The Bedford Researcher: Chapter Four

Chapter 4 was about reading critically. This is an important part of writing a research paper because then you wont take anything at face value and you will ask questions, look for implications, make inferences, and make connections to other sources. When you do all those things, you  are less likely to use a bad source or misinformation in your paper. It part A of the chapter it talks about the difference between reading critically and evaluating. They are similar, however, critically reading is focusing on making sense of the source while evaluating is deciding how reliable a source is and if you can use it for your paper. Part B was about how to use a research question critically. The point that was given is: develop a position statement which you can do by free writing or brainstorming.  Part C answered the question of how to read with an attitude. To do this you approach a source with you writing situation in mind. Ask yourself and answer questions about your research question, position statement, readers interest, value, and beliefs. Also, keep in mind the type of document you are writing and what design it will be. Recognize limitations and requirements but also you opportunities. Part D was focused on what strategies to use to read actively. The suggestions that were given were to mark sources, annotate sources, and take notes. Part E answered the question of what to pay attention to while reading. The author said to, identify the type of source, identify primary and secondary sources (try to use as many primary sources as you can!), identify main points and reasons, consider the use of evidence, identify interpretive frameworks (a set of strategies for finding patterns ex: trend analysis), find new information, and look at similarities and differences between the sources. The part of chapter 4, part F, talks about how many times a source should be read. The first time you read a source, skimming is the best way to go because then you can find out quickly whether or not this source could be useful.  Then reading actively is the next step which you can take notes on or mark pages/passages. After that, reread parts that you think you could use and the parts which are harder to understand.