What is Reading?
The author's name
Reading is a multifaceted process involving word
recognition, comprehension, fluency, and motivation.
Learn how readers integrate these facets to make
meaning from print.
Reading is making meaning from print. It requires that we:
 Identify the words in print – a process called word
recognition
 Construct an understanding from them – a process
called comprehension
 Coordinate identifying words and making meaning
so that reading is automatic and accurate – an
achievement called fluency
Academic Reading is defined as reading with a
specific academic and educational purpose. Academic
reading includes reading more traditional books,
dictionaries, encyclopedias, and journal articles, along
with a vast number of resources available online.
Academic vs. Non-Academic: What's the
Difference?
The majority of your research will require academic and
scholarly articles. Many students struggle with trying to
determine what an academic source, or article, is.
Academic articles are written by professionals in a given
field. They are edited by the authors' peers and often take
years to publish. Their language is formal and will contain
words and terms typical to the field.
will be present, as will their credentials. There will be a list
of references that indicate where the author obtained the
information s/he is using in the article.
Non-Academic articles are written for the mass public.
They are published quickly and can be written by anyone.
Their language is informal, casual, and may contain
slang. The author may not be provided and will not have
any credentials listed. There will be no reference list.
Non-Academic articles can be found in periodicals similar
to Time, Newsweek, or Rolling Stone.
Reading Goals
Before you read an academic text, ask yourself the
following questions:
1. Why am I reading this text?
2. What information or pieces of information do I need?
3. What do I want to learn?
Below are some general purposes for reading an
academic text.
 to better understand an existing idea
 to get ideas that can support a particular writing
assignment
 to gain more information
 to identify gaps in existing studies
 to contact new ideas to existing ones
  Structure of Academic Texts
 Academic texts are typically formal. They have a
clearly structured introduction, body, and
conclusion. They also include information from
credible sources which are, in turn, properly cited.
They also include a list of references used in
developing an academic paper.
Content and Style of Academic Texts
Academic texts include concepts and theories that are
related to the specific discipline they explore. They
usually exhibit all the properties of a well-written text i.e.,
organization, unity, coherence, and cohesion, as well as
strict adherence to rules of language use and mechanics.
In general, the authors observe the following when writing
academic texts.
 They state critical questions and issues.
 They provide facts and evidence from credible.
 They use precise and accurate words while
avoiding jargon and colloquial expressions.
 They take an objective point-of-view and avoid
being personal subjective.
 They list references.
 They use hedging or cautious language to tone
down their claims.
 Summary:

ACADEMIC WRITING NON-ACADEMIC WRITING

Academic writing refers to a

Non-Academic writing refers to a
piece of writing which focuses
01. piece of writing which focuses on
on a specific academic
a general topic.
subject/topic.

Academic writings are based on Non-Academic writings are

02. academic findings and based on any general
academic research etc. conversation or topic.

Its reader includes Its reader includes family and

03.
academicians. friends.

Its purpose is to inform the
04.
readers with solid evidence.
Its purpose is to inform,
entertain, or persuade the
readers.

It may include some complex Simple and short sentences are

05.
sentences. always preferable.

Its content is based on serious Its thought is based on

06.
thought. conversational.

It contains citations and It often does not contain citations

07.
references. and references.

Academic writing is structured in Non-Academic writing is not

08.
a manner. structured in a manner.

It always follows a formal way of It may follow a formal or informal

09.
writing. way of writing.

It is organized in a clear and It is less likely to be clear and

10.
well-planned manner. organized.

From a grammar point of view, it

From a grammar point of view,
11. may contain errors but mostly
academic writing is error-free.
avoided.

12. In academic writing technical In non-academic writing use

and academic language used
 accurately. short forms, idioms, and slang.

For example, suppose a For example, you are an

professor writing on a concept employee of a company and you
13. related to Chemistry and that are writing a business letter to
published in the college’s your colleague related to the
monthly magazine. current project.

