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Developing Business Practice 302LONReading for academic successWeek 1Good academic writing is a key skill to develop in order to succeed in your degree as well as succeeding in the world after you have left university.

2Overview of sessionsWeek1Reading for academic success2Writing for academic success3Finding and using information4Plagiarism and how to avoid it5Putting it all together Have an understanding of the role of reading in your course of studyBe aware of the different types of reading expected on yourBe able to read effectivelyUnderstand the purpose of note-taking

By the end of this session...Have an understanding of the role of reading in your course of study, in terms of preparation for taught sessions and supporting your learning, looking at the difference between directed and self-directed readingBe aware of the different types of reading expected on your course and how this relates to business, including academic journals, textbooks, magazines, websites, reports, newspaper articles, real business information, such as financial reports and reports.Be able to read effectivelyUnderstand the purpose of note-taking and gain techniques on effective note-taking

4Read to gain knowledge and obtain informationSignificant amount of time at university is spent reading

Why do we read?Its up to you to organise your reading practicesWhy do we read? Reading is one of the main ways that we get information. Whilst we can watch television, video clips online and attend lectures, reading articles, web pages, newspapers, reports and books is one of the main ways that we absorb and receive the information we need, both in the academic and the business world. The amount of time that you spend reading depends on the type of work that you are doing, but it is safe to say that it will be a significant number of hours a week. Most of your reading will happen outside of the dedicated teaching hours that have been set for you, so it is up to you to organise your reading practices and discover ways to make your reading more efficient.

5For enjoyment!To find out more about a subject that interests youTo find further evidence to support your own ideasBackground preparation for an assignment or interviewTo go into more depth about a theory for an assignmentTo find out more about a topic mentioned in classTo prepare for a seminar so that everyone can discuss itWhy do we read? Reading is one of the main ways that we get information. Whilst we can watch television, video clips online and attend lectures, reading articles, web pages, newspapers, reports and books is one of the main ways that we absorb and receive the information we need, both in the academic and the business world. The amount of time that you spend reading depends on the type of work that you are doing, but it is safe to say that it will be a significant number of hours a week. Most of your reading will happen outside of the dedicated teaching hours that have been set for you, so it is up to you to organise your reading practices and discover ways to make your reading more efficient.

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So much to read......so little time!INFORMATION OVERLOADSame for students as it is for managers so much to read and not enough time. Introduce the idea of information overload7Good reading practicesAllow you to select the most appropriate materials to read

Ensure that you are reading the material critically

Reduce the time spent on reading it

Ensure that the notes that you take from your reading are usable afterwardsAllow you to select the most appropriate materials to readReduce the time spent on reading itEnsure that you are reading the material criticallyEnsure that the notes that you take from your reading are usable afterwards

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Why am I reading?Define your purposeSpecific piece of information?Getting an overall feel for a piece of work?Background reading?Deeper understand of a topic?Define your purpose: it will not only affect what you read, but also how you choose to read it.Background information? Facts? Theories? Deeper understanding? Opinion or argument?Is it for examination, revision, essay, report, letter, seminar?

By recognising what you are reading for, you can better pick the correct source and approach it in the most effective manner.

9Reading your tutor directs you toWithin Moodle, Reading List or KnowledgecastWhat should I read?: Directed reading

10What should I read?: Directed readingRequired

It is expected that you have read this before coming to classWill be the basis of the discussion in the seminarRecommended

You dont have to read it all, but reading a selection from the recommended list will allow you to have a better understanding of the topic and contribute to the discussion11Take your lead from the suggested readingUse bibliographies and the sources that they have mentionedDo your own searches on our databases and in the Learning Resource CentreAsk your tutorWhat should I read?: Self-directed readingTextbooks good for background informationJournal articles good for applications of models and theories in depthNewspaper articles for real life examples and up-to-date informationWebsites but always with caution!What types of sources might you be reading?

Reading critically

Facts v. Interpretation

To non -critical readers, texts provide facts. Readers gain knowledge by memorising the statements within a text.

To the critical reader, any single text provides but one portrayal of the facts, one individuals take on the subject matter. Critical readers thus recognise not only what a text says, but also how that text portrays the subject matter.(Kurland 2000)Questioning the material that you read. Not about criticising the author, rather thinking about the information at a deeper level and deciding how the authors argument and use of the evidence relates to other authors arguments and opinions on the same topic. Do you agree with their interpretation of the evidence and facts?14Questions to ask yourself...

