What is analytical reading?

Analytical reading is a high-level cognitive skill. It’s

important brain work! In customer service, analytical
reading refers to an agent’s ability to read the customer’s
email and figure out what the customer is asking, not
simply what the customer is saying. This is the crux of
analytical reading versus what could be called surface
reading.
Here’s an example of analytical reading in action. The
customer, Karen, emailed ABC Waste Disposal, the
company that picks up her trash:
Dear ABC Waste Disposal,
I have a small, broken bookcase that I need picked up. I
was also wondering if there was any way that we could
get the larger recycling container? I have one of the
small open boxes, but we fill it up too fast.
Thank you!
Karen Blume
An analytical reading of this email generates a list of five
questions the customer is asking, both explicitly and
implicitly:
Will you pick up my broken bookcase?
If so, is there an additional charge?
How do I arrange for you to pick up my broken
bookcase?
Can I have a larger recycling container?
If so, do I need to do anything special to request it?
Analytical reading prepares an agent to provide all the
information needed for the desired outcomes (picking up
the bookcase and getting a larger recycling container),
even if the customer didn’t know to ask the questions.
Analytical reading is thorough reading, complete reading,
or good reading – the best reading you can do. The
analytical reader must ask many, and organized,
questions of what he is reading. On this level of reading,
the reader grasps a book – the metaphor is apt – and
works at it until the book becomes his own. Francis
Bacon once remarked that “some books are to be
tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be
chewed and digested.” Reading a book analytically is
chewing and digesting it.

Here are the rules

Stage 1 – Rules for Finding What a Book is About

Classify the book according to kind and subject matter.
State what the whole book is about with the utmost
brevity.
Enumerate its major parts in their order and relation, and
outline these parts as you have outlined the whole.
Define the problem or problems the author has tried to
solve.
Stage 2 – Rules for Interpreting a Book’s Contents
Come to terms with the author by interpreting his key
words.
Grasp the author’s leading propositions by dealing with
his most important sentences.
Know the author’s arguments, by finding them in, or
constructing them out of, sequences of sentences.
Determine which of his problems the author has solved,
and which he has not; and of the latter, decide which the
author knew he had failed to solve.
Stage 3 – Rules for Criticizing a Book as a Communication
of Knowledge
Do not begin criticism until you have completed your
outline and your interpretation of the book. (Do not say
you agree, disagree, or suspend judgment, until you can
say “I understand.”)
Do not disagree disputatiously or contentiously.
Demonstrate that you recognize the difference between
knowledge and mere personal opinion by presenting
good reasons for any critical judgment you make.
Show wherein the author is uninformed.
Show wherein the author is misinformed.
Show wherein the author is illogical.
Show wherein the author’s analysis or account is
incomplete.
Analytical reading is very hard and it takes a lot of time to
read a book this way. Few people read a book analytically
and hence there are only very few “well-read” people.
Importance of Analytical Reading Skills

Analytical or critical reading means approaching any

book with a grain of doubt to deal with given information
on deductive or inductive methods. It is about a deep
understanding of what is said and in what manner.
This method helps to grasp the means the author uses to
reach a certain goal and provide insight into any type of
writing. It is an active reading technique that requires a
lot of patience and focus.
There are several approaches and strategies that can
help achieve this goal. As in any analysis, a person needs
to dissect the book up to components and make a
conclusion based on it.
What can it help you with:
• Develop critical thinking necessary in everyday life;
• Help to study more effectively as you will get a deeper
understanding of what you are reading;
• Become a better writer as you can apply new skills to
your writing;
• Be more aware of any information you receive,
whether it is news or academic research;
• Be proactive in your books’ perception.

Develop Critical Reading Step-by-Step

The first principle is to be active about the way you
approach the text, whether it is a scientific article,
explanatory book, or a fiction novel. Although they have
different purposes, writing style, and delivery, they still
have common features.
Start with gathering information about the book.
It means defining what type of book you are working
with, and it matters for several reasons. The type of
writing and the purpose impact how the text is
structured, what figures are used, and gives the context.
Classify what type of book it is.
Pay attention to the title and description – what are they
about?
Can you predict the main idea? It would be harder with
fiction books, but with explanatory writing, it works
wonderfully. Try to state what the book is about.
If you are not sure how to stay focus on it, ask pros from
ca.essaywritingservice.com for help. It is OK if you don’t
get it right – analytical skills are all about trying and
learning from experience.
Think about the possible problems or issues the author
addresses in the book.
Expectations help to have a critical approach. For
example, if the title says “Ways to Be a Productive
Student” and the text has nothing to do with it – it is a
point of criticism. This is what will help you to make a
conclusion.
Learn about the historical context behind the text when
appropriate.
Nothing is created in a vacuum. Even if it is a fiction
novel, it can be written in response to the events of a
particular age or era. The piece is most likely to be
connected to a set of ideas and beliefs of the time.
Define the structure of the text.
The house is built of bricks, where every brick matters.
The way they are organized makes sense in a final picture
– the building. The structure of the text also consists of
“bricks” that help to create something bigger. It is
important to know how to do it if you want to be a better
writer.
Take notes.
Underline the key statements, dates, or numbers. Take
notes of what the author’s claims are. Find the
arguments or common themes that appear in the book.
Analyze whether the arguments are clear, concise, and
credible.
How does the author approach the problem? Are there
any gaps in this approach? Can you add anything to the
critique of the text?
Interpretation of fiction.
Fiction is entirely different from academic writing. Here,
a reader is almost like a detective that picks clues and
needs to find the underlying meaning. It requires one to
make active analysis of figures of speech, metaphors
used, narration, etc.
Make a conclusion.
Was the text relevant to the title and description? What
was the main message and theme? How did the author
approach it? Were the arguments clear?
Always use logical reasoning for text critique. Show
whether the author is uninformed or misinformed on the
topic or illogical, use examples from the book. If the
argumentation of the author is incomplete, comment on
that.
Use It in Your Writing
Analytical skills can be trained in different ways, by
observation, reading, and even playing board games,
such as chess. But it is important to implement them in
your writing.
1. Define the type of text you are working on. What are
the common structures used? What are the appropriate
forms?
2. Write down the main message and the supporting
arguments beforehand. Always keep in mind what you
want to say.
3. Plan out the structure carefully. It is the same as
working on essays – the text should unfold in a certain
way to be powerful, logical, and informative.
4. Always do proper research to show that you are
informed on the matter.
5. Be critical of your own writing, re-read it, and define
the clarity, readability, and logic of it.
In Summary
Analytical reading is all about active information
perception. It helps to divide text up to the smallest
structural pieces to have a deeper understanding of how
it works and why it works. It offers the ability to think
critically, be more aware of the language structures and
their purposes.