How to Read Journal Articles in the Social Sciences

Many advanced students have trouble "reading critically" - a necessary skill to muster before any craft can be put into place. Rather than assuming that students already possess the skills necessary to be a critical reader, this book teaches students and early career researchers how to read so that they are able to maximize their output in the writing process. Using a reading code sheet unique to the author - published in full as an appendix then referred to throughout the text - this book teaches students how to approach social and behavioural science journal articles as texts that can be deciphered structurally, mechanically and grammatically. The included reading code sheet and reading strategies will allow students and researchers to systematise the reading, note-taking, and organizing of voluminous amounts of information in an easily identifiable and retrievable format and will be a huge confidence boost to those who struggle with this first phase in the writing process. Phillip C. Shon is an Associate Professor of Criminology at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology.
'This practical and accessible volume offers insights into reading, writing and assessing essays and journal articles - and as such it is an invaluable resource for students, researchers and lecturers alike. Shon's writing is engaging and entertaining; he opens up the 'black box' of academic reading and writing, explaining how to decode and critique formal scientific writing and systematically organise information gained from reading journal articles.' - Dr. Lorraine Whitmarsh, School of Psychology, University of Cardiff