Reading Skills for Technical research Papers.pptx.pdf
- 1. TECHNIQUES TO IMPROVE READING SKILLS FOR RESEARCH. READING JOURNAL PAPERS
- 2. LEARNING OBJECTIVES •Understanding the importance of reading in achieving success both in academic and professional life. •Acquire the various types of reading skills, that one may employ while reading different kinds of texts. •Learn the four basic steps in the process of reading •Get to know the basic hurdles in efficient reading and the tips to overcome them. •Techniques for effective reading
- 3. INTRODUCTION •Reading is learning from an absent teacher. •The more you read the more knowledge you gain. •Bacon says” Reading maketh a man full, conference a ready man and writing an exact man”. •Reading walks hand in hand with freedom. •The more we read the more freer we are, as we see possibilities, alternatives, options that we could not see before. •A reader is one who reads anything at whatever speed is appropriate and registering whatever is appropriate to his needs.
- 4. READING A COMMUNICATIVE PROCESS •Reading is an important communicative process •Reading skills are the most important language skills for academic and professional purpose. •Academic performance is completely depended on the quantity and the quality of reading. •Quick, efficient and imaginative reading skills are mandatory for progress. •During reading four factors are important, Decoding, Comprehending, text analysis and response.
- 5. BENEFITS OF EFFECTIVE READING •It provides comprehensible input from the book or document one reads. •It helps to improve other language skills like listening, speaking, and writing •Enhances vocabulary •It helps to keep a focused mind and avoid unnecessary distractions •Helps to extract useful information much more efficiently and in a limited time. •It facilitates the development of skills like making predictions, comparing and contrasting facts, creating samples, hypothesizing, reorganizing the message, improving critical thinking, and developing sharp acumen with passage of time.
- 6. READING WITH A PURPOSE: •Get an introductory idea of a text •Get a broad understanding of the matter •Understand the scientific ideas, theories, and principles •Obtain scientific information •Understand new changes and developments in a particular field •Broaden one’s outlook and understanding •Discover the author’s viewpoints •To seek evidence for one’s own viewpoint
- 7. LEVELS OF READING •Reading is done at four different levels: 1. Elementary reading 2. Inspectional reading 3. Analytical reading 4. Synoptical reading
- 8. READING LEVELS •Elementary reading: This is basic reading. Reader is concerned only with acquiring language. Reader moves from illiteracy to literacy. •Inspectional reading: it is skimming on pre-reading. Here the reader learns the structure. There is a set time assigned for reading. Reader tries to get most out of the book in given time. •Analytical Reading: it is the best form of reading. Complete reading with unlimited time. Here the reading is information, understanding and gaining knowledge. Here the act of reading is a process of thinking. Here the readers skill is involved in locating, identifying, scanning and acquiring. •Synoptical Reading: this is the highest level of reading. It is complex and systematic. It is most rewarding. Makes heavy demand on the reader. It is a comparative reading.
- 9. READING SKILLS •Vocabulary Skills: Recognising the definitions, guessing the meanings and inferring •Visual Perceptual Skills: Quick eye fixations, •Prediction Techniques: using the index or chapter headings to predict, guessing, •Scanning Skills: Locating specific information, •Skimming skills: Identifying theme, central, main ideas, organizational patterns •Intensive reading Skills: Reading for details, critical reading, distinguishing facts from opinions, identify and evaluate the author’s view point, drawing inferences and conclusions.
- 10. BARRIERS TO READING •Poor speed Poor vocabulary •Poor cognition (knowledge) •Lack of interest Poor retention •Lack of concentration •Poor light •Bad print •Poor vision •Noise
- 11. EFFICIENT READERS AND INEFFICIENT READERS •Always reads for ideas or information •Reads group of words/multi phrases •Quickly adjusts reading speed •Sets the purpose of reading •Visualizes ideas •Has good vocabulary •Sorts out material as critical, interesting, analytical, etc. •Tries to read words •Reads word by word •Reads text from beginning to end •Reads everything and goes slow •Vocalizes or sub-vocalizes words while reading •Limited vocabulary limits his speed and understanding
- 12. TECHNIQUES TO IMPROVE READING: •There are two basic methods to improve reading: 1. Training of the eyes 2. Training of the mind
- 13. EYE TRAINING •Increase your eye span or the number of words you can grasp in one glance. •Reduce the number of times eyes regress, flick back or re-read. •Get a more rhythmical and regular way of moving the eyes while reading. Develop a rhythm and read on smartly. •Familiarity with the subject matter makes a big difference in the speed.
