Active reading Active reading requires:
1. selecting the most appropriate sources (no brainless reading of everything
that is available) that can be linked to the issue at hand;
2. making a selection of what you want to know, which is aided by your
identification of structures and argumentation in the read material.
Even if you have to read for an exam – which basically implies
that you cannot select the literature yourself – active reading
is a prerequisite for effective studying. Active reading is always accompanied
by writing at the same time, either as notes for the exam, or directly
as input for the paper you are writing (never read only to read), after
which you evaluate what have read, and come to the choice of further
sources.
This requires that you be prepared to go through the reflective cycle
of lifelong learning, and that you always take into account five phases:
1 Selecting the right reading material
2 Identify/structure the arguments in your readings
3 Choose the most relevant reading technique
4 Choose the right combination of reading and writing
5 Assess the usability of other available skill techniques
