University
students are typically exposed to a much wider variety of academic
sources at university – including monographs, textbooks, journals,
reports – and, crucially, a much larger proportion of their time is
spent on independent academic reading, relative to their time in school.
There
are lots of study skills texts which deal with academic writing in some
form or other, but there are far fewer resources which provide helpful
guidance about how to manage the early stages of an assignment. The
quality of a student's written work reflects the quality of their
reading and note-making skills. If students don't understand what their
assignment is asking; if students don't take control of their reading
list and consult the most appropriate sources; and if students don't end
the process of reading with meaningful notes it's very unlikely that
they will score high marks for their assignment.
This book helps
readers to take charge of their reading at university and provides
succinct and practical guidance at key stages of the assignment. It
helps students to understand what their assignment title means and how
to identify useful, reliable academic sources. It helps students to
apply different reading strategies, depending on the task at hand, and
to approach texts actively so that they are questioning and evaluating
materials as they go. In addition to reading strategies, the Pocket
introduces readers to useful strategies and tips for note-making. The
final part helps readers to make the most of their notes by engaging
with and reviewing the material they've created.
New for this edition:
- A science-based example for STEM students
- New section which helps readers think about what type of information and evidence they need to find
- New tips on managing large volumes of reading
- Updated material on note-making software and online tools to reflect latest technology