 Determine which type of academic text (article, review,

Critical Reading
Strategies
Reading academic texts requires focus and
understanding. You have to interact with the text by
questioning its assumptions, responding to its arguments,
and connecting it to real-life experiences and
applications. Critical or reflective reading helps you
identify the key arguments presented by the author and
analyze concepts presented in the text.
To adopt a critical reading approach, practice the
strategies to be employed during each stage of reading.

thesis, etc.) you are reading.
Determine and establish your purpose for reading.
 Identify the author's purpose for writing.
 Predict or infer the main idea or argument of the text
based on its title.
 Identify your attitude towards the author and the text.
 State what you already know and what you want to
learn about the topic.
 Determine the target audience.
 Check the publication date for relevance. It should have
been published at most five years earlier than the current
year.
 Check the reference list while making sure to consider
the correctness of the formatting style.
 Use a concept map or a graphic organizer to note your
existing ideas and knowledge on the topic.

Before Reading During Reading

 Annotate important parts of the text.
Annotating a text can help you determine essential ideas
or information, main ideas or arguments, and new
information or ideas. Here are some ways to annotate a
text.
 o
o Write keywords or phrases on the margins in
bullet form.
o Write something on the page margin where
important information is found.
o Write brief notes on the margin.
o Write quotations on information that you find
confusing.
o Write about what you already know about the
ideas.
o Write the limitations of the author's arguments.
o Write notes on the reliability of the text.
o Comment on the author's biases.
o Use a concept map or any graphic organizer to
note down the ideas being explained.
o React to the arguments presented in the text.
o Underline important words, phrases, or
sentences.
Other Reading Strategies
Here are more reading strategies that you can employ to ensure critical reading not only of academic texts but also of
other texts in general.
a. SQ3R Method of Reading
o Underline or encircle meanings or definitions.
o Mark or highlight relevant/essential parts of the
text.
o Use the headings and transition words to
identify relationships in the text.
o Create a bank of unfamiliar or technical words
to be defined later.
Use context clues to define unfamiliar or
technical words.
o Synthesize the author's arguments at the end of
the chapter or section.
o Determine the main idea of the text.
o Identify the evidence or supporting arguments
presented by the author and check their validity and
relevance.
o Identify the findings and note the
appropriateness of the research method used.
After Reading
 Reflect on what you learned.
 React to some parts of the text through writing.
 Discuss some parts with your teacher or classmates.
 Link the main idea of the text to what you already know.
SQ3R stands for Survey (or Skim), Question, Read, Recite (or Recall), Revise.

Stage Guidelines

 Skim the target text.

 Check the headings and tables, diagrams, or figures presented in the
Survey text.
 Read the first few and last sentences of the text to determine key
information.
 Get a feel of the text.

 Annotate tho headings with your questions

 Develop questions on the types of information you expect from
Question
the text.

 Look for answers to your questions as you read the text.

 Stop and slow down if the passage is not clear.
Read  Make sure to proceed reading only when you already understand the
previous texts.

 Recount the main points of the text.

 Recall by writing a summary or synthesis based on what you understand
Recite of the text.
 Highlight or underline the important points you read.

Review  After finishing the text, go back and re-reod 'he questions you wrote and
see if you can answer therm; if not, refresh your memory.
  Evaluate what you learned to ensure that you are convinced
and satisfied with the information presented In the text.

b. KWL Method
The KWL method guides you in reading and understanding a text. To apply the KWL method, simply make a table with
three columns. In the first column, write what you know (K) about the topic; in the second list down what you want (W) to
learn; and in the last column, write down what you learned (L).
Below is a simple KWL chart using an article that focuses on language and gender:

What I Know What I Want to Learn What I Have Learned

 Women are reported to

speak 20, 000 words a day
 There is a connection  Are women really more while men speak an
between language and talkative than men? average of 7, 000 words.
gender.  What accounts for the  Foxp2 protein is one of
 Women and men are difference in the frequency the genes associated with
on different levels of of language use between language.
talkativeness. men and women?  It was shown that
women have higher levels
of this protein than men.