- 14. MIND TRAINING •Mind training is more important than eye training because if you learn to use your mind better eyes will get trained on its own. •To become an intelligent and efficient reader a strategy is to be adopted. •A strategic reader is one with a system for getting meaning out of his reading. •This can be achieved by applying the formula
- 15. SURVEY: •To get an overview, overall picture by going into details. Reading without surveying is like plunging in to a jungle without a map or GPS service or boarding a train or a bus without knowing where does it go. •BOOK Survey: first read the preface, contents and summary at the end of the chapter. Get the author’s purpose and also the audience for whom the book is written. Skim through the rest. •CHAPTER or ARTICLE: Read the first and last sentences of the first and the last paragraphs and the first sentence of each paragraph in between. •Notice the paragraph size, words in italics, graphs, diagrams, tables, key words.
- 16. QUESTION: •After surveying do not start reading till you have questions in your head, like what does the title tell me about the contents, what do I think will be included and what will be excluded, how much time I will devote to this book. •Ask questions while you read. •Putting questions in your head before you start makes you read with a purpose.
- 17. READ: •Read as you ride a bicycle, slowly uphill, quickly downhill, and carefully where there is a danger. •Read difficult matter slowly light matter quickly and tendentious matter cautiously. •Be flexible. •Read for thought units rather than word units. Look for meanings. •Read actively, reading is thinking with questions. •Look for the main thoughts and important details.
- 18. RESTATE •To revise. •Put your book down at intervals and tell yourself what you have read. •This is the key to solid learning.
- 19. REVIEW •Repeat the first four steps. •Survey the headings again •Answer the questions you had in mind while reading the book. •Re-read the items that you cannot recollect. •Restate the central message.
- 20. OTHER TECHNIQUES •Adjust the reading to the type of material •Read at least an hour a day •Be selective in your reading. •Do not feed thrash to your mind, avoid reading irrelevant matter. •Check your purpose for reading •Be critical while you read. Reading is thinking with questions, what the author wants to say. Give the author your eyes not your mind •Discuss what you have read if possible. It is an aid to memory.
- 21. CONTINUED…… •Discussing your reading helps you to digest what you have read. •Develop greedy eyes while reading •Avoid moving lips while reading as it reduces the speed. •Keep aside something everyday for reading •Be an active reader •Increase your word power, this will help in understanding the thought process of the writer •Average speed should be 200-250 words a minute with a comprehension of
- 22. SPEED OF READING PURPOSE OF READING •Reading for memorization •Reading for learning •Reading for comprehension •Skimming NO. OF WORDS PER MINUTE •Fewer than 100 •100-200 •200-400 •400-700
- 23. CONTINUED…… •Sit on an easy chair while reading. Page be illuminated well •Do not read while travelling or before falling asleep. If a habit contents should be light. •To stay alive all your life. READ.
- 24. HOW TO READ AND REVIEW A JOURNAL ARTICLE: WRITING SUMMARIES AND CRITQUES DR SHYAMLEE SOLANKI
- 26. ACTIONS TO TAKE: 1. SKIM THE ARTICLE WITHOUT TAKING NOTES: ∙Read the abstract. The abstract will tell you the major findings of the article and why they matter. ∙Read first for the “big picture.” ∙ Note any terms or techniques you need to define. ∙ Jot down any questions or parts you don’t understand. ∙ If you are unfamiliar with any of the key concepts in the article, look them up in a textbook.
- 27. RE-READ THE ARTICLE MORE CAREFULLY: • Pay close attention to the “Materials and Methods” Results section (please note that in some journals this section is at the very end of the paper). •Ask yourself questions about the study, such as: Was the study repeated? What was the sample size? Is this representative of the larger population? What variables were held constant? Was there a control?
