Reading any kind of book or article requires a strong sense of purpose and method. In this chapter we outline a particular approach to reading which requires the reader to identify some key features of any kind of social science writing; namely: the questions addressed by the writer, the key claims, the main kinds of evidence being used and the key assumptions relied on by the writer. Along the way we also emphasise the key role played by metaphors. Is the idea that a person is a member of society a metaphor as a noun? Reading well entails being analytic and active. It also requires that the reader pay attention to the way ideas are framed and metaphors used to convey particular ‘facts’ and ‘values’.

Useful links

Sociologyonline
http://www.sociologyonline.co.uk/

A Sociological Tour Through Cyberspace
http://www.trinity.edu/%7Emkearl/

The SocioLog
http://www.sociolog.com/

The Electronic Journal of Sociology
http://www.sociology.org/