English 102: Library Session : Skimming and Comparing Sources

In-class activity 

1. Click on source 1 and skim it individually for 60 seconds
2. Identify 3 things you can learn in your 60 second skim
3. Does this source seem worth spending time on for the research question, “Why is inflation so high in the United States?” Why or why not?
4. Repeat this process for source 2

What to do while skimming

• Anticipate - What do you think you will learn from each source?
• Compare - What perspectives on inflation does each source share? How do they differ?
• Reflect - How can you tell? What helps you judge each source

Where to look while skimming

• Title and author
• Abstract or summary if available
• Headings and subheadings
• Topic and Concluding sentences
• Any highlighted content such as break-out quotes
• Lists
• Illustrations
• Captions