Reading Critically

Reading Critically: Llibrary Guide

Here are a few books to help you get started...

Asking the Right Questions: a guide to critical thinking by Neil Browne 2nd FL PN 83 .B785 2001

Bedford Handbook by Diana Hacker 2nd FL PE 1408.H277 2006

Rereading America: cultural contexts for critical thinking and writing by Gary Columbo 2nd Floor PE 1127 H5 R4

Damned Lies and Statistics: untangling numbers from the media, politicians, and activists by Joel Best 2nd Floor HM 535 B4 2001

Tilt?: the search for media bias by David Niven (2nd Floor PN 4888 O25 N58 2002)

QUESTIONS TO ASK

Who is the author?

What are the author's credentials for writing the book if it is nonfiction? What life experiences, beliefs, biases, and cultural contexts does the author bring to his or her work, be it fiction or nonfiction?

If the author is famous or critically acclaimed, try Biographies Plus Illustrated, Contemporary Authors , or follow the biography link. If the author is a popular writer or does not have a wide audience, look for a book review What Do I Read Next?. Book reviews and readers' services frequently have information about the author as well as about the book. Biographical Information , the people search feature of Lexis, is another database where you may find information. Has the author been interviewed on radio or television? Go to LexisNexis Academic and mark the box for television and radio transcripts to get a copy of the interview. Google the author's name. One can uncover an astonishing and eclectic trove of interesting information about a person. Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL) includes Writer's Directory which has information about authors, including the address where you may contact the writer directly. To what organizations does the writer belong? The Encyclopedia of Associations will tell you more about these organizations. When was the publication written and what were the times like? Timelines Index , America's Newspapers , America: History and Life ,or Historical Abstracts can tell you what was going on in politics, the arts, the economy, or society that may have influenced the author's writing. The link at left will list many more historical sources. Does the writer bring a particular ethnic or cultural perspective to his or her work? Databases like Chicano Database , eHRAF World Cultures , or Ethnic NewsWatch may give you insight into the culture or ethic group from which the author hails. If the book is an academic one, what are the author's credentials? Digital Dissertations may give you a summary of the author's academic dissertation or thesis. Subject databases in the author's field will list other scholarly contributions of the author. These might include journal articles, papers presented, books, or chapters. The National Faculty Directory (REF LB 2331.7 N37) may be able to tell you if the writer is associated with a college or university.

What is the purpose of the book, publication, blog, or website?

Was the publication written merely to inform the reader? Is it meant as entertainment? Was the author’s intent to sway or persuade the reader to a particular point of view? Does the author want the reader to do something as a result of reading his or her work? Does the writer want the reader to vote for a particular candidate, purchase a product, start a business, adopt a foster child, save the whales, or otherwise be moved to action?

A critical reader may want to check the facts the writer has put forth and, more importantly, the author’s interpretation of those facts. LexisNexis Statistical (formerly Statistical Universe) contains over 30,000 statistical tables from the U.S. government agencies, state governments; and major international intergovernmental organizations. It also indexes thousands of additional statistics from these government agencies as well as independent professional, trade, and research organizations; universities; and commercial publishers. A Statistics guide prepared by the library contains an extensive list of statistical compendiums. Damned Lies and Statistics: untangling numbers from the media, politicians, and activists by Joel Best (2nd Floor HM 535 B4 2001) is a lively guide to spotting bad statistics and learning to think critically about these influential numbers. Has the author provided a complete and accurate bibliography of sources consulted so the reader may retrace the writer's footsteps? If the publication is a blog or website has the author provided links to other reputable websites? When was the last time the website was updated? What have other writer's written on the same topic? CQ Researcher plus Archive database covers two, three, four, or more sides of an issue. AlterNet , an alternative press database, may give you a different slant on a topic. Congressional Hearings are a valuable and often overlooked resource. Congress solicits testimony from expert witnesses on all sides of an issue. Check Auraria's Skyline catalog for hearings on your topic.

Who is the intended audience?

Does the work appear in a scholarly journal or in a popular magazine? The link at left will help you tell the difference. If you are researching a book, is the publishing house a scholarly one or a popular press? Writer's Market (REF PN 161 W83) can tell you more about a publishing entity and its intended audience. Lifestyle Market Analyst (REF HC 106.8 L5) and Simmons Study of Media and Markets (REF HF 5415.2 S8) can tell you a bit more about the readers of specific newspapers and periodicals. HispanSource can do the same for Hispanic readers. Reader services such as Amazon.com can tell you what other titles fans of your chosen book are also buying.
If you are still having trouble determining audience, here are a few more questions to ask. What is the tone of the writing? Does the author write in an immediate and intimate first person? Or doe the writer make more formal use of the third person? What type of vocabulary and writing style does the author employ?

Who is the reader?

That would be you! What experiences, knowledge, biases, or unique views do you bring to the work?

TobeyStein	Latest page update: made by TobeyStein , Aug 31 2008, 7:39 PM EDT (about this update About This Update Edited by TobeyStein view changes - complete history)
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