Reading Professional LIterature

A research paper has been described as “a record of intelligent reading in several sources on a particular subject” (Raynor, n. d.).

Intelligent reading should

build your knowledge of the facts and background about a topic
For example, if you're writing about a controversial topic, you should know the arguments commonly made on either side. For examples, see The Debatabase or Public Agenda's issue guides.
provide a basis for your own original contribution to the discussion

What is "the discussion"?
Each field has its own professional literature. People working in criminal justice might read the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. Business leaders often subscribe to the Harvard Business Review.

These magazines help people stay current with what is considered best practice. For example, an article might inform patients about the latest guidelines for prescribing antibiotics or advise human resource managers about how to comply with anti-discrimination laws.

Professional literature also helps people keep up with issues in the field. In "The Decision Makers?" Daniel Boyd describes how two articles have shaped the debate on physician-assisted suicide:

The ethical basis of euthanasia has been provided by two of the twentieth century's great thinkers. Dan W. Brock's classic paper "Voluntary Active Euthanasia" argues in favor of the administration of a lethal overdose, while Daniel Callahan's classic article "Physician-Assisted Dying: Self Determination Run Amok" argues against the right of the physician to take an active part in the death of a patient (Pence, 1998).

Because these articles are so well-known and influential, anyone writing about the topic of euthanasia should be familiar with the authors' views.

Magazine articles and books allow people who have never met to share ideas. Often, an idea mentioned by one author will be picked up by another. Sometimes the second author agrees: As Burns (2003) made clear, leadership is a delicate balance of power between leaders and followers. Sometimes the authors disagree: Fingerprint evidence was once thought to be virtually infallible; however, David Stoney (a consultant in U.S. v. Plaza) says fingerprint examiners make "a subjective determination without objective standards to it."

Often, "the discussion" is simply a metaphor, comparing the ideas shared in print to a discussion. However, in one situation, professionals do share ideas directly. Some journals are peer-reviewed. That is, before an article appears, it will be reviewed by other experts. They will give comments and recommend changes.

What does it mean to "contribute to the discussion"?
After getting a good handle on your subject, you're expected to have something to say about it. For example, Dr. William Dement is a pioneering researcher who discovered that sleepy drivers are as dangerous as drunk drivers. Because of his research, you don't have to hook people up to monitoring equipment in sleep labs. So what's your contribution? You can show how his findings can be used to understand an issue or solve a problem. For example, most Americans don't understand that not getting enough sleep can be dangerous. What should be done about this problem?

Sometimes your contribution might be helping people find good information among all the bad information. For example, should a child with ADHD be on Ritalin? You can examine the evidence—the studies, reports from parents and educators, opinions about whether we're an over-medicated society—and help parents find reliable information about the benefits and side effects of this medication. You can also expose misleading information, whether it's a widely quoted, but inaccurate, statistic or a malicious lie in Wikipedia.

How can you find something to contribute? As you read, you will start finding connections among your sources. Perhaps most of your sources agree, but one person has a different approach. Make a judgment: Does this person have a great new idea, or does this approach lack credibility?

What if your sources all agree? Then you can answer a question, like Why do these facts matter? For example, people tend to dismiss comic books as kid stuff, but collectors value them and they've inspired several hit movies. Perhaps comics deserve more respect.

What is an example of contributing to the discussion?
Temple Grandin's Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior (2005) shows how to reflect on research. For example, Grandin and her co-author Catherine Johnson summarize a researcher's findings about animal play, then draw an original conclusion:

Marck Spinka, an animal researcher in the Czech Republic, has . . . [a] theory that play teaches a young animal how to handle novelty and surprise, such as the shock of being knocked off balance or a surprise attack.
If Dr. Spinka is right, that would explain why play fighting is so different from real fighting, because a play fight has to be constantly surprising to teach the young fighters how to respond to novelty. (p. 123)

Notice that Dr. Spinka gets full credit for the idea that play teaches a young animal how to handle surprises. Grandin summarizes Spinka's idea, then uses it to explain why play fights differ from real fights. That application of Spinka's idea is Grandin's contribution to the discussion of animal play.

Professional literature helps you keep up with the latest ideas and best practices. It also helps you learn the language of your profession.

However, if you're just beginning your career, it can be intimidating, because it's written for people who have more experience and training than you do. How can you deal with that?

• If you find a word you don't know, you can have Google look it up for you. If the word is thesis, just type define:thesis into Google's search box (See results of define:thesis search.)

• Build your background. If a journal article on the relationship between sleep and weight loss is confusing, find an article on the same topic from a popular magazine or Web site. (Popular articles are written for people who don't already have a lot of knowledge about a subject.)

Class Materials

Reading and the Research Paper (.doc)

Internet Resource

	Seven Steps to Effective Reading (note: in British colleges, "tutors" are teachers)
	Increasing Textbook Reading Comprehension by Using SQ3R
	Suggestions for Improving Reading Rate
	Questions to Ask as You Read a Source (York U)
	How to Read a Scientific Research Paper: A Four-Step Guide (McNeal)
	Evaluating the Relevance of a Scholarly or Trade Journal Article (just read what you need)
	One Big Mess (coping strategies from the Research Room)
	How to Write a Research Paper (Prof. King describes how to go beyond facts to a researched conclusion)
	Excerpt: Animals in Translation

Copyright in these materials belongs to C. Munzenmaier © 2007.
Teachers are free to reproduce or modify them for nonprofit educational use.

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	C. Munzenmaier • Hamilton College • Urbandale, IA

Reading Professional Literature