Tuesday, March 17, 2009

How to read like a scholarHow does this work connect with other works?

(http://antbsd.twbbs.org/~ant/wordpress/?p=923, September 27th, 2007)

讀書是追求學問的一種方法,而如何讀書本身也是一門學問。我曾經想像過,教授們是如何讀一本書呢?讀完後,如何確定自己有了解了呢?

今天看了 “Advice for Students: How to Read Like a Scholar” 一文,發現其實還是有基本的方法可追尋。

首先,引用了一句,

Most the time in school what you need to do is very simple:

Sit down with the book, a pen and paper, and perhaps a computer… And from that point, you read. That’s it. You go through and read the book, you underline important points and passages, pay special attention to introductions and conclusions, be sure to note special terminology, names and dates and that’s it. Maybe afterward take notes on the text.

There is a time for technology and clever tricks. There is also a time for elbow grease.

其實很簡單,

  1. 一本書,並坐下來
  2. 一張紙與一支筆,或是電腦
  3. 讀的過程畫重點
  4. 專注於介紹(introductions)與結論(conclusions)
  5. 記下專業術語、名詞或日期

如何才算了解一本書?你可以在讀完後,試著反問自己以下問題:

  1. What is the author trying to say? (作者想要說什麼?)
  2. How does the author say what they’re trying to say? (作者如何表達他們想說的?)
  3. Why is the author’s point important? (為什麼作者的觀點很重要?)
  4. Do you agree or disagree with the author? Why? (你同不同意作者的論點?為什麼?)
  5. How does this work connect with other works? (這件作品與其它作品有什麼關聯?)
  6. What is the social context of the work? (這件作品的社會脈絡是什麼?)

How does the author say what they’re trying to say? (作者如何表達他們想說的?)

What evidence do they use? What style of argument are they making? How are they positioning themselves? You’d be surprised how many people read an essay about, say, infanticide (the killing of newborn children) and assume the author is advocating this practice instead of simply describing it. These readers totally misread the author’s position.

Why is the author’s point important? (為什麼作者的觀點很重要?)

What contribution does the work make to the author’s discipline, to our understanding of society or the world? What problems are they trying to solve?

Do you agree or disagree with the author? Why? (你同不同意作者的論點?為什麼?)

it is essential that you read critically, with an eye towards inconsistencies in an author’s argument or evidence. Are there other explanations for the data they present? Is the author’s interpretation colored by his or her religion, professional background, political orientation, or social position? Note: far too many students seem to think that criticizing style is a good substitute for critiquing substance. It’s not. A lot of academic writing is stilted, difficult (sometimes deliberately so), or just plain bad; this does not mean that the ideas are not good.

How does this work connect with other works? (這件作品與其它作品有什麼關聯?)

What’s new about it (or, if it’s an older work, what was new when it was published)? What disciplinary debates is the author engaging? How does this work build on, or refute, earlier works by other authors? How does it fit with the author’s other work? What other work is the one you’re reading like?

What is the social context of the work? (這件作品的社會脈絡是什麼?)

Always consider the historical moment in which a work was created. What kind of person wrote it, and for what kind of audience? What historical events shaped the author’s perceptions and ideas? How was their world different from yours, and how was it similar?

至於閱讀的技巧,

  • Skim the book. Examine the table of contents to get a feeling for the structure and main points of the book. Flip through the chapters, skimming the first few paragraphs of each, and then the section headings. Check the index for any topics you feel are especially important. Then, if you have time;
  • Read the Introduction and conclusion
  • Dip in
  • Finish the book

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