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If you follow our Instagram stories, you know that we are fans of Zachary Shore’s Grad School Essentials. Your interest is peaked, and you’re now here to dive deeper.

Congratulations, you are already thinking like a grad student!

Now let’s get you reading like a grad student!

Understanding how to dissect and critique texts efficiently can be a huge time saver in grad school. Professors assign so much reading, and you’re left wondering if there are enough hours in the day to read them, especially if you’re expected to read every single word. What happens if you try? In Shore’s words, you're likely to become a “book zombie.” How often have you read a page, or even several pages, stopped and thought, “What did I just read?” That is the entryway to becoming a book zombie.

Whether reading a scholarly book or an article in a research journal, the following tips will help you comprehend more and save time.  

Read for the thesis. The thesis is the author’s main argument. Your goal as a grad student is to find the argument and, ultimately, to critique it.

1.    Analyze the Title & Subtitle: The title provides a first clue to the thesis. Subtitles can dig a little deeper into the direction the author is heading. Think actively by dissecting the meaning behind the title and subtitle. Ask yourself what the author might be trying to convey.

2.    Scrutinize the Table of Contents: Review the titles of each chapter next. Just like the title of the book, they provide clues as to what the author is arguing. Each chapter serves as a key piece of evidence in the argument, with the chapter titles identifying the main point.

3.    Read the Conclusion First: Conclusions summarize the big idea that the author has worked so hard to convey. Once you locate the thesis within the conclusion, restate or rephrase it and write it down in the simplest terms possible.

4.    Read the Introduction: Now it’s time to start from the beginning. Find the thesis in the introduction. It will likely be worded differently than the conclusion, but the point is the same. Restate or rephrase the argument and write it down. Compare your intro  summary to your summary from the conclusion. If they match, you found your thesis. If they don’t align, it means you need to take a look again. You may have misidentified the thesis or misunderstood it.

5.    Target Key Chapters & Sections: Once the thesis is clear, it’s time to identify and understand the evidence the author uses to back up the argument. The evidence is found in individual chapters and sections of the book or article. Write down the big claim being made in each chapter, later you can review and determine if each claim is supported with sufficient evidence and logic. Now you’re thinking about the bigger picture. How does the thesis and evidence link to a larger question?

6.    Concentrate on Subheadings & Topic-Sentences: Analyzing a text needs to be done in an efficient way to save time. Actively skim the chapters with an eye to the argument and evidence. Read subheadings and topic sentences to determine how much to give to the entire paragraph. As you identify the key evidence, restate or rephrase it and write it down.

After identifying the thesis and supporting arguments, focus on the sections and evidence that matters most.

Adopt this approach, and you’ll be ready to discuss the assigned readings. Whether in class or in a written assignment, your professor will have no doubt that you understood what you read.

A key strategy for Shore is to restate or rephrase what you read in your own words. Doing so helps you understand and retain the thesis and supporting arguments. Plus, being able to articulate the thesis and evidence in your own words is essential when critiquing the text.

Next Up: How to Critique Texts Like a Pro: A Summary From Grad School Essentials