READING STRATEGIES

Skimming
HOW IS 'SKIMMING' DIFFERENT FROM
'SCANNING'?

The term skimming is often confused with scanning. Remember:

Skimming is used, for example, to get the gist of a page of a textbook to decide
whether it is useful and should therefore be read more slowly and in more
detail.
Scanning is used to obtain specific information from a piece of text and can be
used, for example, to find a particular number in a telephone directory.
Sometimes you can use both reading methods. After you have skimmed a piece
of text to decide whether the text is of interest, you may wish to use scanning
techniques to locate specific information.
WHAT IS SKIMMING?

Skimming is a reading technique that can help you to:

● Read more quickly
● Decide if the text is interesting and whether you should read it in more detail
Skimming is a fast reading technique. Use it to obtain the gist of a piece of text
(i.e. to quickly identify the main ideas in the text).
HOW TO SKIM:

●Read the title

●Read the introduction or the first paragraph
●Read the first sentence of every other paragraph
●Read any headings and sub-headings
●Notice any pictures, charts, or graphs
●Notice any italicized or boldface words or phrases
●Read the summary or last paragraph.
 Skimming step by step

● To gain an overview of the whole text quickly.

WHY? ● As a preview to more detailed reading
● When youhave a lot of reading to get through
● When you are trying to determine if a paper is useful or
not (e.g. during research)
HOW?
● Identify your purpose for reading
● Focus only on parts of the text which contain the main
ideas
● Look for general, rather than specific detail - don't read
every word.
● Think like the author (aim and structure)
Skimming methods

Beginnings & endings: Read first and last sentences of paragraphs, first and last
paragraphs of major sections, and introductions and summaries of chapters.

Wheat vs. chaff: Read only the amount of text necessary to determine if a section
presents a main idea or support for a main idea.

Visual & verbal cues: Watch for signal words and phrases that indicate an author’s
direction (e.g., however, although, moreover, in addition to). Things to focus on while
skimming:
● Introduction and conclusion
● Chapter/section summaries
● First and last sentences
● Titles, subtitles, and headings
● Bold words
● Charts, graphs, or pictures
● End of chapter review questions
Active reading strategies

Set a purpose for reading. Instead of approaching the text as something you
just have to get through, identify a purpose for this reading. What do you want
to get out of it? Why are you reading it? Keep this purpose in mind as you read.

Preview. Look through the text before started to read and focus on headings,
illustrations, captions, highlighted items, end of chapter summaries, etc. These
features give you an ideaofthe main concepts of the text and what you should
focus on while skimming.

Make a prediction. Right after previewing, make a prediction about what you
think the chapter or section is going to be about.

Activate prior knowledge. Make a list of what you already know about the
topic and what you want to know about it. Identify and write down any
questions you have.
Annotate. Instead of copying down copious notes from the book, jot down brief
notes and thoughts (in your own words) in the margins of the text or in a
notebook. PDF viewers, such as Adobe Acrobat and Preview, also let you add
notes directly on the page of a digital text. Other possibilities include note-
taking apps such as Evernote, OneNote, or Google Keep.

Summarize the main ideas. After a section or page, stop and write a 1-3
sentence summary in your own words. This keeps your brain engaged and
ensures you are comprehending what you read.

Generate questions. Ask and write down questions that you have as you read
the text and/or questions that you would ask a class if you were the instructor.
Try using different levels of questions.
Our purpose

Essay question
In this paper I provide a review of putative KPR candidates proposed to date for
neotropical forests, and discuss the empirical evidence for their importance to
vertebrate consumers. In order to illustrate the concept, I begin by describing a
poorly known example of a potential keystone resource in Amazonianforests: the
gums produced by mature pods of two legume congeners—Parkia pendula(Willd.)
Benth. ex Walp. and Parkia nitida Miq.

This paper will be useful if:

It relates
directly to It's credible It's recent
the key
thems
Context

Aim
Method

Finding

Application
Heading
INTRODUCTION
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Animals
Serum Concentrations
Statistical Methods
RESULTS
Ange-van Heugten et al.
DISCUSSION
Serum Comparison by Species
Serum Concentrations in Woolly Monkeys
Serum Concentrations in Woolly Monkeys
Serum Concentration Comparisons by Gender and Age Groupings
Serum Concentration Comparisons by Zoo
Medications and Novelty of Research
CONCLUSIONS
Skimming Step by Step

Skimming strategies are useful when you need to get an overview of the main idea
of a paper.

1. Note the author, title, date and publisher

2. Check the table of contents or index for relevant sections or pages
3. Read the abstract, if available
4. Read the introductory paragraph(s) or chapter for relevant information 5.
Read the conclusion
5. Look at chapters, headings and subheadings
6. Look at diagrams/graphs/charts/illustrations and their captions
7. Look at endnotes, appendices, list of references
8. Read the first and last sentence in each paragraph, which most likely contain
the main points.
Example 2