Understanding and Locating the Thesis


Statement
The thesis statement presents or describes the point of an
essay. In an academic text, the thesis statement is usually
presented in the abstract or executive summary or found at the
last part of the introduction. It is written in a declarative
sentence.
Strategies in Locating the Thesis Statement
The following strategies are also useful in helping you
locate the thesis statement of a text.
 Read the title of the text and make inferences
on its purpose.
 If the text has no abstract or executive
summary, read the first few paragraphs as the
thesis statement is usually located there.
 In other cases, you may also check the
conclusion where authors sum up and review
their main points.
Understanding and Locating the Topic
Sentence
 The topic sentence presents or describes the
point of the paragraph; in other words, it is the
main idea of a paragraph. It can be located in the
beginning, middle, or last part of a paragraph.
Strategies in Locating the Topic Sentence
The following strategies are useful in helping you locate
the topic sentence in a paragraph.
 Read the first sentence of the paragraph very
carefully because most authors state their topic
sentence in the beginning of the paragraph.
 Browse the sentences in the paragraph to identify
what they describe. The sentence that best describes
the topic of the paragraph is the topic sentence.
 Find the concept or idea being tackled, which in
colloquial term is the "big word" in the paragraph. The
sentence that defines the big word is usually the topic
sentence.
 Identify the purpose of the paragraph. The
sentence that presents or describes the purpose is
the topic sentence.
 Observe the writing style of the author. Focus
specifically on where he/she places his/her topic
sentence.
Criteria in Evaluating
Sources
Not all pieces of information are accurate, relevant or
useful, and valid or credible. It is very important to
evaluate sources of information you plan to include,
specifically in academic writing.
Incorrect sources can affect your research, as well as
your credibility as a writer. Here are some criteria for
assessing whether a source is suitable to use for
academic purposes.
I. Relevance of the Source to the Research Topic
 How well does the source support your topic?
 Key Ideas:
o You can check the title, table of contents,
summary/abstract, introduction or headings of the
text to have a sense of its content.
II. Authority/Author's Qualifications
 Is the author's name identified?
 Is the author's background, education, or training
related to the topic?
 Is he/she a professor in a reputable university?
 What are his/her publications?
 Is the contact information of the author available?
 Key Ideas:
o If the source does not have an author, think
twice before using it.
o You can check the university's website to
make sure that the professor is associated with
the university.
o Publications from professors are usually
peer-reviewed and have undergone a strenuous
publication process and therefore reliable.
o Legitimate academic texts must include
citations as a requirement for publication. Citations
demonstrate that the writer has thoroughly
researched the topic and is not plagiarizing the
material.
III. Currency/Date of Publication
 What is the date of publication?
 Key ideas:
o In most fields, the data from older
publications may no longer be valid. As much as
possible, the date of publication should be at most
five years earlier.
IV. Contents/Accuracy of Information
 Does the author have a lot of citations in his/her
text and/or a bibliography or works cited section?
 What is the tome and style of writing?
 Is the information inaccurate?
 Is the information obviously biased or prejudiced?
 Key ides:
o The tone or the attitude of the author
towards his/her subject and writing style must
be formal. There should be no words or phrases
 (such as colloquial words and contracted words)
that are unacceptable in English formal writing.
o You do not want to use a source that is
disputable, so make sure to verify your
findings with multiple sources.
o It might be alright to use a source that only
focuses on one aspect of the topic, as long as you
balance it in your research with sources from other
points of view. Make sure that the author has no
personal agenda in writing the information.
V. Location of Sources
 Where is the source published? Is it published
digitally or in print?
 Is it a book, an academic journal, or a reputable
news source such as www.nytimes.com (Links to an
external site.) or www.economist.com? (Links to an
external site.)
 Does it provide complete publication information
such as author (s) /editor (s), title, date of publication,
and publisher?
 What is the URL of the website?
 Key ideas:
o Avoid using blogs or personal homepage
and wiki sites (Wikipedia, Wiktionary
Wikiquotes).
o If the URL includes the top-level
domain .edu, then that means that it has been
published by an academic institution such as a
university.
o Common URLs
include .gov (government), .org (organizations), .c
om (commercial sites), and .net (network
infrastructures). In academic writing, reputable
sites are those with .edu, .gov, .net, and .org in
URL.

