Reading and Making Notes

by Jeanne Godfrey, Kate Williams (Editor)

University students are typically exposed to a much wider variety of academic sources at university – including monographs, textbooks, journals, reports – and, crucially, a much larger proportion of their time is spent on independent academic reading, relative to their time in school.

There are lots of study skills texts which deal with academic writing in some form or other, but there are far fewer resources which provide helpful guidance about how to manage the early stages of an assignment. The quality of a student's written work reflects the quality of their reading and note-making skills. If students don't understand what their assignment is asking; if students don't take control of their reading list and consult the most appropriate sources; and if students don't end the process of reading with meaningful notes it's very unlikely that they will score high marks for their assignment.

This book helps readers to take charge of their reading at university and provides succinct and practical guidance at key stages of the assignment. It helps students to understand what their assignment title means and how to identify useful, reliable academic sources. It helps students to apply different reading strategies, depending on the task at hand, and to approach texts actively so that they are questioning and evaluating materials as they go. In addition to reading strategies, the Pocket introduces readers to useful strategies and tips for note-making. The final part helps readers to make the most of their notes by engaging with and reviewing the material they've created.

New for this
- A science-based example for STEM students
- New section which helps readers think about what type of information and evidence they need to find
- New tips on managing large volumes of reading
- Updated material on note-making software and online tools to reflect latest technology

Genres: Nonfiction, Academic

160 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2010

About the author

Jeanne Godfrey is a freelance lecturer and consultant.

Reviews

[Nina Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not exactly reinventing the wheel, most of this was stuff I already knew. However, I found it extremely useful to have it all in one place like that, I feel like it helped me piece together this huge puzzle. I did have all the pieces, I just didn't know how to make them fit together. Very satisfied with this, and will probably look into more books from the same series later.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes things are so obvious that you don’t think twice about them, until you have to... This book is an excellent reminder for these kinds of things: essay writing, effective reading and note-taking. It’s very clearly written and easy to digest.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short guide to making notes and reading. Aimed at people studying at uni but has information useful to younger groups. Clear to understand with examples.

[Roy Corry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A handy little book that is well worth picking up. Do not be fooled by its size; it can be quite useful for beginners and advanced users alike.