bit of a silly question but just wanted to ask for tips on reading. I have always tended to read a book cover to cover AND copy everything down (i always think i need to know every detail, if i don't write it down, then i will forget)...as you may hve guessed this is tedious and timeconsuming and leads to procrastination.

I think it was OK at undergrad level but at phd level when there are like a million books to be read in such little time its just not possible. Does anyone have any tips on skimreading etc

Not tips really but I had to learn to skim read when I switched from science to the dark side. There's just so much reading and, frankly, so much dross and waffle, you really have to be selective. I skim by chapter headings and looking up key terms in the index. I jot VERY brief notes (a phrase maybe) in my notebook with a page number - if it's my book I might make a pencil mark. It's very rare now that I would read a text all through - just isn't time.

Angie, that does sound time consuming indeed! How long does it usually take you to read a text then? I would go with Smilodon's suggestion of skimming the chapter headings, and only reading the chapters that are relevant. If possible, photocopy the chapters/journal articles which are extremely relevant, that way you can highlight (which takes infinitely less time than precise note-taking). I think that one of the problems with taking meticulous notes on a book or doing too close a reading is that you could end up unconsciously adopting someone else's idea as your own, and you can become too concerned with what other theorists think. That's just my view anyway.

angie81, i do the EXACT same thing!! lol i thought i was the only one!! i end up copying everything verbatim, because i am so fearful that i need to know every single detail and like you, if i dont write it down i fear i will forget it. so i'm almost reproducing what i am reading!

can't give you any advice i am afraid. BUT i recently came across this book recommendation. check it out.
i bought the book and read the first few pages, i would have read more, but i had to start working on my thesis. but it was really interesting!!

check it out:

"how to read a book" the classic guide to intelligent reading
by Mortimer Adler and Charles Van Doren.

check out the reviews from amazon etc.

it takes a full day to read just one text- we are talking hours and hours of note taking. The thought of doing it for hundreds f books for my research is enough to get me down. No wonder i procrastinate so easily. Your suggestions sound very sensible and practical, thanks guys. Gonna be tough trying to change the way i read and take notes though, i have been studying that way since high school!!!

Thanks for suggesting the book title- i will need to look at it.

when i'm reading experimental articles i have a "standardised summary sheet" (2 pages) i fill in and then file away:

author, year, title (so i can find it in my endnote library)
main questions/aim of study
method (subjects, controls, tasks, materials)
results
summary

later on i can just flick through my files and then i have the necessary details without having to read through the article again.

unfortunately this system does not work for theoretical articles

My advice on making notes is ...don't!

I spent an awful lot of time making very detailed notes, but now find I refer to the original article rather than the notes as either they don't make full sense in the context of the point I'm making, or I'm afraid of mis-quoting. So I have stacks of notes from year's ago that I just don't bother referring to - it's a massive waste of time.

I now read an article or skim it (usually the latter) and put what I need directly into my draft.

I am very similar: I read too much and take very detailed notes because my memory is very poor and I am easily confused. However, whereas for some reports and the discourse analysis methods I use this is necessary, for lots of 'periphery' books I have had to learn to cut right back on the note taking. I feel nervous about missing something if I don't read the whole book but have come to terms with skim reading and putting my pen and paper far away from me so I will get up and write down only what I have to! Only write what you have to. Start with the intro and conc of a book, then chapters. Often you will find that these will tell you everything: the author's direction/theoretical bias/argument/conclusion. Or, you can always read a chapter quickly then put an abstract of it and your thoughts into endnote, then get the book out another time when you need it for a quote or something...

Hope this helps!

To read enough for your PhD:
Must read preface and intro of each book. Use the index and contents page and read the relevant sections. This way, you'll be flying through the text.
To make notes:
Use endnote. Read article and make notes by typing. This would come in extremely useful when you start writing your chapters.
Good luck!

best advice i can give is find one (or two) books and use their theories. You can then reference them in your thesis.

DONT try to read 1000 books which dictate the same concept. One or two and reference them.

For literature reviews...survey papers are the best...simple and to the point.

hi angie, just came across this bit of advice on the internet that might help

"....a dissertation does not repeat the details of critical thinking and analysis found in published sources; it uses the results as fact and refers the reader to the source for further details"

maybe that way of thinking may help you psychologically not to feel you have to write every detail down from your reading.

http://www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/dec/essay.dissertation.html

wow guys, thank you so much for your tips...they really are a massive help. Lara, that quote there makes so much sense now that i think about it!!

I've tried to organise myself and have singled out about two books that need to read fully as they are directly relevant to my topic, the rest can be skimmed through---my head feels lighter already

you're welcome Angie, that quote makes so much sense to me too!!
im glad to hear you are feeling better about it all. i am too going to be reading alot papers in the next couple of weeks. lets keep an eye on each other and not get carried away in the note taking department!
good luck with your reading!