|
Note: this excellent
process can be applied
to books, chapters in books,
articles, and all manner of reading.
What is the
title?
What does it tell
you about what the essay is about?
What do you already know about the
subject?
What do you expect the essay to say
about it--especially given when it
was written and who the author was
(see next questions)?
When was the
essay written?
Do you know
anything about the state of the
historical literature on the subject
at that time?
If so, what do you expect the essay
to say?
Who wrote it?
What do you expect him or her
to say here?
What are the
author's credentials, or
affiliations?
What are his/her prejudices?
Are you familiar with the authors'
other work related to the subject?
Read the
essay, marking the information that is
crucial to you.
When the text gives you crucial
information, mark and note it:
What exactly is the
subject?
How does it correspond to the title?
What are the main points--the theses?
What is the evidence that the author
gives to sustain the thesis or
theses?
What is the
factual information that you want to
retain?
Is there a good
description of something you knew, or
did not know, that you want to
remember its location? If so,
mark it. If for research, make out a
research note on it.
Does the author
cite some important source that you
want to retain for future reference?
If so, mark it. If for research, make
out a bibliographic note either now
or on reviewing the article for such
citations.
Once you have
finished the article, reflect on:
What have your
learned?
How does it relate to what you
already know?
Did you find the argument convincing
on its own terms?
Given what you know about the
subject, do you think the main
point(s) might be correct even if the
argument was not convincing?
Can you think of information that
makes you doubt the main point(s),
even if the essay argued it well?
How does the essay relate to other
things you have read--that is, how
does it fit in the historical
literature?
Make
out a summary sheet on the essay
*
Adapted with permission from Professor M.
Les Benedict, Department of
History, Ohio State University
Feedback to improve
this page
(please specify which page)
The Study Guides and Strategies web site was created and is
maintained by Joe
Landsberger,
academic web site developer at the University
of St. Thomas (UST), St. Paul, Minnesota. It is collaboratively
maintained across institutional and national boundaries, and last revised
September 04, 2002 .
Permission is granted to freely copy, adapt, print,
transmit, and distribute
Study Guides in settings that benefit learners. On the WWW, however, please link
rather than put up your own page since pages are frequently modified and
improved in consideration of educational research. No request to link is
necessary. Additional contributions and translations are warmly
received.
|
