Academic Writing for International Students of Business

Choosing suitable texts

16 Part 1: The Writing Process

Read title and sub-title carefully

Skim text for gist – is it

relevant?

Read extensively when useful

sections are found

 Answer the following questions:

(a) What is the difference between skimming and scanning?

(b) Can you suggest any other reading skills to add to the chart above?

7 Titles, subtitles and text features

Many books and articles have both a title and a subtitle:

Much Ado about Nothing? Do domestic firms really benefit from foreign direct investment?

The title is usually shorter; the subtitle often gives more information about the focus.
After finding a relevant text, it is worth checking the following text features before starting
to read:

Author
Is the writer well known in his/her field? What else has he/she published?

Publication date and edition
Do not use a first edition if there is a (revised) second edition available.