Scanning

Scanning involves searching through written material to locate a specific piece of information. The eyes move quickly across the page looking for specific words and phrases that will signal to the reader that he/she is close to finding the information that is being sought.

Steps Followed When Scanning

  • Look over the document to understand the organization or structure of the material.
  • Think about questions that will cue you to the process that needs to be followed.
  • Identify key words or phrases that will help in your search.
  • Scan for words that indicate the necessary information has been found.
  • Confirm that you have found the correct and complete information.

Questions to Ask

The following are examples of the types of questions that should be asked when scanning:

  1. What information am I looking for?
    • What key words and phrases will tell me that I have found the right information?
    • What clues do I need to look for?
  2. How is this material organized?
    • Are there titles, sub-titles, headings?
    • Where do I expect to find what I am looking for?
    • Am I looking in the right place?
    • Have I looked at any graphics (pictures, tables, figures, graphs, etc.)?
  3. What words am I scanning that tell me I have found the correct information?
    • What clues or signals tell me I am close?
    • Does this fit with what I expected to find?
    • Does this fit with what I already know about this topic?
  4. Does the information I found answer my original question?
    • Is this what I need or do I need to look further?
    • After reading the words or sentences again, am I sure that this is the information that I need?

Increasing Reading Speed

Fixation is when your eyes stop moving or pause when you are reading. This is when the brain records what the eyes have seen. You need to train yourself to take in more that one word at time. Try to take in two or three words while still being able to understand what you are reading. Look for words that can be grouped together as meaningful phrases. Reducing the number of times that your eyes stop on words will improve your reading speed.