How to College - A Virtual Book Display for Students: Reading & Writing

How to Read a Journal Article

Reading Strategies

Speed Reading: How to Absorb Information Quickly and Effectively - MindTools

10 Strategies to Improve your Reading Comprehension in College - Purdue University Global

How to Keep up with College Reading - Thought.com

Tips for Reading Scholarly and Journal Articles - Brandeis University 

Photo Licensed by UofL through Adobe Stock 

1. Survey
   Skim the text to gain insight before reading that text fully. Skim the title, first paragraph, headings, subheadings, graphics, and any highlighted information to establish some useful context for thinking about the text. You’ll get a sense of the text’s organization of information, to help you predict the type of information you’ll be reading. You can also start to make connections between the new reading and knowledge you already have, which is another strategy for retaining information. Survey the document by scanning its contents, gathering the necessary information to focus on topics and help set study goals.

2. Question 
   During this stage, jot down any questions you have, based on your survey. You can also jot down questions based on the Learning Objectives at the beginning of a chapter and/or the Chapter Summary or Key Points at the end of a chapter. These questions will help you actively search for information as you read, and recall and study after you read.
3. Read 
   Read the text thoroughly, keeping your questions in mind. Find and jot down answers to your questions as you read, along with additional main ideas, key examples, and your personal connections and reactions as you read. Mind Mapping as or after you read is also a way to correlate all the information.
4. Recite 
   Try to answer the questions out loud without looking at your notes. Make sure you can answer and explain information in your own words. Answering the questions out loud activates another way of anchoring the information in your brain. [1] At this point, you may also want to summarize the article, or write short summaries of major sections of a longer text to aid recall. The recite stage is one in which you consolidate knowledge, so make sure you can recall the core information of a text.
5. Review 
   Review your questions and answers, review all of your notes, expand your notes, discuss the topic with colleagues or other experts. Pretend you are responsible for teaching the ideas in this text to someone else. Can you do it? If not, you may need to circle back for more “survey, question, read, and recite.” 

"College Reading and Writing: The SQ3R Method," Lumen Learning

Writing Help 

The UofL Writing Center can help you at any point in your writing process, from getting started with an idea, to working on a first draft, to revision and copyediting. 

Handouts and Videos - The UofL Writing Center

Stages of the Writing Process - Purdue OWL

The Writing Process | 5 Steps with Examples & Tips - Sribbr

Need Help Finding Sources?

Check out our Research DIY for tips and tricks to get you on the right track with research. We offer super-fast tutorials for every aspect of the research process.

You can also schedule an appointment with a librarian to learn how to navigate academic databases like a pro. 

How to Cite Sources - Uof;L Libraries

How to Avoid Plagiarism | Tips on Citing Sources - Scribbr

How can I avoid plagiarizing? - UofL Writing Center

Online Writing Lab Grammar Links

Purdue University has an online writing lab that offers information on many topics related to writing. This link explains English grammar.

Grammar Slammer

The Grammar Slammer website overviews some commonly used grammar errors in the English language; click this link to review lessons from misplaced modifiers to subject-verb agreement.

Grammar Bytes

This site provides overview lessons in grammar such as parallelism and capitalization. In addition, there are links for power points, practice worksheets, and many other resources, useful for both students and faculty alike.

Vocabulary-Building Techniques - Lumen Learning

25 Ways to Improve Your Writing Vocabulary - Word Counter

10 Ways to Build and Use Your Vocabulary - My College Success Story

Academic Phrasebank - University of Manchester

Words and Phrases to Avoid in Academic Writing - Scribbr

11 Best vocabulary apps to improve your communication skills - CourseLounge