make the structure sound or plausible. If these best endeavours do not work it
is necessary to consult another text.
Interpreting the Text
A text should have several devices that assist a reader to understand the
structure by helping them to interpret the text. By interpreting information a
book enables a reader better to understand and evaluate the information in the
book.
Major tools for interpreting information consist of the following:
(1)
A statement of the purpose of the book.
(2)
Definitions of terms.
(3)
A table of abbreviations.
(4)
A bibliography which shows by inclusion what material was considered
and by omission what material has not been considered.
(5)
The date up to which the author has researched the subject before
writing the book.
(6)
A summary which identifies the key points and thus distinguished what
is more important from what is less important.
Criticism
Thus far the discussion of reading has focused on how to extract the author's
structure. However, this is only part of the task of studying. The next step is to
weigh up the material to decide how good the structure is. There is no hard
and fast method for this but there are some obvious lines of enquiry:
(1)
Most basically, is there a logical flow of the argument? One way to test
this is to reduce the structure to its basic propositions so that the basis of the
argument is apparent. Then check to see that each proposition supports the
succeeding one. If it does, on what basis does it do so? If not, are there any
omitted steps, or unexpressed presumptions or premises? If this is the case, it
helps to reconstruct the argument, inserting something for the omitted part.
Then re-evaluate the argument. If the argument is now going to be sound and
plausible then the part inserted by you must (a) have filled in the logical gap in
the argument and (b) itself be a sound proposition or factually correct.
(2)
Do any statements gloss over contentious points?
(3)
Identify and evaluate behavioural assumptions or value judgments that
are part of the argument. Do they stand up to scrutiny?
(4)
Then turn to the facts. Are the facts on which the writer relies correct?
Have all the relevant facts been considered? If examples have been used, are
these examples representative?
(5)
Then look at the application of the argument. What does it explain?
What does it not explain? How complete is the explanation, and on what level
does it operate? If the argument is extended to new areas, does it succeed in
explaining things or not?
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