1. Professor Virinder S Kalra University of Warwick
Academic Reading
Professor Virinder S Kalra
University of Warwick

2. Why Reading? paRh paRh likh likh laaweyN Dheyr
veyd kitaabaaN chaar chafeyr
girdey chaanan wich anheyr
apney aap dee khabar naa saar
Bulleh Shah
Beḏ paṛe paṛ barahme hāre ik ṯil nahī kīmaṯ pā▫ī.
Guru Arjun
So not to read?

3. Deep Reading
Simply put, surface readers focus on the sign, i.e., the text itself, while deep readers focus on what is signified, i.e., the meaning of the text (Bowden & Marton, 2000, p.49).
In our tradition, reading is to change the self not for outward validation

4. Aim of Today Get to know each other Engage in deep reading
Review skills for reading

5. Reading Audit On the other side
Two paragraphs on yourself and your research project (if Phd) or a piece of research doing (if academic)

6. Categories of Analysis
(i) reading purpose;
(ii) context;
(iii) author’s thesis;
(iv) deconstruction of assumptions;
(v) evaluation of author’s arguments; and
(vi) consequences of author’s arguments for your own work!

7. Questioning the text the author intention:
Is this a challenge to an existing position?
Is this an examination of a new variable?
Is this an application of an old theory to new data or new place (context)?

8. Look at Bhambra, para 1 and 2
Read one sentence per person (repeat to complete paragraph)
What does the paragraph say ? (in your own language)
What does the paragraph do?

9. Developing Your Vocabulary
Consider the context around new and challenging words.
Jot down unfamiliar terms and find the meaning using a dictionary.
Analyze terms to discover the most meaningful part of the word (especially true in Biology).
Take the opportunity to use new terms in your writing and speaking.
Learn to read “outside the box!”

10. Did you use any of these techniques?
Cause-effect
How one thing causes another to happen
Compare-contrast
How things are similar and how they are different
Draw a conclusion
To make up your mind about an idea
Context clue
Getting the meaning of a word from the words around it
Implied
Suggested without being directly stated
Inference
To guess or speculate to draw a conclusion
Main idea
The primary subject of a passage or paragraph
Objectivity
Not influenced by personal feelings or prejudice
Prior knowledge
What you already know
Supporting details
Specific items that elaborate on the main idea

11. Answer these questions
What is the aim of the article?
What definition of the state is being deployed?
Look at this quote ‘this definition is associated with the emergence of the state in Europe, notwithstanding that in all cases used for illustration the state in question was a colonial and imperial state.’
Were all states in Europe colonial/imperial?
If so were they all to the same extent?

12. General Context Tell each other what you know about Weber and Marx
Then talk about the two paragraphs again
Tell each other what you know about the formation of the Pakistani state
Then talk about the paragraphs again

13. Reading the Paper Abstract and Key words
Approach to the investigation of the topic
Will report on what was discovered during the work
Analysis, discussion or results – in short
What is ”new” about the work?

14. Reading the Paper Introduction
This is where the authors make a promise Like a contract between authors and the reader
Identifying relevant research gaps
Presenting a road map of what is to come

15. Reading the Paper The Context of the Research
Reading the ”background” section will give you a better grasp of the situation that gave rise to the research
The ”real world” location into which the research problem might fit
Clue to how it may relate to your own problem

16. Reading the Paper The Literature Review
If you were an architect and we asked you to build a house in an earthquake zone, you would make sure that the foundations were strong and solid
Not just a description of others previous work, but the litterature review:
Appraises, compares and contrasts it with each other and relevant work
Article will become part of your literature review

17. Reading the Paper Method(ology)
Discusses how the research was carried out – often called methodology or research design
Research Strategy: case study, survey, observations
Research Methods
Why these methods?
Population, the sample, data collection, interpretation, analysis

18. Reading the Paper Findings
Do the findings confirm the litterature?
Do the findings dis-confirm the litterature?
Do the findings go further than the litterature?
There is no single manner or method of presentation of research findings

19. Reading the Paper Conclusion
The authors try:
To deliver the promise given in the introduction section
Make a ”minor” contribution to the body of knowledge on the subject
Should be MORE than a summary, namely synthesizing the overall arguments presented in the paper, and
Highlight meanings
Emphasize contributions

20. From understanding to analysis
Finding the Claim; critical analysis
What question does the author pose?
What is the primary argument?
Why is this argument significant?

21. Validity of the arguments?
1. Evidence:
What evidence do the authors offer in support of their position?
How convincing is the evidence
2. Counter-arguments:
What arguments are made in opposition?
What evidence was used in the refutation
3. Effectiveness:
What were the strength of the article?
Did you get a clear picture?

22. Carry out analysis on Bhambra and Ya-Wen Lei
Overall
One is theoretical paper
Other is theory and empirical material (quantitative mainly)
Remember from understanding to critical evaluation
Look at content and structure
Both from leading Sociology journals: British Journal of Sociology and American Journal of Sociology

23. Session 3 What are we reading? A text may be: a book a textbook
a newspaper article
a journal article
a report
an online document
a graphic/table/illustration
Also
A song
A film
A documentary
A TV show
A speech at a rally

24. Text and Genre
Texts in the same genre have similar characteristics or conventions.
Recognising the particular features of different genres helps you to skim a text and determine if it is appropriate to use for your present research. .
You need to be able to identify:
different types of text you will need at university
the data or information available in each
Critical to distinguish between academic texts and data material
Internet problem

25. Academic texts and data
How is an academic text different from other things you read?
Journalism vs academic text
Blog vs academic text
Website vs academic text
In your groups

26. Homework
One side of A4 of your academic writing to share with group