Reading

It’s always a good idea to read something about your subject before writing.

Tips for reading to explore a subject

• An article in a student newspaper or a local paper can get you started with some general background.
• A magazine article (for example, something from Time or Scientific American or The Economist) can give you a broad understanding and help you think through a topic.
• As you become experienced in your discipline, you will rely on the current state of knowledge as reflected in scholarly journal articles and current books.

Of course, it never hurts to look at your textbook, assigned readings, or recommended readings cited by your instructor at the course Web site. You may find information relevant to your topic.

Related topics:

Annotating texts or visuals

Talking and listening

Listing

Clustering

Freewriting, keeping a journal, and blogging

Asking questions