At the beginning of every grad seminar, I suggest a few reading strategies for the social sciences:

Before picking up a text, learn something about the author & where this piece fits into their broader body of work to get a sense of key stakes, themes, & trajectories [1/9] https://twitter.com/elisarapadas/status/1307896810955067393

Study the placement of a reading on the syllabus to get a sense of the overarching topics & concepts for the week, as well as those that precede and follow it—this can help you to *bring questions to the reading* [2/9]

Identify the genre & scope of the text to figure out the amount of time & mode of engagement necessary to make productive meaning of it based on your particular reading habits & the goals of the course [3/9]

Read strategically—not necessarily sequentially—based on genre & partitioning; with social sciences texts, it’s often helpful to begin by reading the abstract/intro & discussion/conclusion, & then as much of the body of the text as possible focusing on key themes [4/9]

After identifying key themes for the week & the structure of the text, strategically focus on the most relevant sections & chapters—to the extent possible, identify those in advance & read them first [5/9]

Rather than narrowly focusing on *the* argument, begin by identifying *an* argument that resonates with you & your work, & dissect that argument: whose work is it building on or challenging, with what evidence, logics, & stakes? [6/9]

The more time you have to engage with a text, the more questions you can consider: What is the intended audience for this work, how is that reflected in it, & with what conceits? Are the evidence & methods employed effective for the advancement of the author’s argument? [7/9]

Critical reading dovetails with critical note-taking & reflective writing—doctoral students in particular should use written annotations & reflections not simply to summarize, but rather to recontextualize readings in relation to *your* emerging research agenda [8/9]

Finally, my most important advice: Reading is often mistakenly assumed to be a passive practice rather than an active dialogue among readers, texts, authors, & their worlds—take authors seriously on their own terms but also take yourself seriously as a reader & researcher [9/9]

One more thing: The broader point is that “doing the reading” isn’t simply reading every word or page, which is often unnecessary, unproductive, & unsustainable. In fact, it’s quite beautiful & inspiring to observe the infinite forms that meaningful textual engagement can take!