be useful, interesting, well written or even particularly insightful. “This book chapter is not very well written and it doesn’t really seem to add anything that has not already been stated in the literature that I’ve read. However, there is one useful point about consumerism and social class, and I will refer to this in my assignment”. Active reading strategies (iii)

Reading for different purposes… 1. Quick overview reading 2. Critical and analytical (in-depth) reading

1. Quick overview reading – how is it done?  Read the contents page – it’s designed to show you what is covered and how to get there (e.g. page numbers)!  Scan indexes – not all publications have indexes but most academic books will have them. Glance through them to see if any of your search terms (or similar phrases) appear and how thorough the coverage is (e.g. one page? several pages?)  Read introductions to get a quick overview of an individual book chapter, journal article or report  Read chapter conclusions/abstracts/ summaries as these should all summarise the key issues covered.

2. Critical / analytical (in- depth) reading – how?  Focus on the question(s) you need to answer.  In short, by avoiding taking things at ‘face value’, but instead asking questions of, or ‘interrogating’ the text  Evaluating the credibility and appropriateness of the evidence presented, and the arguments constructed  Weighing up strengths/flaws in arguments  Critically examining each stage of the research/investigation process  Assessing whether information is accurate and factually correct  Identifying gaps, omissions or oversights

Note-taking exercise  Using your regular, preferred method of taking notes, make notes on the following short video presentation.

Linear notes  Use indentations/subsections  Use bullet points or numbering  Don’t just make a list  Leave good margins This slide was adapted from materials designed and developed by University of Leeds

Cornell style Use the right hand side for notes Use the left hand column for ‘cues’ Use the lower part to summarise This slide was adapted from materials designed and developed by University of Leeds

Mind maps This slide was adapted from materials designed and developed by University of Leeds