Academic reading
Effective academic reading and writing contributes to the advancement of knowledge, your ability to think critically and sharing of scholarly work during your time at university. You will find that the process of both reading and writing is interconnected. You will start by reading, to gather information and develop a deeper understanding of a topic, which then transitions into writing in order to communicate your findings, insights and arguments effectively. The information and resources on this page will help you to develop and enhance your own style of writing, whatever your subject or level of study.
You will be expected to do a lot of reading during your time at university and this reading will benefit your studies in several ways. You may be asked to complete some reading before a lecture or seminar, this type of reading will help you understand more about the topic you are studying and allow you to contribute to class discussions.
You will also need to read to complete your assignments, this type of reading demonstrates evidence of how you have engaged in wider research. Reading widely will help you to:
- identify different arguments
- consider research methods and findings
- spot patterns or themes, which will enable you to…
- make connections between writers and sources, which will help you to…
- form your arguments and reach conclusions
Reading is an essential part of your research and will usually account for the biggest chunk of your study time – and that’s okay. Reading should be carried out in advance of writing and carefully factored into your planning time.