Reading effectively.

There are many reasons why students are uncertain about what reading to do, especially when it
comes to developing written assignments. This handout offers advice, useful techniques and
strategies that should provide a better understanding of what to read.

Table explaining myths and realities about reading.

Myth Reality
I need to read every word of every text. Only some texts need to be read in full, and
in depth, for example, poems, or articles to
be critiqued.
I’ll miss something important if I do not read It is better to read relevant sections of books,
everything. and to use techniques such as skimming
and scanning to find relevant parts of a text.
A huge bibliography will impress the marker and Markers expect to see a list of resources
improve my grades. relevant to the task given, and which
includes a range of text types.
I do not need to read that much as my own ideas All students at university need to engage
are the most important. in reading in order to improve their
knowledge, thinking and assignments.
It does not matter how old my references are. Unless you need to include a historical
perspective, try to use up-to-date reading,
for example, from the last 10 years.

Finding suitable texts for an assignment.

1 Before you do any work on an assignment you should understand what you are
being asked to do, which means analysing the task set. Our handout ‘One way to
plan an essay’ demonstrates how to unpack a title or task. You will need to
understand any task words, such as ‘evaluate’ or ‘outline’. Our handout Essays:
task words gives a list of the such words you are likely to encounter.

2 It is also very important to read and understand any instructions given, and to refer to
learning outcomes or criteria that link to the task.

Having a sound understanding of the task, including any instructions, gives a solid
foundation for selecting appropriate reading.

3 Once you know what is being asked it is a very good idea to draft a plan. Putting a plan on
paper, or using planning software such as Inspiration, gets your initial ideas out in front of
you. Always use your deconstructed title or task when developing aplan.
 4 Once you have a deconstructed title and some initial ideas, you can use these to help you
plan your reading. You can also use a reading grid, which will help you think about what
to read, and is then used to record main points. Here’s what to do:
a Think about what you need to find out in order to respond to the task. You might need
to ask some questions, compare and contrast theories, or look at the pros and cons of
something. You might find that the task requires a thematic approach.
b Write down your questions or themes or items that need comparing.
c Use what you have written down to help you search for reading material. What words
or phrases could you use to help with effective online searching? If you need help with
this, go to a Library information desk or go online: www.port.ac.uk/library/help.
d In order to avoid reading unhelpful texts it is a good idea to read the abstract of an
article, or to look at the contents pages of a book, to see if any of the content is suitable.
e Always make notes when reading for an assignment, making sure you write down the
details you need for the bibliography. Use your questions/themes/other to guide your
reading and note making.
f Try using a reading grid to help you record the main points in a way that gives you
an overview. Hint: use one reading grid for one purpose, for example, themes. An
example of how to use the grid can be seen below.

Remember – inappropriate reading for an assignment will never add to the quality of your
response, and will often waste your time and effort.

Example of a reading grid (note: the grid will not work with screen readers).
This example has been adapted from one developed by an undergraduate student. It was used to
answer questions about zines (hand-made magazines), and helped to develop themes and structure
for a dissertation.
Write your
Put title and author
of each text, plustext
to compare in top box
type in first column
of all other columns

Why are there still handmade Ezines/blogs – Collecting ephemera:

zines? a good substitute? retro – cool – memory?

Value and Many [artists] continue to Some zines appear in Theory of retro nostalgia: ‘a
validity of Art produce affordable zines despite PDF format, but PDF fondness or preference for obsolete
zines – journal their work being published or art zines are a poor technology...’. Zines are hard to get –
shown in galleries. substitute. limited edition.

Why zines Writer finds their students Some critics predict Zines deliberately reject many aspects
matter – start making own zines when expansion of emedia of mainstream publishing. They
journal taught about them. Zines will see death of zines, take the form of ephemera, such as
need greater level of aesthetic books, paper media. doodles.
decision-making than blogs.

Fanzines. The zine form and how it is Recent technological Fanzines or zines are still hidden,
Teal Tiggs, made shape the reader’s advances have ‘flying beneath the radar of mainstream
2010 – book understanding of what is being changed how fanzines publishing’. They’re like collectables –
communicated. are viewed. hard to find, satisfying to acquire.
If you would like an ASK tutorial, please contact us:

Email: [email protected].
Phone: 02392 843462.
Visit: Third Floor, Nuffield Building.
Resource revised 2019.