Reading and Research

Reading Strategies
Source Location
Using the Library
Internet Research
Source Evaluation

Reading Strategies

Reading is an art as varied as any other. There are many kinds of reading: reading for pleasure, for study, for work, and for prayer – to name a few. There is also the important distinction of silent reading and vocalized reading. Seminarians must engage in all of these as part of their formation.

Surely we can recall the visceral reaction to Jesus reading from the Prophet Isaiah: “Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him” (Lk 4,20). We cannot underestimate the power of reading. especially for study and prayer.

It is crucial that we understand that reading is never passive. It is an active engagement with an author and what he is saying. You cannot read only with your eyes, you must read with your mind as well.

Here is a list of helpful steps to aid in systematic reading:

1. Preview the ideas of the whole work by browsing through it. Check the contents for a book or section headings for an article.
2. Glance at the assigned reading. Read the first and last paragraphs.
3. Identify the main ideas and separate them from ancillary ideas.
4. Formulate questions about what you have read, in sections.
5. If the book or article is yours, make marginal notations and underline main points.
6. Summarize and synthesize the main ideas and ancillary details as an aid for recall.
7. Try putting the ideas in your own words. This establishes ownership of the concepts.
8. Relate the ideas in the readings to ideas presented in class lectures.
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Source Location

Sources are the raw matter of research. Finding good sources can sometimes be like mining for gold in the Klondike, blind digging in the hopes of paydirt. As onerous as this task can sometimes be, there are ways to approach it that can ease the burden.

Here are some helpful steps to finding sources:

1. Develop a topic of research.
2. Speak with your professor about it. See if the two of you can narrow the topic and pick his brain for sources.
3. Look to secondary sources and reference works. Often books, articles, dictionaries, and encyclopedia articles include bibliographies. These will put you on track.
4. Quickly make the distinction between primary sources and secondary sources. Nothing can replace the value of primary sources and they cannot be circumvented.
5. Make an appointment with the reference librarian to discuss possible sources and where to find them.
6. Browse the stacks in the library. You will be amazed by what you will find surrounding your topic!
7. Collect the sources and begin your research.
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Using the Library

The Rev. Robert J. Stahl, S.M. library at Notre Dame Seminary contains a collection of philosophy and theology that is unparalleled in the Southeastern region of the United States. You should recognize the seminary library as a veritable treasure trove of information and as your companion throughout your studies. Take care to acquaint yourself well with everything it has to offer.

To learn more about the library, read the Seminary Library link and visit its website at www.ndslibrary.com.
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Internet Research

In 1963, the fathers of the Second Vatican Council promulgated the “Decree on the Means of Social Communication” (Inter mirifica). There, they commented on the centrality and gravity of information and its transmission through modern media. They recognized the good and the bad of modern communication: “The Church, our mother, knows that if these media are properly used they can be of considerable benefit to mankind. They contribute greatly to the enlargement and enrichment of men’s minds and to the propagation and consolidation of the kingdom of God. But the Church also knows that man can use them in ways that are contrary to the Creator’s design and damaging to himself”.

The Internet offers access to previously unheard of amounts of information with facility and speed. However, this information is usually a mile wide and an inch deep. It is also of questionable reliability.

Here are some steps to help you maneuver Internet research:

1. Ask your professors if Internet sources are permitted in their class assignments.
2. Type in a search for the topic.
3. Immediately begin a process of discernment and begin questioning the sources.
4. Ask: Who is the author? Is the author credible, credentialed, able to be contacted, a member of any organization, or unidentified?
5. Ask: What is the motive behind the page’s creation and content?
6. Ask: Is it objective or biased?
7. Ask: How accurate is the information?
8. Ask: How current is the information?
9. Exercise a critical attitude about all sources.
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Source Evaluation

Source evaluation is very important to the research process. Gathering and reading sources is the first step to research, but determining if the sources are reliable and appropriate is the next essential step.

To evaluate any given research source, read the steps on questioning contained in the Internet Research section of the ARC page and add the following:

1. Consult with your professor about the sources you locate.
2. Ask: Is this source applicable or tangential? If it is tangential you may want to discard it or relegate it to an interesting footnote.
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