PAPERmaking! FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF PAPER TECHNOLOGY Volume 5, Number 2, 2019
Scanning for research and study Scanning, too, uses keywords and organizational cues. But while the goal of skimming is a bird's-eye view of the material, the goal of scanning is to locate and swoop down on particular facts. Facts may be buried within long text passages that have relatively little else to do with your topic or claim. Skim this material first to decide if it is likely to contain the facts you need. Don't forget to scan tables of contents, summaries, indexes, headings, and typographical cues. To make sense of lists and tables, skim them first to understand how they are organized: alphabetical, chronological, or most-to-least, for example. If after skimming you decide the material will be useful, go ahead and scan: 1. Know what you're looking for. Decide on a few key words or phrases – search terms, if you will. You will be a flesh-and-blood search engine. 2. Look for only one keyword at a time. If you use multiple keywords, do multiple scans. 3. Let your eyes float rapidly down the page until you find the word or phrase you want. 4. When your eye catches one of your keywords, read the surrounding material carefully. Scanning to answer questions If you are scanning for facts to answer a specific question, one step is already done for you: the question itself supplies the keywords. Follow these steps: 1. Read each question completely before starting to scan. Choose your keywords from the question itself.
2. Look for answers to only one question at a time. Scan separately for each question. 3. When you locate a keyword, read the surrounding text carefully to see if it is relevant. 4. Re-read the question to determine if the answer you found answers this question.
Scanning is a technique that requires concentration and can be surprisingly tiring. You may have to practice at not allowing your attention to wander. Choose a time and place that you know works for you and dive in.
Article 13 – Rapid Reading
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