Actively engage with the text:
- You must develop a questioning mindset.
- Don’t passively accept what you read.
- Question, evaluate and think about how this information links with your prior knowledge and other texts you have read on the subject.
Read with questions in mind
Rather than looking at the information that you can pull out of a text, it is useful to approach reading with a list of questions so that you can evaluate the information. For a list of critical reading questions visit the UniLearning website
Look for links
Think about how the information you are reading relates to your prior knowledge, other units or course of study and/or previous topics in the course. This will help you contextualise the information so that you are better able to form an opinion on what you have read.
Consider the organisation of the text
Take some time to evaluate the organisation of the text and how the author has analysed the material. Examine the evidence used to develop the arguments, is the evidence used credible and the conclusions drawn logical?
Evaluate the argument
To evaluate means to look for strengths and the weaknesses. Part of being a critically reader is being able to critically evaluate the source of the information, as well as the content. It is important to appraise a text by firstly examining the author, particularly looking at the credentials, such as institutional affiliations, educational background, past writings and experience. Secondly, look for the publication date of the source and whether there are further or later editions.
Experienced critical readers will also evaluate the text in terms of content. This may involve examining the intended audience of the text, the quality, the coverage, as well as writing style.
Look for what is not explained
A critical reader must become experienced at ‘filling in the gaps’, by looking for information that is not explained. This allows a reader to identify any bias in the text, which is critical if you are to develop your own ideas.