Academic Reading

Elias Sukardi

Decide your purpose of reading

For

overview
For in-depth study
For specific information

Main contents of Academic Writing

Factual

information
Terminology
Concepts
Principles
Tables (find out the message)
Figures (find out the message)
Evidence (scientific evidence)

Scanning versus skimming

To scan

To look through
it quickly

To skim

To read through
it quickly

Scanning
Scan for main (principal) idea
(thought)
Scan for tables, diagrams,
illustrations, graphical
representations
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Skimming
Skimming for key words, concepts, and
principles
Skimming for main messages in the
tables, diagrams, illustrations or
graphical representations
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Figures
Tables
What are the messages?

Paragraph Reading
A paragraph is a section or
subdivision of a piece of writing; it
always begins on a new line and
contains at least one sentence.
Topic sentence
Types of paragraphs: deductive &
inductive
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Types of Paragraph
Deductive
General

Inductive
Specific

General
Specific

 Paragraph
Identify the topic sentence(s) and find out
the important message (idea, thought)

 Deductive
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Inductive

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What is a concept?
Information about objects, events and
processes, allowing us to differentiate various
things and classes (e.g. identifying axamples
and non-examples!)
Lack of understanding of concepts leads to lack
of clarity in thinking
Example of concepts: mammal, primate, equity,
justice, value, democracy, etc

Concept
An abstract or generic idea generalized
from particular instances
Bacteria

Acidosis, alkalosis
Risk
Neurotransmitter, receptor
Coma, consciousness, etc

What is a principle?
The combining in relationship of two or
more concepts in a statement or
sentence.

Principle
A comprehensive and fundamental law,
doctrine, or assumption
Scientific principle is general scientific law
which explains how something happens or
works
Uncontrolled hypertension is associated
with greater risk for cardiovascular events.

What is scientific evidence?

Any important &reliable information or data;
main outcomes or conclusions of a
study/research
Source of evidence: textbook,
monograph, review article, and research
e.g. experimental studies and clinical
trials.
Important characteristics of scientific
evidence: up-to-datedness, validity, and
applicability (best available evidence)

Why evidence is so important?

Explain events
Predict consequences
Infer causes
Control situations
Solve problems

Some examples of evidence

When

a physician believes a drug to be

effective in the management of a disease
despite strong scientific evidence to the
contrary, this represents irrational
prescribing (peresepan). Nonscientific
factors can or do influence physician
prescribing even though the physician
may be unaware of their presence and
effort.

evidence
It

is an obvious truism that long-term

consequences of new drugs are generally
not known when they are introduced; the
physician and patient should balance the
uncertainty with the potential advantages
of using a new drug.

Scan
Title of passage

Sections
Paragraph title
References

Skim

Main thought/idea in each paragraph

Figures and tables
Introduction
Conclusions/summary

Read & re-read the whole article/passage

Reflect on what you've read and connect with
what you have known