Category Archives: reading

keeping up with the literatures – preliminary sorting is key

This post is in response to a question about how to keep on top of what is being published I found out early on that academic work required finding ways to deal with a load of information. My undergraduate honours … Continue reading

Posted in academic writing, Browzine, literature review, reading | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

grow your own writing practice

You often hear writing described as a skill. And a skill is the capacity to do something well, to use expertise built up through practice. Skills are often seen as merely technical, but a skill requires specialist knowledge and often … Continue reading

Posted in artisan, connoisseur, PhD, practice, reading, routine, starting the PhD | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

summer reading – or – not all reading is the same

Academics often look forward to doing their own work in summer  – the work they can’t get to during term time. We write bids, papers and books during our <break>. And one of the ways we get ourselves into the … Continue reading

Posted in academic writing, Endnote, note-taking, reading, reading routine, scan-reading | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

idle thoughts while reading? it may be a light bulb moment

Does your mind wander while you’re reading? All the books to read for that pesky literature review and you just can’t focus … Sometimes the havering mind is “the worries”. Worries about how much reading there is and how hard … Continue reading

Posted in academic writing, debates in the field, reading, saturation point, too much reading | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

becoming friends with theory

I’m currently reading some theory that I’ve not read before. It’s in a field associated with mine, but the two areas are rarely brought together. I’m reading because I am wondering whether there is something in this new theoretical resource … Continue reading

Posted in academic writing, reading, theory | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

starting the PhD – digging in to the reading

Most people begin their PhDs by reading. That’s because planned research needs to build on what’s already out there, using what’s been done in order to spell out the expected contribution to knowledge. There are various ways to start getting … Continue reading

Posted in academic writing, literature review, reading, starting the PhD | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

reading! you’re meant to be writing

It might seem strange to be writing about reading during #AcWriMo. But I was reminded, at a recent writing retreat get-together, of the close and symbiotic relationship between writing and reading. One of our group had sent a draft paper … Continue reading

Posted in academic writing, acwrimo, Browzine, reading | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

being ‘critical’ – starting the phd

At the start of the PhD, your supervisor will almost undoubtedly ask you to critically evaluate some literatures. This reading is so that you can prepare a more detailed proposal than you initially submitted. And it you are doing courses … Continue reading

Posted in academic writing, critical, reading | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

literatures work – and a pair of new shoes…

It’s September and the Autumn equinox. To mark the occasion, I took my new pair of lace-up boots out of their box and gave them their first wearing/airing. Now anyone who knows me knows that I always have a pair … Continue reading

Posted in literature mapping, literature review, literature reviews, mapping, reading, scan-reading, scoping, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

managing the #phd- keep a reading journal

Reading is integral to research. Everyone says that, and it’s true. It’s also true that you need to find ways to read, note and keep track of all that reading. This is in part a question of tools and strategies. … Continue reading

Posted in journaling, reading, reading journal, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 6 Comments