Previewing a written text
- Who
A-supp-1
is the author? What are the author’s credentials?
- What is the author’s purpose: To inform? To persuade? To call to action?
- Who is the expected audience?
- When was the text written? Where was it published?
- What kind of text is it: A book? A report? A scholarly article? A policy memo?
Annotating a written text
- What surprises, puzzles, or intrigues you about the text?
- What question or problem does the text attempt to answer or solve?
- What is the author’s thesis, or central claim?
- What type of evidence does the author provide to support the thesis? How persuasive is this evidence?
Conversing with a written text
- What are the strengths and limitations of the text?
- Has the author drawn conclusions that you question? Do you have a different interpretation of the evidence?
- Does the text raise questions that it does not answer?
- Does the author consider opposing points of view? Does the author seem to treat sources fairly?
Asking the “So what?” question
- Why does the author’s thesis need to be argued, explained, or explored? What’s at stake?
- What has the author overlooked in presenting this thesis? What’s missing?