When/where was it written?How does this information relate to what you already know?What evidence have they used? And are there any gaps?Do you agree with this interpretation of the evidence?15

Effective reading tips

Always keep your reading goal in mindWhen looking at books, look at the index and contents page to see where in the book to startUse the abstract or executive summary to see if an article or report is relevant

Effective reading tips

The first paragraph and the last paragraph of a chapter or article should give a good idea of the main topic and argument of the workQuickly scan for keywords and phrases of interest, and then go back and read more closely.

Taking notesAllows us to reproduce information at a later dateRemind us of information at a later dateConcise way of capturing key informationEnables us to organise information and our ideasEnsures active learningNote-taking: Why do we take notes?Ensures that we understand what we have just readWhy do we take notes?Part of active learning by doing something with the notes we are interacting with the information, making it more engaging.Also as a means of organising material and your thoughts more concise, you can use to compare different sources of informationIt provides a concise way of storing key information, and reminds us at a later date of the information that we read. If we decide to use in a later piece of work reproduce a diagram or include a quotation in your work, by ensuring that we have accurate information, as well as the necessary bibliographic details to include in our references.And the act of taking notes and thinking about the information ensures that we understand what were reading.

19Different methods of note-takingAnnotatingSummarisingVisually(Mind maps)AnnotatingSummarisingVisually, such as mind maps

20Taking notes: Annotating

Taking notes: Annotating

Taking notes: SummarisingCottrell, S. (2008) The Study Skills Handbook. 3rd edn. London: Palgrave MacmillanPage 7:It is best to prepare properly for university course: ways to prepared include foundation courses, access or short courses from the university or local college. It is also possible to do foundation degree, which is equivalent to two years study this can be taken part time. There are people who can offer advice, including a mature student adviser, life-long learning see the university for advice.

Taking notes: VisuallyPreparation for university courseAccess and short courses from colleges and universitiesEquiv x 2 years ft studyAccess routesFoundation degreesModes of studyFull timePart timePeople to ask:Student adviserLifelong learning centreOther members of staff

Taking notes: Things to rememberTake notes on second readingMake it clear in your notes any sections that are copied directly from the text, and note page numbers of diagrams or key pointsMake use of highlighters, different colours and abbreviations to make your notes clear, concise and easy to readTaking notes better to read the work first, and then reflect and recall what information was important prevents copying large amounts and means that you are already paraphrasing

25Organising your note taking

Paper based?Date your notes, keep them tidy, file them afterwardsAre you going to use paper based format? Note book? Binder?Make sure you date notes, keep them tidy and file them afterwardsAre you going to use a computer?Back up your files, keep your files well named and organised

26Organising your note taking

Using a computer?Back up your files, name your files sensibly and keep them organisedOrganising your note taking

Always ensure that you have all the information you need to use this information in your assignmentsAuthor, title, date of publication, publisher details, page numbers, web address of any online sourcesIn this Knowledgecast, we have:Looked at the role of reading in your studies, including directed and self-directed reading and considered the purpose it servesLooked different types of reading materials and what to be aware of when reading themIntroduced the idea of reading critically and provided some questions to provide critical thinking frameworkLooked at some note-taking techniques that you can start to put into practice.

Knowledgecast SummaryBring a copy of the Harvard Business Review article from your reading for International Business Strategy (301LON) Ten ways to create shareholder value by Rappaport. You may find it more useful to print it out.You will find this through the Reading List link in the 301LON module.Preparation for the seminarRappaport, A. (2006) Ten Ways to Create Shareholder Value Harvard Business Review [online] 84 (9), 66-77

30Bibliography by gadl http://www.flickr.com/photos/gadl/320300354/sizes/l/in/photostream/ 168th of 2nd 365: A choice. Which translation to continue reading? by dumbledad http://www.flickr.com/photos/dumbledad/4988915427/sizes/o/in/photostream/Questioning by Ann Douglas http://www.flickr.com/photos/anndouglas/422362185/sizes/o/in/photostream/ reading aloud: j reads Harry Potter (2) by anna_t http://www.flickr.com/photos/anna/199723292/sizes/o/in/photostream/Notes by English 106 http://www.flickr.com/photos/english106/4357529719/sizes/z/in/photostream/ jour048 by Guillaume Brialon http://www.flickr.com/photos/guillaumebrialon/3288150201/sizes/o/in/photostream/ MacBook keyboard by alcomm http://www.flickr.com/photos/alcomm/217097889/sizes/l/in/photostream/

Image creditsKurland, D, (2000) What is critical reading? [online] Available from: http://www.criticalreading.com/critical_reading.htm. References