You can also use the criteria below in evaluating websites:

Evaluation of Web documents How to Interpret the basics

1. Accuracy Of Web Documents Accuracy

 Who wrote the page and can
you
contact him or her?
 What is the purpose of the
document and why was it
 Make sure the author provides
e-mail or a contact address/phone
number.
 Know the distinction between
 produced?
 Is this person qualified to write
this document?
2. Authority Of Web Documents
 Who published the document Authority
and is it separate from the
"Webmaster"
 Check the domain of the
document,
what institution publishes this
document?
 Does the publisher list his/her
qualifications?
3. Objectivity of Web Documents
 What goals/objectives does
this page meet?
 How detailed is the
information?
 What opinions (if any) are
expressed
by the author?
4. Currency of Web Documents
 When was it produced?
 When was it updated?
author and Webmaster.
 What credentials are listed for
the authors?
 Where is the document
published Check the website's
URL domain.
Objectivity
 Determine if the page is a
mask for advertising; if so,
information might be biased.
 View any Web page as you
would an infomercial on television.
Ask yourself why it was written
and for whom.
Currency
 How many dead links are on
the page?
  Are the links current or
 How up-to-date are the links (if updated regularly?
any)?  Is the Information on the page
outdated?

5. Coverage of the Web Documents
 Are the links (if any) evaluated
and do they complement the
documents' theme?
 Is it all images or a balance of 
text and images?
 Is the information presented
cited correctly?
Coverage
 If the page requires special
software to view the information,
how much are you missing if you
don't have the software?
Is it free or is there a fee to
obtain the information?
 Is there an option for text only,
or frames, or a suggested browser
for better viewing?

 identify different citation styles appropriate for a

Citing Sources
Not citing your sources is just unethical. In the academic
community, much importance is placed on attributing
something to the right person, so it is important that credit
is given where it is done.
By the end of the lesson, you will have been able to:
 identify the importance of citations;
 differentiate in-text citations from reference
citations;

specific discipline;
apply an appropriate citation style in research
writing; and
 evaluate in-text citations and reference citations.
It is important not only to get information from credible
sources but to also properly document all borrowed
ideas, information, concepts, arguments, or information
and attribute them to their authors or creators. This is
done by citing sources.
  The Publication Manual of the American Psychological
Association (APA)
Purpose for Citing Sources  The Modern Language Association Style Guide (MLA)
 Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)
1. To give credit to the original author of a work  American Medical Association Manual of Style (AMA)
 The Chicago Manual of Style
2. To promote scholarly writing
3. To help you target audience identify your original Each is prepared by specific disciplines as shown below.
source

STYLE GUIDE DISCIPLINE

Forms of Citation
There are only two forms of citations: Psychology, Education, Hotel and Restaurant
1. In-text citation requires the writer to cite the details of APA Management, Business, Economics, and other Socia
the reference used in a certain part of his/her essay. Sciences

Two styles of parenthetical citation:

MLA Literature, Arts, and Humanities
 Author-named in text
 Author-not-named in text
IEEE Engineering
2. Reference Citation refers to the complete bibliographic
entries of all references used by the writer. It appears in the
reference list found at the last part of the paper
AMA Medicine, Health Sciences, and other Natural Scienc

Style Guides Reference books, non-academic periodicals (e.g.

Chicago
newspapers, magazines, journals)
Citations are governed by rules of style and structure,
which are generally published as style guides or
manuals. Some of the widely used style guides are:
Guidelines in In-Text Citation
1. APA, 6th edition (pp 169-179) Basic Citation Rules

 Follow the latest year of publication method. Although

not required, APA encourages you to indicate the page
numbers even in paraphrases or summaries. Place the
period after the citation when it is at the end of the
sentence.

2. Reference citation refers to the complete bibliographic

entries of all references used by the writer. This appears in the
reference list found in the last part of the paper.