In the table below , I elaborate on these by sharing some learning points and reflections , and include ideas and suggestions from BWR22 delegates ( in bold ).
• Make academic reading part of your routine and try to keep to it .
• Book out time in your calendar . Even if you are not always able to find the time , knowing that reading time scheduled is there means you haven ’ t lost sight of it .
• Find a space to read or , if there is no space , think about the kind of environment that is most conducive to you reading – do you prefer to read in silence or listen to music ? ( see Allen , 2012 ).
• Print out texts and get away from the screen .
• Have a flexible reading slot , selecting one article to read and spread the reading out over the week .
• Read before opening email .
• Make yourself an interesting reading list and keep adding to it .
• Give yourself plenty of options in terms of reading material . Embrace the power of self-selected reading and read according to your mood .
• Broaden your scope . Don ’ t just read books or peer-reviewed articles , take a look at blogs , chapter summaries , and subscribe to news channels . One of the big questions that emerged at BWR22 symposium was how we define academic reading . Should academic reading be limited to peer reviewed articles , or is reading blogs just as valuable ? Should we be classifying academic reading at all , or should we adopt a more inclusive approach , appreciating reading in its various different forms ?
• Organise and curate your reading . Create a central reading folder with themed subfolders fitted around your research interests , plus a ‘ Miscellaneous ’ folder for anything that sits outside those interests . Within each , add a themed reading list as well as downloaded articles , plus a ‘ Completed ’ subfolder for articles you ’ ve read ( see Figure 2 ). Seeing that you ’ re making progress with your reading can be deeply satisfying – rather like adding references to a bibliography .
• Try using bookmarking apps , like Pocket , to create reading lists of online articles you can dip into at any time .
• Read things that inspire you . If you hear an interesting talk at an event , make time to read a related paper straight away .
• Take notes on what you read , even if they are simple reflections . You might be surprised at how many times you refer to the notes during meetings and discussions , and it saves the time you ’ d take trying to find the article .
• Collate notes on the same subject in a Word document – see Figure 2 .
• Try using reading and note-takings apps , like Mendeley .
• Print a selection of articles , start each day by reading one and taking notes , mindmap those that resonate , and upload mindmaps to OneNote log .
• More often than not , reading tends to be a solitary practice , but communicating reading and sharing articles with others can be a positive experience .
• Think about engaging more in the social practice of reading by joining a reading group or by teaming up with colleagues : Start a two person book club , reading a chapter a week .
Table 1 : Expansion on strategies to facilitate academic reading ( BWR , 2022a ; Stevens , 2022 )
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