Skimming and scanning are strategies to find information quickly.
Skimming is giving some parts of a text a quick read.
When to do it
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Before reading the text
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While reading the text
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After reading the text
Reading intention
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Before: to get a general idea of what the text is about while previewing
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While: to see what is next
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After: to refresh your memory by taking a another look at a text you’ve already read
Outcome
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Get a general overview of the text—Big picture
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Help make predictions
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Refresh memory
How to Do It
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Read titles & headings
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Look for bold, italicized or highlighted text
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Quick read of the introduction & conclusion
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Quick read of the first sentence of paragraphs
Scanning is looking for specific information without reading the whole text.
When to do it
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Before reading the text
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While reading the text
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After reading the text
Reading intention
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Find specific information quickly
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Find keywords and repetitions
Outcome
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Quickly find & gather specific information
How to Do It
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You must know what you are looking for beforehand
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Use text features & visual markers
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Look for keywords
When in doubt about which to use, the rule of thumb is:
To learn more about a strategy, click its name.
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Skimming & Scanning |
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Get an overview of the text. |
Quickly search & find information |
Ask yourself questions |
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Create mental pictures |
Relate to the text |
Read between the lines |
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Write down notes & comments |
Understand challenging words |
Sum up main idea & key elements |
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Explore sources to come up with new perspectives |
Form an opinion on the quality of the text |
Look at the structure and techniques used |