Chapter 4

Reading critically vs. evaluating: critical reading is focused on questioning and understanding what a source or document says and means, evaluation is concerned with determining its reliability and usefulness.

A research question and a position statement are needed. The position statement is a tentative answer to the research question. As you continue to collect and evaluate sources, look at how each source lines up with your position statement, whether it agrees or disagrees. Allow your position statement to be changed by your reading; as you learn more about your topic, you may change your mind about things multiple times.

“Accept nothing at face value; ask questions; look for similarities and differences among the sources you read; examine the implications of what you read for your research project; be on the alert for unusual information; and note relevant sources and information. Most important, be open to ideas and arguments, even if you don’t agree with them.” (Palmquist 65)

critical reading questions:

• is this source relevant to my research question/ position statement?
• does it make me reconsider them?
• does it provide any new information, ideas?
• would my readers be interested in its contents?
• would they find it convincing?
• would they benefit from a review of the source done by me?
• what would they think of this source?
• are there any special considerations for presenting the information gained from this source?
• can i follow up on the information in this source?
• how much of this information can I use/include?

MARK, ANNOTATE, TAKE NOTES

be aware of appeals made in your sources. types of appeals:

• to authority
• to emotion
• to principles
• to values
• to beliefs
• to character
• to logic
• to reasoning and evidence

Appeals are not necessarily dishonest (they are usually not dishonest), but your reading will be better informed and etc. if you’re aware of appeals and do not take them at face value.

Be aware, also, of the author’s backgrounds and points of view. Also, most authors use one or more of four ‘frameworks’ for interpreting information. Trend analysis finds the relationships between events and series of events. Causal analysis is primarily concerned with identifying cause and effect. Data analysis draws conclusions based on data. Text analysis examines documents and texts both in and between the lines to determine various things. Identify which your sources’ authors are doing, and ensure that they aren’t engaging in any fallacies while doing so.

Reading a source: You should read each source at least three times. The first time, skim over it and look for the basic major points. Get an idea for what it’s about and how it’s organized. The second time, read it properly. Read actively, highlighting and taking notes as you go. The third time, go back and re-read for deeper understanding and more detail. Pick passages to re-read that you think may be particularly helpful, or which you had a hard time understanding when you read them before.