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Reading Effectively Reading Effectively |
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Why read critically?
“Texts present ideas, not absolute truths”
— Zemliansky, P. Methods of Discovery: A Guide to Research Writing. Chapter 3: Research and Critical Reading. [Reference]
A particular ‘reality’
For example, a photograph is a text of a particular ‘reality’. It is the result of many choices made at a particular time and place (eg, where to aim, wide or narrow angle, colour balance, sharpness of the image, etc).
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An academic reading is the same: A written text is one portrayal of the facts. It makes a scholarly case for how we should understand the world around us. It too is made in a particular time and place and is the result of many choices made by the author(s).
The purpose of research is not simply to retrieve data, but to participate in a conversation about it.
