Non-linear

Do not read in order of presentation but rather in a way to support 1 and 2.

The most distinctive surface aspect of academic reading that sets it apart from narrative reading is that it is non-linear. The presentation of academic texts does not reflect the sequence of discovery or composition. And the reader does not always approach the text with the same level of knowledge to be able to make sense of it in the order in which it was organised. In fact, some longer texts recognise this and offer different orders of reading in the introduction.

Choosing the Approach

Very often the best order of reading an academic paper or a chapter in a book means starting from the end or even in the middle depending on the purpose. The reader may start with conclusions to help them identify the key concepts and then trace their development through the previous text.

This is well recognised by reading experts and reflected in the guides to academic reading, yet it still seems to come as a surprise to academic readers at all levels. Many readers have adopted a similar strategy instinctively and then feel uneasy about this while others simply struggle through the texts linearly.

This is made worse by many guides recommending this approach not as a way to develop a deeper understanding of the text but rather as an expedient of time. Non-linear reading seems incompatible with close or deep reading, yet, it is a necessary technique if a reader is to develop sufficient cognitive map of the whole that then aids in understanding individual parts and how they fit together.

Non-linear reading does not just mean an alternative order to reading, it also means reading the same parts of text more than once and approaching them in different context. It may also not happen in a single session or it may be interrupted by other readings.

Choosing Tools

Any tool for reading academic papers should make it easy to jump back and forth in different sections of the text. This is not always foremost in the minds of the designers of these tools.

Tool designers should always expose the table of contents or allow the reader to create their own. They should encourage the reader to develop and maintain cognitive maps of the text.