Slammed with reading assignments? Reading for study is a whole new game at the university level. With the right technique, you can hit the books efficiently and build comprehension.

University of New South Wales advocates purposeful reading — "Start by asking questions about what you need to find out, and then select reading that relates to your questions." For example, if you need to find specific information, skim the material until you spot what you need. But "To understand reasons and facts and to learn, read slowly and deliberately." Critical reading, they explain, involves "reading in-depth" in order "to gain deep understanding of the material." While reading critically, they recommend questioning whether the writer provides critical evidence to back up statements, uses logical arguments, and is evenhanded in presenting different sides of a case. Another UNSW tip for Effective Reading: plan to read the material twice and only take notes during the second reading.

In Coming to Grips with Reading and Writing Academic Articles, Yukon College recommends checking out the sources used by the author. "Check the foot- or endnotes or look at the reference list. Knowing where the author got the information will tell you whether the author is looking at something new (interviews, letters, archival or government documents, etc.), taking a new look at something old (books and articles), or combining new and old."

Be selective about your reading, says British Broadcasting Service. "Choose which books or articles you really need to read by scanning the titles or chapters for key words – that is, words which are relevant to your subject." Their piece The Language of Study and Work is especially helpful if the materials you're studying are written in English but English is not your primary language.

In previous issues of Q&A!, you've learned how to select a topic and develop your thesis statement and the basics of researching and documenting your sources. With this good foundation, you're now ready to write.

Organize your research notes to look for main points, common threads, and supporting evidence as they relate to your thesis statement, and to identify any gaps which require further research. Write down your main ideas and assemble notecards to support them.

You're now ready to outline your paper. Use the form instructed by your professor, if any, or follow strict Roman numeral format or use bullet points. Whatever form you choose, the outline should contain these elements:

1. The introduction - contains your thesis statement and previews main points to come.
2. Your argument or analysis — with evidence or examples found in your research to support your main points. When constructing your main points into paragraphs, use transitional words and phrases — thus, moreover, consequently, therefore and obviously — to let the reader know that the next argument or analysis is to follow.
3. The conclusion - a summary of the evidence and your arguments as they pertain to your thesis.

This is one example of an outline:

Working title
I. Introduction - a paragraph that includes your these statement
II. Main point:________________________________
Examples and evidence:_____________________(transition)
III. Main point:___________________________________________
Examples and evidence:_____________________(transition)
IV. Main point:___________________________________________
Examples and evidence:_____________________(transition)      V.  Conclusion:___________________________________________

Your outline is a road map for your first draft, providing guidance for what you will be writing, how, and in what order. Keep in mind that your first draft is just that — a FIRST draft.  It is not intended to be the final paper that you will turn over to your instructor, so do't spend this time revising and editing your words.  That will come at a later time later; for now, just write. Now is where you begin to put in writing the evidence that justifies the position in your thesis statement.

Your first draft should be made up of these three main components (including research material and citing sources wherever appropriate):

The introduction pulls readers in and interests them in your topic. Introductory paragraphs do't have to begin with a general statement — you can use quotations, questions, anecdotes, interesting (related) facts, or explanation of relevant terms — and can be one paragraph or longer, if your paper length and topic necessitate using several introductory paragraphs. Remember that the thesis statement will also be located at the end of the introductory paragraph.

The body paragraphs are the areas in which you'll expand on your thesis statement, elaborate on your research, quote and cite from resources, and defend the statement you claimed in the introduction. The number of paragraphs that make up the body of your research paper will depend on the overall required length of the paper and the complexity of your topic. Each paragraph should further expand what you outlined. Integrate sources to defend your opinion or claim, not to be the entire paper.

The conclusion should stress the importance of the thesis statement, give the paper a sense of completion, and leave a final (good) impression on the reader. Don't simply restate what you've discussed in preceding paragraphs; reword key points and make them flow toward a logical ending which supports your thesis.

Don't miss the series finale — putting the finishing touches on your research paper — in the next issue of Q&A!

Like most people, you probably have some understanding of domain names. Taking your knowledge a step further ensures that you can find exactly the site you want and know who's behind it.

"Searching by domain is one way to narrow a search, and a familiarity with domains will also help you verify the credibility of a Web site," explains web search expert Barbara G. Friedman.

In her book Web Search Savvy: Strategies and Shortcuts for Online Research (Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2004), 178, she provides this useful key to top level domain names:

The following domains were accepted by Icann in winter 2000 and were in limited use by mid-2001:

Friedman also offers a handy list of Country Codes.