3/17/2021 Purpose for reading

Establishing a purpose
Think before you read

Establishing a purpose for reading

Establishing a purpose for reading
by EAP Foundation

0:00|3:18

Academic reading differs from reading for pleasure. You will often not read every word, and you are reading for a
specific purpose rather than enjoyment. This page explains different types of purpose and how the purpose affects
how you read, as well as suggesting a general approach to reading academic texts.

Types of purpose
Everyday reading, such as reading a novel or magazine, is usually done for pleasure. Academic reading is usually
quite different from this. When reading academic texts, your general purpose is likely to be one the following:
to get information (facts, data, etc.);
to understand ideas or theories;
to understand the author's viewpoint;
to support your own views (using citations).

Many of the texts you read will have been recommended by your course tutor or will be on a reading list, and you
will need to read them in order to complete assignments such as essays or reports, to take part in academic
discussions, or to help you give a presentation. If you enjoy your course of study you may, of course, also get
pleasure from reading these texts, but that is very definitely not your main purpose.

How the purpose affects your reading

When reading a novel you will likely always do this in the same way: from beginning to end. The same is not true of
academic reading, as your purpose will affect how you read it. Exactly how you approach the reading will depend on
your specific purpose. For example, if you need to list the causes of global warming in an essay you are writing, you
will look for texts on the topic of global warming. You are likely to find many texts, not all of which may be suitable,
so in the first instance you might survey the texts to decide which ones to read more closely. Having identified
suitable texts, you will then skim through each one to find which parts, if any, mention the causes. As your task is to
outline the causes, you will not need any detail and so skimming the text for the main points should be enough. In
this way, you could read twenty long texts in a fairly short amount of time.
https://www.eapfoundation.com/reading/skills/purpose/ 1/5
3/17/2021 Purpose for reading

A general approach
In fact, the approach outlined above will be useful for many reading assignments you have. It is summarised in the
flowchart below.

Research
Find possible texts related to
your topic (unless these
have already been
suggested by your tutor).

Survey
Survey the texts to decide
which ones to read more
closely.

Skim
Select a text and skim
through it to understand the
structure and main points.

???
The final part will depend on
your specific purpose, and
may involve further
skimming, scanning for
specific information, or close
reading for detailed
understanding with note-
taking to record the main
points.

GET FREE EBOOK

Like the website? Try the books. Enter your email to receive
a free sample from Academic Writing Genres, part of the
EAP Foundation series of books.

https://www.eapfoundation.com/reading/skills/purpose/ 2/5
3/17/2021 Purpose for reading

Email

I am human
Privacy - Terms

GET FREE SAMPLE

Checklist
Below is a checklist for this section. Use it to check your understanding.

Area OK? Notes/comment

I understand different types of purpose for academic

reading.

I understand how the purpose affects how I read an

academic text.

I am familiar with the general approach to reading

academic texts.

References
Glasgow Caledonian University (n.d.) Reading with a Purpose. Available at
http://www.gcu.ac.uk/ebe/ldc/supportforstudents/academicstudiessupport/academicwritingandreading/theprocessof
writing/readingwithapurpose/ (Access Date 16 February, 2016).

Wallace, M.J. (2004) Study Skills in English. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

https://www.eapfoundation.com/reading/skills/purpose/ 3/5
3/17/2021 Purpose for reading

Scroll to Top

report this ad

Author: Sheldon Smith ǁ Last modified: 18 September 2019.

Sheldon Smith is the founder and editor of EAPFoundation.com. He has been teaching English
for Academic Purposes since 2004. Find out more about him in the about section and connect
with him on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Popular pages in the reading section

Most viewed pages

1 Scanning a text means looking through it quickly to find specific information,

and is one way to read a text quickly.

2
Guessing meaning of unknown words entails using context, prefixes, suffixes
and roots and can speed up reading. 3
Summarising is one of three ways of using another writer's work in your own
(along with quotation and paraphrase).

4 Critical reading involves questioning a text, rather than assuming everything it

contains is factual.

5
Surveying a text involves taking a broad look at a text to decide whether it is
worth reading more closely. 6
https://www.eapfoundation.com/reading/skills/purpose/ 4/5
3/17/2021 Purpose for reading

Establishing a purpose before reading a text determines how you read it,
which may not be from start to finish.

https://www.eapfoundation.com/reading/skills/purpose/ 5/5