Practices for course-related reading apply to reading for research.
In addition:
- Read the abstract and the introductory paragraph/section.
- Read the conclusion.
- Read the content strategically, noting down major themes and points of interest.
- Does the reading have a research question?
- What is it?
- Why is it important?
- What is its methodological context?
- Does the reading provide evidence for examining the research question?
- Consider developing a short annotated bibliography of your readings.
- As a refinement, consider color coding/noting whether a particular reading was useful, a maybe (maybe it includes interesting ideas, but at this point should be parked for future use), or a dud. These (or similar) notations will come handy.
- Do not cite materials you have not read in their entirety.
Avoid plagiarism:
- - when reading, take notes in your own words
- - avoid lightly paraphrasing or re-arranging phrases from your source material. This is known as patchwriting, and is a form of intellectual dishonesty.