1. Purpose
Skim reading is not speed-reading. The goal is not to swallow everything quickly but to separate signal from fluff. You are after structure, claims, and content, not the “modern prosiness” that pads them.
2. Anchors to Track
Headings & subheadings → They reveal argument shape.
Topic sentences → Usually first (or sometimes last) sentence of a paragraph.
Keywords & verbs → What the text is doing (arguing, defining, contrasting).
Numbers, names, quotations → Anchors of fact, not filler.
3. Fluff to Ignore
Overlong anecdotes or metaphors.
Excess adjectives/adverbs (“very,” “truly,” “deeply important”).
Redundant rephrasings of the same point.
Self-referential throat-clearing (“In this essay, I will attempt…”).
4. Technique
Glance vertically: Read down the left margin; your eye catches beginnings of paragraphs and bullets.
Extract skeleton: Build a quick outline (claim → support → conclusion).
Note keywords: Copy only terms/concepts you might recall or reuse.
Pause at density: When a section looks thick with data or argument, slow down to read fully.
5. Smart Note Output
After skimming, capture only three things:
Core idea in one line.
Supporting evidence in shorthand.
Potential use (why it matters for you, not the author).
Example:
Core: Skim reading = filtering for structure and claim.
Support: Topic sentences, keywords, ignore fluff.
Use: Faster research, cleaner notes.
