Reading critically involves approaching each source with an awareness not only of your own writing situation but also of the writing situation that shaped the source. Keep in mind that each document you read was written to accomplish a particular purpose and was intended for a particular group of readers. Realize that the physical, social, disciplinary, and cultural settings in which the document was produced affected how the writer presented information, ideas, and arguments. And remember that the writing situation that helped produce the source might differ significantly from your own writing situation.

As you read, remember what you are trying to accomplish. Your purpose will affect your assessment of the information, ideas, and arguments you encounter. Moreover, your readers’ purposes, needs, interests, and backgrounds will affect your assessment of what you read.

Finally, and perhaps most important, remember that you are working on your writing project to make a contribution, to shape your readers’ thinking about your subject. Avoid being overly deferential to the authors who have written before you. You should respect their work, but don’t assume that their conclusions about the subject are the last word. Be prepared to challenge their ideas and arguments. If you don’t do this, there’s little point in writing, for you’ll simply repeat the ideas of others instead of advancing your own.