TSPS - Fall 2008 -
Critical reading guidelines
Familiarize yourself with these guidelines before you read the text. After you read the text, think about how you would answer these questions and jot down some notes on a separate piece of paper.
What facts does the author refer to in the text? (One technique that can help you keep track of facts and opinions is to underline facts and highlight opinions.)
· How are these facts supported by evidence?
· What opinions or points of view does the author show in this piece of writing?
· Does the author present a balanced picture of the topic?
· Does the author present opinion as fact? If so, where specifically?
· How would you characterize the author’s tone? How does the tone affect your response to the text?
· Does the author distort the ideas of others or present them out of context? Where? Give examples. How do you know?
· Does the author cover the topic thoroughly or are there unanswered questions? Give examples.
· Does the author's language, tone, or choice of examples reveal any biases? Where specifically? Explain how these biases affect the author’s credibility.
· What else has the author written? Do these other pieces add or detract from the credibility of the author?
· Who is the author’s employer? Why would this matter?