Strategic Reading Strategy 3: Faster, More Efficient Comprehension

Image credit: UW Visual Asset Collection Links to an external site.

If you’re in a time crunch, the most efficient way to comprehend an academic article may be through putting in the extra brainpower for active reading. Active reading is where you learn by questioning the text, instead of passively reading it straight through without thinking.

• Skim these sections of the article: Abstract, Introduction, Results, Conclusion
  • You can skip these sections of the article: Methods, References 
  • Refer back to the Anatomy of an Academic Article if needed
• Then actively read these sections of the article and ask yourself the following questions about each section:
  • Abstract: What specific results are mentioned? Are they relevant?
  • Introduction: Do you understand the background information? Do you need to look up references for more info?
  • Results: For figures, do you understand what the axes mean? What units are used? Does the curve make sense? What story do the figures and/or data tell?
  • Discussion or Conclusion: Do you agree with the logic of the conclusions? Are these results useful to you?

Adapted from Purdue Library Links to an external site.

Some UW students’ best active reading tips include: highlighting or annotating text, taking notes as they read, or checking in to see if they can summarize what they’ve just read.

Watch this video from UW Libraries for some additional quick reading strategies: