Why a Reading Strategy?

It feels very empowering: the biggest writing project, after my PhD.
I can now deliberately implement learning from the writing process, and cull all the things that didn’t work.

During my PhD I was a reading-glutton and urgently gobbled anything and everything that was related to my topic. There is a reason that I have three research diaries, each between 200 and 300 pages long, next to my 80.000 word dissertation. This time around I am putting structures in place such as a deliberate reading strategy.

a black and white photo off a huge stack of books — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

My Plan so far

1st: Competition Publications

This will show me how I want and don’t want to frame my own writing
It enables me to understand the different voices
and not to forget is also an interesting source for further reading

2nd: Publications about and from my profession

to compare and evidence my lived experience as academic (faculty) developer with others
to explore if there is research or scholarship that has evidenced patterns I am aware off from practice
consolidate where the profession is moving towards

3rd: Literature and research on the different topics I want to discuss

to evidence my arguments
and engage with existing critique
to engage with newer publications–this is my one excuse to spend time reading!

4th: Further reading

I usually identify several sources in each paper or book I read for further reading:
this is often strategic reading:
- follow up a direct quote for context
- and more intellectual treasures
- finding out if it is worth my while

5th: Non-academic resources

To use a quote from my PhD “Delamont (2002) advises; an ethnographer should learn, even be
passionate about, all types of reading.” (Sheridan, p.287)

for inspiration
current in-time debates
widening my perspective
and curiosity

Yes! I have already read things out of order. These were papers that helped me consider the ethics for my symbiotic autoethnography. There is host of topics related to these considerations.

Hm … maybe there needs to be one more sub-category:

Pre-Reading

Any literature that relates to:

Project planning
- data management
- research plan
Preparing ethics
Positionality reflections