What is the difference between skimming and scanning

Okay, so I keep hearing these terms used in the context of reading and research, and honestly, I’m just getting them confused. I understand they’re both about reading quickly, but how are they different? Specifically, I’m wondering when would you use skimming versus when would you use scanning? Like, imagine I have a huge pile of research papers for my history project, or maybe I’m trying to find a specific recipe in a cookbook – which technique is better for each situation? I want to understand the core difference and practical applications. I’m also wondering if there are any specific strategies or visual cues to look for to effectively use either technique. Is there a faster way to distinguish between the two while actually using them?

Answer

Skimming and scanning are both rapid reading techniques used to extract specific information from a text, but they differ significantly in their purpose, approach, and the type of information they seek.

Skimming:

• Purpose: To get a general overview or a "gist" of the text. It’s about understanding the main ideas, the overall structure, and the tone or style without reading every word. It’s used to decide whether a text is relevant or worth reading in more detail.

• Approach: You read selectively, focusing on:

  • Headings and subheadings: These provide a roadmap to the content.
  • First and last paragraphs of each section: Often summarize the main points.
  • First and last sentences of paragraphs: These often contain the topic sentence.
  • Visual cues: Boldface, italics, images, charts, graphs, etc.
  • Keywords and repeated terms: These indicate important themes.
  • Overall structure and organization: Look for patterns like chronological order, cause and effect, compare and contrast.

• Information sought:

  • Main topic or subject
  • General purpose of the text
  • Author’s perspective or argument (if any)
  • Overall organization and major themes
  • Whether the text is relevant to your needs

• Speed: Very fast. The goal is to cover a large amount of material quickly. You’re not trying to comprehend every detail.

• Example: Skimming a newspaper to see if there are any articles you want to read more closely, or skimming a chapter in a textbook to get a sense of what it’s about before diving in.

Scanning:

• Purpose: To locate specific facts, details, or pieces of information within a text. It involves searching for particular words, phrases, names, dates, or statistics.

• Approach: You sweep your eyes across the page in a systematic way, looking for the target information. This might involve:

  • Using keywords: Identify the words or phrases most likely to be associated with the information you seek.
  • Following a pattern: Moving your eyes methodically across the page (e.g., in an "S" pattern, or down columns).
  • Using your finger or a pointer: To guide your eyes and maintain focus.
  • Ignoring irrelevant content: Skipping over anything that doesn’t match your search criteria.

• Information sought:

  • Specific dates or numbers
  • Names of people, places, or organizations
  • Definitions of terms
  • Answers to specific questions
  • Specific phrases or quotations

• Speed: Also very fast, but in a different way than skimming. You’re not reading to understand, but to visually locate a specific target.

• Example: Scanning a phone book to find a specific phone number, scanning a restaurant menu for a particular dish, scanning a document for the occurrences of a specific keyword, or scanning a news article to find the date of an event.

Key Differences Summarized:

In essence, skimming is about getting the big picture, while scanning is about finding the needle in the haystack. They are complementary skills, and knowing when to use each technique can significantly improve reading efficiency and comprehension.