Skimming, Scanning and In-Depth Reading
from Massey University - University of New Zealand
There are three different styles of reading academic texts: skimming, scanning, and in-depth reading. Each is used for a specific purpose.
Scanning
Scanning differs from skimming in that you do not deal with all of the content, but search through the material for:
1. Decide what keywords you need to look for before you start reading.
2. While reading, let your eyes (or finger) move quickly over the page and try to pick out the keywords rather than focusing on the meaning of individual sentences:
3. When you see relevant words, stop and read more closely (but only if needed). You can also use the ‘find’ search on your PC (Ctrl + F) but it is more limited.
NOTE: The main purpose of scan reading is deciding whether or not something might be useful and worth reading in more detail.
Next, if your scan reveals enough keywords, you should go on to Skim Read parts of the source.
Scanning
Scanning differs from skimming in that you do not deal with all of the content, but search through the material for:
- a specific purpose (answer to a question, quotation/statement)
- a specific keyword, name, or number.
1. Decide what keywords you need to look for before you start reading.
2. While reading, let your eyes (or finger) move quickly over the page and try to pick out the keywords rather than focusing on the meaning of individual sentences:
3. When you see relevant words, stop and read more closely (but only if needed). You can also use the ‘find’ search on your PC (Ctrl + F) but it is more limited.
NOTE: The main purpose of scan reading is deciding whether or not something might be useful and worth reading in more detail.
Next, if your scan reveals enough keywords, you should go on to Skim Read parts of the source.
Skimming
Skimming means to read a page or handout fast - by reading the headings and first sentences of each paragraph or section to get a general idea of the text, and an overview of the main points.
This reading technique can save you hours of reading! You will not read every word, as it involves a quick preview of a reading by skimming through the sections that tell you the most about it. For example, you could try:
1. Read the chapter overview or table of contents to get a good idea of the topics being covered in the text.
2. Notice the headings and other typographical points such as the: abstract, headings, intro, keywords, bibliography, index etc. These will give you a good indication of the points that the author discusses.
3. Read the first (topic) sentence and last (concluding) sentence of a paragraph because these usually contain the main message of the paragraph.
4. Quickly read over any sentences containing emphasised points, such as bold of italic type font styles that stand out.
5. When you find information that might be useful, stop and read the entire sentence to see if it is relevant. Try to resist the urge to read unnecessary details as it's important to continue on with your skim reading.
Next, if your skim reading has continued to find relevant information, you should go on to do some In- depth Reading.
Skimming means to read a page or handout fast - by reading the headings and first sentences of each paragraph or section to get a general idea of the text, and an overview of the main points.
This reading technique can save you hours of reading! You will not read every word, as it involves a quick preview of a reading by skimming through the sections that tell you the most about it. For example, you could try:
1. Read the chapter overview or table of contents to get a good idea of the topics being covered in the text.
2. Notice the headings and other typographical points such as the: abstract, headings, intro, keywords, bibliography, index etc. These will give you a good indication of the points that the author discusses.
3. Read the first (topic) sentence and last (concluding) sentence of a paragraph because these usually contain the main message of the paragraph.
4. Quickly read over any sentences containing emphasised points, such as bold of italic type font styles that stand out.
5. When you find information that might be useful, stop and read the entire sentence to see if it is relevant. Try to resist the urge to read unnecessary details as it's important to continue on with your skim reading.
Next, if your skim reading has continued to find relevant information, you should go on to do some In- depth Reading.
In-depth reading
In-depth (or detail) reading is the most involved and essential. The purpose of this style is to understand the concepts and arguments that the text contains.
This particular technique takes time, but using the first two techniques (Scanning and Skimming) lets you identify the main ideas from a source reading. Doing this allows you to focus on the information that specifically relates to your study purpose.
Depending on your study purpose, this technique can be applied to a few sentences, a few paragraphs, or an entire reading. Here you are seeking to understand the text by looking at the relationships, connections, common themes, or points of difference, etc.
There are many different strategies that you can use for in-depth reading, such as the RAP or RIDA strategies.
In-depth (or detail) reading is the most involved and essential. The purpose of this style is to understand the concepts and arguments that the text contains.
This particular technique takes time, but using the first two techniques (Scanning and Skimming) lets you identify the main ideas from a source reading. Doing this allows you to focus on the information that specifically relates to your study purpose.
Depending on your study purpose, this technique can be applied to a few sentences, a few paragraphs, or an entire reading. Here you are seeking to understand the text by looking at the relationships, connections, common themes, or points of difference, etc.
There are many different strategies that you can use for in-depth reading, such as the RAP or RIDA strategies.
