Say what?How to read for meaning

For more information, please see: Godfrey, J. (2010). Reading and making notes. Hampshire, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

Williams, K. (2009). Getting critical. Hampshire, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

Cottrell, S. (2011). Critical thinking skills: Developing effective analysis and argument (2nd ed.). Hampshire, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

You might also like to check out the critical reading section on the OWLL website: http://owll.massey.ac.nz/study-skills/critical-reading.php

.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this workshop, you should have developed skills to find the key message (or argument or purpose) so you can: • Focus on reading what is relevant• Enhance your note-taking skills• Improve your ability to evaluate what other

people are saying

True or false?

1. All books and articles are well written and truthful.

2. You can’t really disagree with an academic text, because you’re not an expert.

False

Find the key message

What are you looking for?• When you’re reading academic texts, most of the time

you will be looking to identify an author’s argument (the thesis statement or position).– What are they saying about a topic or concept, and what

are their reasons why?• If reading about an experiment – you’re looking for:

– What they did, why they did it, and what they found• If you can detect the main argument or purpose, you

can read what is relevant, and in turn save time by only reading what you have to (reading efficiently).

Arguments

An argument in life:- A disagreement: yelling, shouting, door slamming…

An argument in critical thinking:- A position or particular viewpoint- Reasons to support that view

What is the difference between opinion and argument?

• Opinion is a statement of what you think without reasons or evidence.

• An argument is a statement of what you think and why you think that– Ultimately the reasons why (evidence and logic)

will make or break your argument

How to find the key message

Use the clues in the structure of the text 1. Read the headings and subheadings

• What do they tell you about the author’s message?

2. Read the introduction and conclusion 3. Read the first line of each paragraph

You might have done this while gist reading (or skimming), just make sure you’re not just glancing at the headings - try to get a sense of what they’re saying.

How to find the key message

Look for language cluesSometimes there are clues in the writing that will alert you to the main message.

Look for things like:There are three main problems…The question/issue/point is…Importantly…Therefore…

Capturing their argumentCan you repeat back what you think they’re saying?

Useful phrases• The author argues that…• Smith argues that…• The main argument is…• Smith’s main argument is…• The author identifies four main reasons for…• Smith identifies four main reasons for…• The article examines the concept of…• Smith examines the concept of…

Useful verbsAnalyses ExplainsAssesses CritiquesEvaluates Proposes

Give it a go: Find the key messageCan you identify the main argument?

Can you spot any reasons why they think that?Historical analysis of domestic animals shows that rivalry and hostility has always existed. Conversely, levels of happiness and euphoria in domestic pets has also been a key feature of their lives, and in turn, the lives of their owners. A number of key events in the lives of pets can trigger feelings of happiness or anger. Emotions in pets are reasonably easy to determine. Dogs get their “sad dog” look and will growl if angry. In comparison, cats use their ears and have an almost unerring capacity to convey their precise thoughts through the use of their eyes, in particular, glaring at whomever has annoyed them most. Experiments designed to determine what triggers happiness in cats are often hampered by the number of variables involved, such as typical feeding time. However, there is a high correlation between the levels of happiness experienced by cats, and the dog being made to sleep outside. The increase in happiness is primarily because of the rivalry between domestic pets in wanting to be the favourite, and the innate capacity of cats to enjoy the suffering of others. Therefore, dogs should be made to sleep outside, because that will make the cat happy and a happy cat ensures a happy home.

Main argument

• Dogs should be made to sleep outside because that will make the cat happy and a happy cat will make a happy home.

Reasons why they think that

• They suggest there is a high correlation between cats being happy and the dog being made to sleep outside.

• They say that this happiness is due to: – the rivalry that exists (wanting to be the favourite).– cats enjoying the suffering of others.

They also say if the cat is happy the household will be happy.

We’ll come back to this…

Focus on reading what is relevant

• You don’t always have to read everything

Knowing how much to read is important• Why are you reading the article?• How does it relate to your assignment/study?• Do you need to scan it quickly, or read it

thoroughly?