- 28. 3. READ THE “MATERIALS AND METHODS” AND “RESULTS” SECTIONS MULTIPLE TIMES: • Carefully examine the graphs, tables, and diagrams. • Try to interpret the data first before reading the captions and details. • Make sure you understand the article fully.
- 29. 4. BEFORE YOU BEGIN THE FIRST DRAFT OF YOUR SUMMARY: • Try to describe the article in your own words first • Try to distill the article down to its “scientific essence.” • Include all the key points and be accurate. • A reader who has not read the original article should be able to understand your summary.
- 30. 5. WRITE A DRAFT OF YOUR SUMMARY: • Don’t look at the article while writing, to make it easier to put the information in your own words and avoid unintentional plagiarism. • Refer back to the article later for details and facts. • Ask yourself questions as you write: o What is the purpose of the study? oWhat questions were asked? o How did the study address these questions? o What assumptions did the author make? o What were the major findings? o What surprised you or struck you as interesting?
- 31. FORMAT • A complete citation of the article goes at the top of the page, below your heading. • Don’t skip a line between the citation and the start of the essay. • Indent the first line of the essay. • Be concise and eliminate superfluous information.
- 32. ORGANIZATION • The introductory paragraph summarizes the background information and purpose of the research (specific questions the study researched). • Then, explain the methods that were used to investigate the research questions (use past tense). • Mention the major results of the study (use past tense). · State what the author of the study learned.
- 33. CRITIQUE: •A Critical Review and Assessment of the Article • Include a summary as well as your own analysis and evaluation of the article. ∙Know the article thoroughly. ∙ Do not include personal opinions. • Be sure to distinguish your thoughts from the author’s words. • Focus on the positive aspects and what the author(s) of the study learned. • Note limitations of the study at the end of the essay o Do the data and conclusions contradict each other? o Is there sufficient data to support the author’s generalizations? o What questions remain unanswered?
- 34. ART OF READING A JOURNAL ARTICLE: METHODICALLY AND EFFECTIVELY •Background: Reading scientific literature is mandatory for researchers .With an overflow of journals, it is essential to develop a method to choose and read the right articles. •Objective: To outline a logical and orderly approach to reading a scientific manuscript. By breaking down the task into smaller, step-by-step components, one should be able to attain the skills to read a scientific article with ease
- 35. INTRODUCTION •The reader should begin by reading the title, abstract and conclusions first. If a decision is made to read the entire article, the key elements of the article can be perused in a systematic manner effectively and efficiently.
- 36. TYPE OF ARTICLE TO SELECT
- 37. SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO READING AN ARTICLE •Title: Topic and information about the authors. •Abstract: Brief overview of the article. •Introduction: Background information and statement of the research hypothesis. •Methods: Details of how the study was conducted, procedures followed, instruments used and variables measured. •Results: All the data of the study along with figures, tables and/or graphs. •Discussion: The interpretation of the results and implications of the study.
- 38. CONTINUED… •Review articles do not usually follow the above pattern, unless they are systematic reviews or meta-analysis. •The cardinal rule is: •Never start reading an article from the beginning to the end. •It is better to begin by identifying the conclusions of the study by reading the title and the abstract. •If the article does not have an abstract, read the conclusions or the summary at the end of the article first. •After reading the abstract or conclusions, if the reader deems it is interesting or
- 39. THE TITLE •Like the title of a movie which attracts a filmgoer, the title of the article is the one which attracts a reader in the first place. •A good title will inform the potential reader a great deal about the study to decide whether to go ahead with the paper or dismiss it. •Most readers prefer titles that are descriptive and self-explanatory without having to look at the entire article to know what it is all about.
- 40. ABSTRACT •Abstract helps us determine whether we should read the entire article or not. • In fact, most journals provide abstract free of cost online allowing us to decide whether we need to purchase the entire article. •Most scientific journals now have a structured abstract with separate subheadings like introduction (background or hypothesis), methods, results and conclusions making it easy for a reader to identify important parts of the study quickly.
