Redacción en Inglés

Académico
Unit 2. Sources: Reading comes
first
Grado en Estudios Ingleses
Curso 2018/2019
 Unit 2: Sources: Reading comes first
CONTENTS
1. What is a source?
2. Type of sources
3. Efficient reading
3.1. Definition
3.2. Strategies
3.3. Techniques
4. Identification of text features
4.1. Abstracts
5. Assessing Internet sources critically
6. Critical thinking
7. Critical reading
 1. What is a source?
Source: Any text that students use to obtain ideas
or information
Take into account that…
• Variety of sources: textbooks, journal articles,
official reports, videos, etc...
• It is important to identify the most suitable
ones and recognise their features, advantages
and disadvantages ...
 2. Types of sources
Source type Advantages Disadvantages
Textbooks
Personal websites
Journal articles (online or
printed)
Official reports (e.g. from
government)
Online newspapers
Online forums
Personal blogs
Videos from YouTube
Tweets
Edited collections
 3.1. Efficient reading: Definition
• Reading in a way that allows you to understand
the writer’s message without spending too much
time in the process
• Clear purpose in mind → relevant material
• Efficient reading + good note-taking skills
 3.2. Efficient reading: Strategies
• Bear in mind the purpose of your reading:
- gather info. for an essay, project, dissertation...
- learn about a particular topic
- understand a particular theory
- prepare for an exam
• Different texts will require different reading
strategies…
- Academic texts
- Typical textbooks
- Journal articles
 3.2. Efficient reading: Strategies
• Academic texts: formal structure and style

1st. Verify the overview provided by the contents

page
2nd. Read the introduction and conclusion to get a
general idea
3rd. At paragraph level: search for the thesis
statement
4th. Scan by topic sentences
5th. Look for keywords
 3.2. Efficient reading: Strategies
** IN PRACTICE SESSION
• Journal articles: rigid structure that is
determined by the particular journal in which
they appear and by the type of research being
reported
• Sections: abstract, introduction, methods,
results, discussion, conclusion
• Each section: structure and function
• Save time: where the information is located
 3.3. Efficient reading: Techniques

- Read intensively to make

notes on key points
- Scan text for information
you need (e.g. names,
dates, keywords...)
- Identify text features
(e.g. contents, index, introduction...)
 3.3. Efficient reading: Techniques
Two different techniques for speed reading:

• Skimming: picking up a general impression =

key points/ideas

• Scanning: looking for those keywords through

which you can find crucial concepts
 3.3. Efficient reading: Techniques

- Read intensively to make

notes on key points [1] [3]
- Scan text for information
you need (e.g. names, [2]
dates, keywords...) [2]
- Identify text features
(e.g. contents, index, introduction...)
[3] [1]
3.3. Efficient reading: Techniques
More techniques?
- Identification of text features
- Critical thinking
- Effective and critical reading
- Identification of key points/ideas
- Identification of keywords
- Taking notes
 4. Identification of text features
• Title: Shorter + eye-catching
• Sub-title: gives more information about the focus
• Author: well known writer? Other publications?
• Publication date and edition: use the latest edition
• Abstract ** in practice session
• Contents: list of the main chapters or sections
• Introduction or preface: the author explains his/her reasons for
writing + description of how the text is organised
• References: all the sources used by the author and referred to in
the text. This will give you suggestions for further reading
• Bibliography: sources the author has used but not specifically
referred to in the text
• Index: alphabetical list of all the topics and names mentioned in
a book
4.1. Identification of text features:
Abstracts
** IN PRACTICE SESSION
• Normally found in peer-reviewed journal articles
• Kind of summary → readers will decide if it is
worth reading the full article or not
• Standard structure:
1. Background
2. Aim and thesis of paper
3. Method of research
4. Results of research
 5. Assessing Internet sources
critically
• Electronic sources = major source of research
• Careful evaluation is needed → suitable and non-
suitable information
• Avoid relying on internet-based sources without
first critically evaluating them
• 6 criteria to evaluate any Web site
– Authority, accuracy, objectivity, currency, coverage and
appearance
 5. Assessing Internet sources
critically
Criteria Questions to be asked
1. Authority - Is it clear who is responsible for the contents of the page?
- Is the name of the author/creator on the page?
- Is there contact information, such as an email address, university
department.. on the page?
- Are his/her credentials listed (occupation, years of experience,
position or education)?

- Is there any indication of the author's qualifications for writing on

a particular topic?
- What does the domain name/URL reveal about the source of the
information, if anything?
- Is this a reputable website?
.ac (= academic) in the URL
.edu ; .org ; .gov (government) ; .mil (military)
 5. Assessing Internet sources
critically
Criteria Questions to be asked
2. Accuracy - Are the sources used clearly listed so they can be
verified?
- Is the information free of grammatical, spelling, and
other typographical errors?
3. Objectivity - Is the information covered fact, opinion, or
propaganda?
- Is the author's point-of-view objective and
impartial?
- Is the language free of emotion-rousing words and
bias?
4. Currency - Are there dates on the page to indicate when the
page was last revised?
 5. Assessing Internet sources
critically
Criteria Questions to be asked
5. Coverage - Are these topics successfully addressed, with
clearly presented arguments and adequate support
to substantiate them?
- Does the work update other sources, substantiate
other materials you have read, or add new
information?
Is the target audience identified and appropriate for
your needs?
6. Appearance - Does the site look well organized?
- Are links still current, or have they become dead
ends?
- Does the site appear well maintained?
 6. Critical thinking
Definition: Not just passively accepting what you
hear or read but instead actively questioning and
assessing it
Ask yourself:
• What are the key ideas?
• Does the argument of the writer develop logically, step
by step?
• Are the examples given helpful?
• Does the author have any bias?
• Does the evidence presented seem reliable?
• Do I agree with the writer’s views?
Critical thinking is...
• Analysing tasks • Judging the validity of
• Identifying assumptions the source & the worth
of evidence
• Analysing & classifying
• Forming
• Making comparisons
opinions/arguments
• Problem solving
• Making connections
• Questioning & btw. ideas, texts,
challenging ideas theories, frameworks,
• Observing facts, disciplines
comparing them to • Evaluating & weighing
hypotheses & up
assumptions
• Drawing inferences
Critical thinking is NOT...

• a summary of a text
• a descriptive comment on the text
• a rehash of the theory you have learnt in class
• a statement of your own unsupported views
 7. Critical reading
• Suspending judgement on a text until you:
- have understood the message being put forward
- have evaluated the evidence supporting that message
- have evaluated the writer's perspective

• Reading uncritically means:

- accepting texts and arguments which are flawed,
biased and subjectively written
 Further practice

1) Library catalogues
- Online catalogues
- 2 ways of searching for materials:
1. Title and author’s name
2. Specific topic → search terms**
Example: UMU library catalogue
http://www.um.es/web/biblioteca/
 Further practice

2) Library websites → electronic resources

- Journals: Specialised academic
publications (contain recent research)
Library websites E-journals + databases
Example: UMU library databases
http://www.um.es/web/biblioteca/contenido/bi
blioteca-digital/bases-de-datos
 Further practice
1) Select a specific topic from your favourite subject
2) Use the UMU library catalogue to search for
relevant books
3) Try to identify the most useful ones
4) Now look for relevant journal articles, using UMU
library databases
5) Create a list with the most suitable ones. Explain
why.
6) Send both the topic of your research and the list
with suitable sources to your teacher (AV – Tareas)
 Redacción en Inglés
Académico
Unit 2. Sources: Reading comes
first
Grado en Estudios Ingleses
Curso 2018/2019