Read what is relevant

Understand the difference between description, explanation, and argument• Description: describes but does not give reasons

– Many children in New Zealand are obese.

• Explanation: does give reasons, but does not try to persuade– The consumption of fast food is a main contributor to obesity levels in

New Zealand children.

• Argument: a position on a topic with reasons (trying to persuade you of something)– Fast food is a main contributor of obesity in children in New Zealand

and therefore should banned from schools.

Read what is relevant

Sometimes a text contains sections you don’t need to read (or you don’t need to read all of it). Focus on working out what they’re saying: • What are they trying to persuade you to

think?• What are their reasons? OR• What did they do? Why did they do it? And

What did they find?

Give it a goWhat would you read in-depth, and what you would only skim/gist read (or not read)? Your essay question: “Cats are better than dogs so should be treated better than dogs in the home” (Sylvester, 2011). Discuss. Article title: Canines and felines in domestic settings: Who really is top dog? Article headings:IntroductionA history of domestic pets in New ZealandThe endearing habits of felinesThe reasons why dogs smellThe psychology of cats and dogs in domestic settingsWhy cats are better and deserve better treatmentConclusion

Take better notesClarify the 5 Ws and 1 H – and ask yourself some questionsWho wrote it? • Who are they, are they experts in their area (academics, other experts)?

Where are they based? • Are they academics in a university, consultants working for a government

department, an institute or corporation? • What country are they from? (May shape their perspective, may mean it’s

not relevant for other countries, may not be relevant.)

When? • Is it the latest thinking? Is it out-of-date? Does it matter when?

What is their main argument? Why do they think that (what are their reasons)?How did they go about doing their research? • Did they conduct an experiment, a survey, a case study? • Did they analyse a situation using a particular theoretical perspective or

framework (Feminist, Marxist, Postmodernist etc.)?

Take better notes

In addition to the details, write down your own comments, thoughts and reflections• Get a sense of who they are, what they’re

saying and why. • Have a closer look at their argument

– Does what they’re saying make sense?

Take better notesIf you write better notes, you will: • Have better information for your assignments.• Have started the process of critical analysis. • Be in a good position to write an annotated bibliography (some

lecturers ask you to do this).• It’s also a useful habit for when you have to write literature

reviews.

You don’t always need to take notes while you are reading something.

Sometimes you need to read something first (or parts of it), think about what they’re saying (and your view of what they’re saying)

and then take notes.

If you can identify the argument, you can start to evaluate the argument

Who wrote it? What if it was written by Dr Cat?Where are they based? What if they were based at The Institute of Cat Research• Are they academics in a university, consultants working for a government

department, an institute or corporation? • What country are they from? (May shape their perspective, may mean it’s not

relevant for other countries, may not be relevant.)

When? 1979• Is it the latest thinking? Is it out-of-date? Does it matter when?

What is their main argument? Why do they think that (what are their reasons)?How did they go about doing their research? Not sure, might have conducted their own research (could be a scientific experiment, could be a psychological study).• Did they conduct an experiment, a survey, a case study?• Did they analyse a situation using a particular theoretical perspective or

framework (Feminist, Marxist, Postmodernist etc.)?

If you can identify the argument, you can start to evaluate the argument

• There is a high correlation between the happiness in cats and the dog being made to sleep outside. – you would want to know where this research came from

• because a cat’s level of happiness will increase when they feel they are the favourite– where is this from? A reputable source?

• their happiness increases when others suffer – possibly the case but you’d want to double check…

• When cats are happy the household is happy– No evidence whatsoever is provided for this statement, how/why is this the

case? Bit of a logical leap from the last idea to this one• Conclusion: Dogs should be made to sleep outside (because that will

make cats happy).

Ultimately the argument is flawed because as we all know cats are never happy….

To re-cap

• Find the key message – Focus on reading what is relevant

• Enhance your note-taking skills– Start the process of critical reasoning

• Improve your ability to evaluate what other people are saying