Effective Reading

Rukuh Setiadi

Bahasa Inggris 2016

Departemen Perencanaan Wilayah dan Kota
Universitas Diponegoro
Introduction

Purpose for reading:

To enjoy words (e.g. poetry, prose, novel)
To locate specific information; To understand reasons & facts

Scientific Literature:
Text books, Reference books, handbooks (authored & edited)
Journal papers, Book chapters, Review articles
Working papers, Reports, Monographs, Conference papers
Websites

Recognising different sources: primary vs. secondary

Effective reading why?
The nature of our current world age of information
The rate and the amount of published information (in any
forms) has increased significantly
Understanding information a key for success in almost of
everything
Capability to read determines your level of information
acquisitions
Students in the field of URP need to deal with bulk of
academic literature coming from different scientific traditions
and from the classic to the new one
URP is a new subject area for you?
Effective reading - indicators

Without sacrifice
Faster understanding to
the contents
Knowing your reading speed
Pick up an academic article
Set up your stopwatch with alarm for 10 minutes
Start to read the article once the stopwatch is activated,
and stop reading when the alarm rings

THEN
Count the number of words (OR number of rows times
an average words per row), then divide the result by 10
wpm (words per minute)
Counts the number of pages, then divide the result by 10
ppm (page per minute)
Who has the fastest reading speed?
Class activity on this link:
file://localhost/Users/RSetiadi/Desktop/R-
Papers/2015 Articles/Can urban
regeneration improve health resilience in
a changing climate-Rukuh.pdf
Speed vs. Comprehension

Comprehension
Speed

Speed
Comprehension
Students and 1st start reading scientific literature
Common concerns:
Being a slow readers
Losing comprehension as they try to read more quickly
Having too much to read

Specific concerns:
Reading about subject with which they may not be familiar
Technical and scientific jargon
Translating academic language into normal language
Making meaning out of tables, graphs, and diagrams
Sorting out the things which are most relevant
Following and understanding the meaning of a complex argument
Dealing with contradictory information or view
Effective reading how to improve

Faster
Scanning looking at the whole

Skimming focusing on specific information

Without sacrifice understanding to the contents

Key messages searching for information details

Summary rewriting key messages (in your own way)

 Looking at the whole
To get overview - To look quickly at the whole picture

Mental preparation what is it all about?

Such as look at the map before start out your trip

Reading from the first word to the last one without

this approach limit a person ability

3 important set of questions

3 Questions Looking at the whole
1st WHAT? 2nd WANT? 3rd NEED?

What is the main What do I want from Is there something

idea? this material? useful for my
What is it about? Why I chose this purpose (study,
When does it take material? research, etc.)?
place? Where? Who What is my purpose Do I need
is the author with this material? conclusions, facts,
Do I have read What is my opinions,
something like this? expectation with arguments, or what?
What is the subject this? What do I hope Do I need remember
matter? to get in this this information? Do
material? I need it in the
future? At what
capacity?
Focusing on specific information
For example, search for:
Current data on slums in Indonesia?

National government target to slum alleviation?

Class activity based on this link:

file://localhost/Users/RSetiadi/Desktop/R-Papers/
2015 Articles/Can urban regeneration improve
health resilience in a changing climate-Rukuh.pdf
Reading Essential Textbooks
Scan the contents
Go to index at the back
Read the first and last paragraphs of chapters
Skim through each relevant chapter or sections
Read the relevant chapters of the whole work
carefully, noting major points or ideas in your
own words and apply 3Qs.
Look at the information about author of the text
and the date when it first published
Yip, J. 2012. Urban Planning for
Dummies. John Wiley &
Sons. Mississauga.
Reading Journal Papers
Look at the the title
Read the abstract
Read the conclusion (if it does not exist read the
discussion section)
Skim read the discussion section and apply the
3Qs.
Berrang-Ford, L, Ford, J.D, Patterson, J. 2011. Are we
adapting to climate change. Global Environmental
Change, 21, pp. 25-33.
Have a closer look at a journal paper

Class activity on this link:

file://localhost/Users/RSetiadi/Desktop/R-
Papers/2015 Articles/Are we adapting to
climate change.pdf
Get an article for next week
Keywords:

Indonesian AND

Urban planning

Urban development

Urbanization

Urban housing

Urban regeneration

Other keywords are welcome

QUESTIONS?