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Reading in the Sciences

The active reading technique known as SQ3R was developed in 1941 by Francis Robinson, a psychologist, to help military personnel undergo accelerated university courses. It worked well and still works well if practiced. The following describes the SQ3R study technique as it relates to reading individual chapters.

Survey - To survey a chapter, examine its parts in the order in which they appear as you leaf through the chapter. For example briefly identify:

• Title
• Objectives or goals
• Introduction
• Heading & Subheadings
• Charts, diagrams, tables
• Conclusion
• Discussion questions & comments
• Glossary

This “pre-reading” activity allows you to focus your attention on the content of the chapter. It is important to allow no more than five minutes for this first step. Keep in mind that you are not attempting to highlight, take notes, or memorize information during the survey step.

Question - Turn the chapter headings and subheadings into questions that you will attempt to answer while you read that section. The process of generating questions will stimulate your curiosity, force you to focus your attention on retrieving the answer, and increases your concentration.

Read – Read slowly and carefully one section at a time with the goal of answering the questions you have created in your thinking. Be patient with yourself. It takes time to become familiar with technical and scientific terms, procedures, theories, and concepts.

Carefully examine each diagram, chart, or other visual aid. At the end of each section, try to determine the main point of that section and summarize, in your own words, its content which is placed in the margin area or in your notes.

When reading a scientific text it is helpful to have immediate access to a medical dictionary. Do not skip unfamiliar words or technical terms. If the section is particularly technical, you may have to read it more than once.

Recite – Stop at the end of each section, (note: this does not mean at the end of the chapter, but the end of the section) repeat the main points covered in that section. Remember, you are trying to recite the main points in your own words. If you find this hard to do, you probably have not understood the section and need to reread it. Reciting not only increases your memory capacity, it helps you monitor your comprehension.

Review – Review the chapter immediately after you finish reading it. Go over any notes you made in the margins, (and there should be some), reread passages you may have underlined or highlighted. Finally, write a one paragraph summary of the chapter’s content.

Remember, SQ3R is a technique for active reading. If you “attack” your readings in this format you will increase your chances of comprehension and memorization. In additiaon, design flashcards for future studying of definitions and techniques outlined in the reading. In a student’s busy schedule, time is valuable. Make your reading time productive. Don’t just go through the “process” of reading to simply complete the assignment, make it work for you!