- 41. ABSTRACT •Moreover, there is usually a restriction about the number of words that can be included in an abstract. This makes the abstract concise enough for one to read rapidly. •The abstract can be read in a systematic way by answering certain fundamental questions like what was the study about, why and how was the study conducted, the results and their inferences. •The reader should make a note of any questions that were raised while reading the abstract and be sure that answers have been found after reading the entire article. Reading the entire article •Once the reader has decided to read the entire article, one can begin with the introduction.
- 42. ABSTRACT / SUMMARY •Essence of the report. •2-5% of the report •More relevant in specialist to specialist communication. •Information is qualitative. •Reader gets an extent of coverage through an abstract. •Entire report in a nutshell. •5-10% of the report . •Meant for all members •Information is both qualitative and quantitative. •Does not include illustrations and explanations. •Includes method of analysis, significant findings, important conclusion and major recommendations.
- 43. INTRODUCTION •The purpose of the introduction is to provide the rationale for conducting the study. •This section usually starts with existing knowledge and previous research of the topic under consideration. •Typically, this section concludes with identification of gaps in the literature and how these gaps stimulated the researcher to design a new study. •A good introduction should provide proper background for the study. •The aims and objectives are usually mentioned at the end of the introduction. •The reader should also determine whether a research hypothesis (study hypothesis) was stated and later check whether it was answered under the discussion.
- 44. MATERIALS AND METHODS •This section gives the technical details of how the experiments were carried out. •In most of the research articles, all details are rarely included but there should be enough information to understand how the study was carried out. • Information about the number of subjects included in the study and their categorization, sampling methods, the inclusion criteria (who can be in) and exclusion criteria (who cannot be in) and the variables chosen can be derived by reading this section. •The reader should get acquainted with the procedures and equipment used for data collection and find out whether they were appropriate.
- 45. RESULTS OF THE STUDY •In this section, the researchers give details about the data collected, either in the form of figures, tables and/or graphs. •Ideally, interpretation of data should not be reported in this section, though statistical analyses are presented. • The reader should meticulously go through this segment of the manuscript and find out whether the results were reliable (same results over time) and valid (measure what it is supposed to measure). • An important aspect is to check if all the subjects present in the beginning of the study were accounted for at the end of the study. If the answer is no, the reader
- 46. RESULTS OF THE STUDY •Results that were statistically significant and results that were not, must be identified. •One should also observe whether a correct statistical test was employed for analysis and was the level of significance appropriate for the study. •To appreciate the choice of a statistical test, one requires an understanding of the hypothesis being tested.
- 47. DISCUSSION •Most important section of the article where the research questions are answered and the meaning of analysis and interpretation of the data are presented. •The study results are compared and contrasted with other studies, explaining in what aspects they were different or similar. •No new data should be presented under discussion and no information from other sections should be repeated. • In addition, this section also discusses the various strengths and limitations/shortcomings of the study, providing suggestions about areas that need additional research. •The meaning of results and their analyses, new theories or hypotheses, limitations of the study, explanation of differences and similarities with other comparable studies, and suggestions for future research are offered in this section.
- 48. READING THE CONCLUSION (AGAIN !) •Though conclusion part had been read at the beginning, it is prudent to read it again at the end to confirm whether what we had inferred initially is correct. •If the conclusion had not made sense earlier, it may make sense after having perused through the entire article. •Sometimes, the study conclusions are included in the discussion section and may not be easy to locate.
- 49. QUESTIONNAIRE •It is assumed that one who is using this questionnaire has read and analyzed the abstract and then decided to read the entire article. • This questionnaire does not critically analyze a scientific article. However, answers to these questions provide a systematic approach to obtain a broad overview of the manuscript, especially to a novice. • If one who is new to reading articles, writing answers to these questions and taking notes will help in understanding most aspects of a research article.
- 50. CONCLUSION “Let us read with method, and propose to ourselves an end to which our studies may point. The use of reading is to aid us in thinking.” Edward Gibbon
- 51. Thank you