writershelp

Previewing a written text

A-5

Previewing—looking through a text before you read—helps you understand its basic features and structures. A text’s title, for example, may reveal an author’s purpose; a text’s format or design may reveal what kind of text it is—a book, a report, or a policy memo. The more you know about a text before you read it, the easier it will be to dig deeper into it.

Some of these questions may help you preview a text.

Who 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 author’s 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?

Guidelines for actively reading a written text