30/08/2023, 17:33 Annotating a Text - Reading and Study Strategies - Research Guides at Eastern Washington University

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Reading and Study Strategies Search this Guide Go

Use the tabs to find guides to help you read academic texts in a
way that helps you remember and use the information.

Annotating a Text What is Annotating and Why do it?

What is What is Annotating?

Annotating and Annotating is any action that deliberately interacts with a text to enhance
Why do it? the reader's understanding of, recall of, and reaction to the text. Sometimes
called "close reading," annotating usually involves highlighting or
Annotation
underlining key pieces of text and making notes in the margins of the text.
Explained


This page will introduce you to several effective strategies for annotating a
Steps to text that will help you get the most out of your reading. 
Annotating a
Why Annotate?
Source
By annotating a text, you will ensure that you understand what is happening
Annotating
in a text after you've read it. As you annotate, you should note the author's
Strategies
main points, shifts in the message or perspective of the text, key areas of
Using a focus, and your own thoughts as you read. However, annotating isn't just for
Dictionary people who feel challenged when reading academic texts. Even if you
regularly understand and remember what you read, annotating will help you
Study Skills
summarize a text, highlight important pieces of information, and ultimately
prepare yourself for discussion and writing prompts that your instructor may
give you. Annotating means you are doing the hard work while you read,
allowing you to reference your previous work and have a clear jumping-off
point for future work.

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Contact Us Annotation Explained

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Helpful Links Steps to Annotating a Source

Software for 1. Survey: This is your first time through the reading
Annotating
•Look through the article/chapter/book.
ProQuest Flow •Ask if the article is a useful and trustworthy source. (Who wrote it? Who
(sign up with your published it? Who is the audience?)
EWU email) •Note the title--what does it tell you about the article’s topic/argument?
•Is there an Abstract (paragraph that summarizes topic, questions, research
FoxIt PDF Reader
methods, findings)?
Adobe Reader Pro - •Subheadings--what do they tell you?
available on all •Note bold/italicized terms.
campus computers

Track Changes in 2. Skim: This is your second time through the reading
Microsoft Word
•Read the first few sentences of the first few paragraphs
•Identify the main thesis.
•Underline the thesis (the main argument or viewpoint, one or two
sentences) and write it in your own words in the margin.
•Continue reading the first sentence or two of the body paragraphs.



•Highlight the point of each paragraph and summarize it in the margin in

your own words.

3. Read: This is your third time through the reading

•Now that you have a good idea of the article’s thesis, read through the
entire article and look for more details. Highlight supporting evidence.
•Write any questions you have in the margins.
•Circle any words you don’t recognize, look them up in a dictionary, and
write their meanings in the margins.

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Annotating Strategies

You can annotate by hand or by using document software. You can also
annotate on post-its if you have a text you do not want to mark up. As you
annotate, use these strategies to make the most of your efforts:

Include a key or legend on your paper that indicates what each

marking is for, and use a different marking for each type of
information. Example: Underline for key points, highlight for
vocabulary, and circle for transition points.
If you use highlighters, consider using different colors for different
types of reactions to the text. Example: Yellow for definitions, orange
for questions, and blue for disagreement/confusion.
Dedicate different tasks to each margin: Use one margin to make an
outline of the text (thesis statement, description, definition #1, counter
argument, etc.) and summarize main ideas, and use the other margin
to note your thoughts, questions, and reactions to the text.

Lastly, as you annotate, make sure you are including descriptions of the text
as well as your own reactions to the text. This will allow you to skim your


notations at a later date to locate key information and quotations, and to
recall your thought processes more easily and quickly.

Last Updated: Jul 21, 2021 3:01 PM URL: https://research.ewu.edu/writers_c_read_study_strategies

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