How to read critically

Whereas textbooks are designed to give you an overview of the existing knowledge on the topic being discussed, journal articles usually present the findings of a new research study, or explain a new theory or interpretation of a specific topic.

Knowing the purpose of the text helps you understand what information you should be looking for, and how you should evaluate it. For example, if you were reading about a recently conducted research study, you would be looking for information that explains:

• why the research was conducted,
• how it was conducted, and
• what the results of the research were.

Skimming the heading and the overall structure before you begin reading can also help you understand what the purpose of the text is supposed to be.

The best way to think about this is to ask yourself: If someone asked me to summarise the reading in one or two sentences, what would I say?

For example: 

The authors of this journal article conducted research on effective study strategies and concluded that answering quiz questions about what you have learned is the most effective way of helping you remember information.

Two further questions that can help you answer this question are:

• What is the main thing the author wants me to know about this topic?
• What is the writer trying to convince me of?

Part of your job as a reader is to evaluate the strength and/or weakness of the evidence that scholars use to support their claims.

Many journal articles describe a research study. They usually describe the methodology (how the research was conducted), explain the findings (what the results of the study were), and discuss the researchers’ interpretation of the results.

Textbook chapters will often give very brief summaries of research that supports the knowledge being presented, and will sometimes use case studies or examples to demonstrate how the information or theory can be applied in real life.

Sometimes there may be problems with the methodology of the research. For example, the sample size may be too small to generalise across the whole population, or the study may have too many uncontrolled variables to draw valid conclusions.

Sometimes the interpretation of the evidence may be influenced by biases or assumptions held by the researcher(s), or the evidence presented may not logically link to the claims being made. These are the types of issues you can discuss when you refer to the reading in your assignment.

If a textbook has been chosen by your teacher, you can usually assume that the information being presented is supported by credible research, although it may not always discuss the most up-to-date research findings. Journal articles, websites and blogs often present a claim that depends on how the evidence has been interpreted by the author(s).

You need to decide for yourself whether you agree with any claims being made, but your decision should be based on the evidence provided, not on your own biases or assumptions.

Think about how you would use the text to help you answer the question. With journal articles, you can decide whether it is relevant to your assessment task by looking at the abstract, which summarises the claims being made by the author and the main evidence used to support it. If the topic being discussed is not directly relevant to your assignment question, don't waste time reading the whole article but instead try to find other articles that are more relevant to your purpose.

Our brains are designed to learn by connecting new information with information that we already know. To read effectively, it is useful to think about how the information in the reading relates to what you already know about the topic, and to what you have previously read.

• Does the information given in this text support what you have read in other texts, or contradict it?
• If you are planning to use the reading in an assignment, in which part of your assignment would you refer to this text? For example, if you were going to structure your assignment by discussing two or more different perspectives on a topic, which perspective would you use this text to support?
• Does this reading contain a good definition of a key term that you could include, or provide an example that helps to explain a point you are trying to make?

For more information on how to group different readings to help you structure your writing, look at the HELPS resource on synthesising.

Below is an example of a reading log that uses the questions listed above to guide the notes written by the reader.

Reference data: e.g. Lopez, A. (2020), Distributed practice as a revision method. Journal of Learning Practice. 25(3), 56 – 73.