Page 88 - Computer Basics- Student Textbook

Study Section 12: Reading for Research

12.1 Connect

Good research involves reading a variety of works on a topic because there may be many ideas
and approaches that various people take on your topic. Developing your reading skills, especially
the speed at which you read, will greatly enhance your ability to do research and come up with
accurate conclusions. The way you increase your reading speed is to practice reading. You can
also force your eyes to look at a group of words instead of looking at one word at a time. We
suggest you try to see THREE words at a time when looking across the sentence. You will be surprised that you can
see and comprehend three words instantly. By grouping words, your eyes travel across a page faster. If you
become proficient in reading by grouping three words, your reading speed will increase by over twice as fast.

Today, out concentration is not on speed reading, but on reading to research. We are going to give you several tips
you can apply when obtaining a resource to maximize the content you are able to digest and yet save on time.
Let’s get started…

12.2 Objectives

1. The student should be able to inform others about principles that will enhance reading for
research.

2. The student will be able to describe how the internet can play an integral part in locating
resources for research.

3. The student should be able to describe the various kind of research papers or projects.

12.3 Main Principles of Reading for Research

Main Principles of Reading for Research
I. Process Each Source Quickly
A. Process each source only quickly
B. Read enough to understand the book
C. Take whatever notes you need.
D. Write down all the publication information (all relevant dates and location details) NOW for every source
you will or might use. (You’ll waste time trying to find it later or you may forget where you found it.)
E. Use a thesaurus for similar words if you are having trouble finding resources (i.e.: instead of using “sow,”
you could use scatter, disseminate, seed, plant)

II. Read Selectively
A. For books:
1. Check title page, preface, foreword, introduction
2. Check table of contents
3. Check index; compare it with table of contents
4. Read beginning and end of each chapter
5. Skim subheading in each chapter

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