Note 05 · Reading
Choose a question before a source
A reading is easier to judge when you can say what you hope it will help you understand.
Make the question small
Before opening a long source, write one sentence about the uncertainty that brought you to it. A question such as how an author distinguishes two terms gives the reading a clearer purpose than an intention to understand the whole subject. You can change the question later; it only needs to provide a starting point.
Look for the relevant part
Use the title, contents and opening paragraphs to decide where that question is addressed. A source may contain useful background without answering your particular question. Record that difference before investing more time. Skipping an unrelated section is a choice about this reading, rather than a judgment on the source's overall value.
Leave room for a better question
An unfamiliar example may reveal that your original question assumed too much. Keep the first wording and add a revised version below it. The difference records something you learned even if you did not reach an answer. A short trail of revised questions often tells a clearer story than pages of copied sentences.