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Reading Rhetorically
Do You Know How to Read?
Of course, you know how to read! But if you think about the message of the rhetorical situation that we have been exploring both in ENG 103 and here in ENG 104 or 114, you might realize that things can carry different meanings in different situations. For example, golfers learn to read the green so they can predict which way the ball will roll. When you interact with people, you read their faces to gather additional clues to understand a person’s character or meaning. In this section we are talking mostly about the more traditional definition: reading text; however, even then you read differently in different situations. When you read a grocery list you are focused on the information. When you read a novel you read for enjoyment and escape; you want to remember things so you can talk about them, but the main purpose is reading for pleasure. When you read a textbook you read differently, trying remember information, or understand ideas.
In this section, we explore the kind of reading that you will need throughout your academic career, and beyond. It does take some practice if you are not used to approaching texts this way. And, as you will see below, critical reading can mean approaching and reading different kinds of texts in different ways.
Reading Critically
Handouts for How to Read Critically
If you would like a printout of the slides, click here: Critical Reading
For access to the handout discussed in the video, click here: Toronto Handout
Activity: Reading With and Against a Text
When we approach a text, we bring our previous experiences with us. These experiences shape how we read and how we understand what we read. One aspect of reading critically includes finding ways to get beyond our previous experience so we have a chance to see things in a new way. In the next exercise, then, we ask you to pretend–at least for the time you are reading.
First we will ask you to summarize the text, so that you just tell what the content of the text is.
Next, we will ask you to read the text again. This time, rather than just read for information, we will ask you to read “with the text.” What you do is, you will pretend that you agree with the author; pretend that the author is a good writer who knows what they are talking about. You read as if you see the text this way.
Then, we will ask you to read “against the text.” This time you pretend that you disagree with the author: pretend the writer is not very reliable and look for all the flaws you can.
In reality, of course, no author is all bad or all good. Sometimes, though, it helps to experiment with the extremes first, and then go back afterwards to get more of a sense of what is really in the middle. This can help us be more critical (in a good way) of a text we like and are inclined to agree with. And it can help us look for strengths and to understand a text that we are likely to reject.
For this exercise, we will use an article posted on Odyssey: “School Dress Codes And The Sexualization Of Young Girls”
Note: Odyssey would not be a recommended source in many academic situations because it is opinion based and not exactly written by experts. For our purposes here, however, we can read this article as a place where we see an author making and supporting a claim.
Here are the first two paragraphs, which we will use for this exercise:
I still remember the extremely subjective rules of my middle school dress code: make sure your straps are at least 3 fingers wide, your skirt/shorts must come down to at least your middle finger when your arms are held straight down, if you touch your pinky to your chin and extend your thumb to your chest, the fabric of your shirt should touch your thumb and if you decide to wear leggings, make sure your shirt is long enough to cover your butt. When I was a 12-year-old girl just entering middle school, the dress code just seemed like another aspect of middle school I had to adjust to, however, looking back at it as a 19-year-old, I’m disgusted.
While it is important to show students the value of modesty and teach them to dress appropriately, policing their bodies can be extremely damaging to their self-image. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, over half of all public schools in the U.S. have a dress code. Although there is nothing inherently wrong with a school enforcing a dress code, some have taken it too far.
First, summarize:
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Next, read “with the author,” identifying all the good things you can about the text.
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Then, read “against the author.” Look for as many flaws as possible, including problems with how it is written and with the ideas expressed.
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If this process feels awkward, or unfair, remember again that you are just taking on a role for a time. This kind of reading can help you see things from another person’s perspective. Most likely, your true reading of a text is not going to be all positive or all negative. This is an exercise that pushes you to see things in ways that you might not otherwise—you will see positives and negatives that you might not have without going through this process.
Also, we know that you will not be able to closely examine each paragraph of everything you must read in this way. We encourage you to use this especially on sources you really like, or really dislike; this can prevent you from dismissing a source that may have some value. Also, it will help you avoid unfair bias by encouraging you to examine multiple positions and to take the time to listen to those who take a different position from your own, or who see the issue differently.
Reading Research Studies
Reading critically may look a little different depending on the type of source you are reading. The example above about dress code is from a non-academic source and is on a debatable topic. The experience of reading this type of article is very different from reading a complex scientific, academic study.
This video explains how to go about reading an academic source, in this case, a science article about wolves and the ecology. When you are reading this type of study, you are reading more for information than opinion. That means that you can’t read “with” or “against” the authors in the same way–at least not unless you are also an ecologist studying wolves! Rather, you should read articles like this one to get the primary information. Once you have read many articles on the topic, you will be able to start drawing conclusions across sources, and this may allow you to find something that a particular author missed. However, such academic students are not based on opinion, so when scholars challenge them it is often on the thoroughness of their methods or the specific interpretation of their results, not on a difference of opinion.
What is IMRD and how do you read it?
Video Recap:
Video Recap: Pay attention to the IMRD format when reading an academic article.
Abstract: This is an overview of the article. Read it to see if you want to read the rest. You don’t usually use the abstract in your paper, though. Rather, read on!
Introduction & Lit Review: Look to the end of the introduction for a statement of purpose, a thesis or a hypothesis. Remember, if you find a thesis, the author will support that throughout the article. If you find a hypothesis, pay close attention. It may not end up to be true by the end of the paper!
The introduction and/or literature review section is great for an overview of the topic and for getting other sources. Be sure to pay attention to when your source is citing other sources.
Methods: The methods describe how the researchers conducted their study. Some of the details may not be relevant to you unless you are conducting your own fieldwork study. However, you’ll want to get the main point of what type of research was conducted. Also, you’ll want to think about the limits of the study. For example, was only a certain demographic interviewed or surveyed?
Results: This is where you will find the nitty-gritty of the results. There will often be charts and graphs here that may be difficult to understand. Get the main ideas here, but you may not need all the details.
Discussion: The discussion is where to focus the most energy when reading an IMRD article. This section is where the author tells you what the results mean and why they are important. So, spend lots of time going over this section.
Conclusion: Some articles will have a separate conclusion. Some will have it with the discussion. One thing to look for in the conclusion is a suggestion for future research. This part can help you justify your own research study in a proposal or fieldwork paper.
References: Don’t forget to look for other useful sources on the reference list or works cited page!
Summary
Reading your secondary sources means reading both rhetorically and critically. Knowing what type of source you are reading and the context in which it is created will help you read it. For example, research studies often follow a similar form and once you know it, you know where to look for the information you need. Be sure to annotate your sources and read critically to get the information needed for your particular project. In the next section, we look at how to take notes and organize the information you get from reading your sources.
NEXT: Organizing Evidence – Secondary