Abs

"Reading abstracts" are similar to book reviews in that they attempt to encapsulate the central tenet or theme of the article together with the critique, rationale or argument being put forth by the author. Such abstracts are useful as research tools because they are concise, they help you to identify the sources of ideas that you may subsequently write about, and they are effective in linking your own ideas with those of previous authors. In a classroom discussion or workshop format, reading abstracts prepare you to participate more fully in discussion of the work, or to "lead" the discussion as critic, observer, or as a surrogate for the original author.

Students who practice frequent "journaling" in their academic lives (see article cited at bottom of page) may already have developed convenient methods for abstracting their daily readings, whether they be technical or current topics in the daily press. For students who have not typically practiced this art, it may be helpful to adopt a format similar to the following:

Write down a brief note about the source. This should include the date of "publication" or, at least, the date that you became aware of the material, together with enough detail that you may subsequently find the original material.
State immediately the principal purpose, problem or question posed by the author. A reasonable place to look for this is in the paper's own abstract, if it has one, or in the first paragraph of the paper. Curiously, some kinds of papers have the statement of purpose in the final paragraph of their opening, or introductory section. This is frequently the case for graduate theses or dissertations where the author feels compelled to provide background material before posing the thesis question.
Describe the line of argument posed by the author in answering the question addressed by the paper. Try to decompose the argument into a progression of steps that are intended to lead you to the same conclusion that the author arrived at. Here you may find that there are unstated assumptions or concepts familiar to the author that are unfamiliar to you. At this point, you should identify questions of your own that will help you to better understand the work.
Formulate your own opinion about the work, especially regarding the author's ability to convince you that her/his argument is valid. It may be useful to mention other works you have read that agree or contradict the writing in hand.
Finally, conclude your abstract with a question or two that would provide a basis for discussing the paper with another person (see note immediately below), or colleague who has also read it. This could be the lead question in opening a workshop discussion of the paper.

Nota Bene: Discussion leaders in this course should recognize that one of our major objectives is to understand the ways in which historians conduct their research to produce "historical knowledge." This includes an understanding of the nature of historical questions, and the kinds of data, documentation and analysis used to support their interpretations of historical events. Our subject matter is cultural, ethnohistorical, legal and political, all highly subjective in character, and vulnerable to interpretations that almost certainly depend upon temporal or cultural perspectives of the author. In developing your "discussion questions" for the assigned reading material, be sure to explicitly address these methodological issues in your discussion guidelines. When abstracting your own reading, always ask where, when, and how the article came to be written, and who wrote it.

Keeping a journal

Graduate and undergraduate students in the natural and social sciences have often found it useful to keep a journal. The reasons for this activity are eloquently expressed by Toby Fulweiler, former Director of Writing at the University of Vermont. Fulweiler says that the physical act of writing focuses attention, makes learning an "active" process, and individualizes the process. Personal aspects of writing include: committing the writer to a position, identifying one's biases and values, and clarifying for the writer what she/he knows and doesn't know. Because writing is visible it establishes a dialogue with one's self, allows analysis and promotes digression.

Our recommendation for the use of journals and frequent informal writing in formal courses, and more broadly, in all academic and professional activities is based upon the following premises:

We are thus committed to providing as many writing opportunities as possible in our coursework. Students will begin to rely upon writing only if it becomes an integral part of every academic experience. We believe that frequency of writing is one of the keys to this reliance and that an informal style with a strongly personal character will be conducive to development of a writing habit. Former students have frequently noted that journaling has helped them to understand course material more completely. Some of the ways that journaling may assist the classroom experience for both the student and the instructor are listed below:

I sometimes ask students to write about a subject that we are just about to address in lectures. This serves to help the student identify what he/she knows about the subject, and students frequently discover that they already have some understanding of the material. For really new topics, the writer exercises some imagination about what the subject might be and subsequently revises this (faulty) model as the lecture is presented.

Fulweiler also suggests frequent sessions of silent writing in the classroom. He claims that this individualizes instruction, generates ideas and stimulates emotions, and observation. He notes that journal writing will not make passive students "miraculously" active learners, but that writing makes it more difficult for students to remain passive. Thus, we hope that more dialogue will be encouraged between students and instructors and among the students themselves.

Journals are intermediate in character between diaries and class notebooks. Diaries are strictly personal whereas class notes document the thoughts of others. Just as the diary is written in the first person, so too does the journal record the students' perception of class material in a personalized fashion. The pronouns tend to be "I", and "we" rather than "she" or "he." Each journal entry should be an exercise in trying to expand on a fact, idea or thought. The student should accept the challenge: "How accurately can I describe or explain this idea?"

Some functions of journals in the classroom are clearly more applicable to one subject (discipline) or another, but Fulweiler lists a variety of ways that journals can be useful:

To start discussions
To focus attention
To summarize lessons
To re-orient lost classes
To solve language problems
To respond to readings, films, and speakers
To generate paper topics and research projects
To speculate about observations, data and information
To create personal dialogue with students
To monitor class progress (teacher and student)
To let off steam...
To relax and enjoy writing
To record intellectual and emotional growth

What is a journal?: A place to practice personal and professional expressive writing; an individual record of educational experience; a writing laboratory.

What should I write?: --personal reactions to class, students, teachers, schools; --informal notes, jottings, clippings, scraps of information; --explorations of ideas, theories, concepts, problems, paper topics; --reviews of articles, movies, books, T.V., recordings; --descriptions of events, places, people, objects; --records of thought, feelings, moods, experiences; --whatever you want to explore or remember

When should I write?: --three to four times a week; --early in the morning and late at night; --when you have problems to solve, decisions to make, ideas to clarify; --when you need to practice or try something out

How should I write?: --however you feel like it; --don't worry about formal language conventions; --take risks and explore your own voice; --freely; --try poetry?; --try cartooning?

Purchase a small notebook (6" x 8"), preferably looseleaf.
Divide your notebook into two sections: ACADEMIC (school related entries) and PERSONAL (private reflections).
Record date/time/place for each entry.
Write long entries as often as possible to help develop ideas fully.
Make lots of entries; quantity is the best measure of a good journal.
Use a pen (pencils smear)
Index at end of the term: include page numbers and table of contents for significant entries.
Plan to share the ACADEMIC section with another student, or an instructor, once or twice during the term; delete sensitive or private entries before showing it to others (this is one reason for a loose-leaf format).
Consider keeping a "digital" copy of your journal and your classnotes.
Write a poem, verse or limerick occasionally.
Illustrate your journal with anything that pleases you.

Many students want to incorporate personal notes in their journal. This is entirely reasonable, but it can be a source of embarrassment if you share your journal with other readers who may suddenly find a "personal" entry among the various academic and professional notes. Thus, it is a good idea to use a loose-leaf format so you can share only the notes relevant to your professional or academic experiences.

If you have not yet tried journaling, it may be a good idea for you to do so, just to see whether or not it is a useful or enjoyable experience. There is no magical format that works for everyone. Some students enjoy integrating their class notes with their journals. Sometimes, a "double-entry" system works effectively to allow for the "INPUTS" of others and "REFLECTIONS" of the student. The illustration below suggests only one example of how you might set up a journal. Try it to see how it works for you.

Fulweiler, T. 1980. Journals across the disciplines. English Journal, 69(9):14-19.

"The views and opinions expressed in this page are strictly those of the page author. The contents of this page have not been reviewed or approved by the University of Minnesota."

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Keeping a journal