Keeping a Journal as a Study Tool

Image credit: American Night Writers Association

Keeping an academic journal can be a powerful tool for study. When you are reading a primary, or even a secondary, source you will likely come across terms, concepts, names or events that are unfamiliar to you. It helps to keep a journal, where you jot down things that are obscure so that you look them up and find out why they are important in order to get the most out of the text you are reading.

For example, in a history class, if a student is reading Frederick Douglass' Autobiography of a Slave and comes across Douglass' reference to Sheridan's speech for Catholic emancipation, and notes that Douglass said this speech resonated with his own struggle for freedom, it is highly likely that few contemporary readers would know who Sheridan was; what Catholic emancipation was all about, when the speech was made, and why this speech would have any meaning at all to Frederick Douglass, who was an African American slave in the 19th century.

A good use of your journal would be to note the reference in Douglass' text and search for [Sheridan Catholic Emancipation Speech]. Since this is an actual assignment I use in my classes, and since anyone can do this search right now and get the answer, I will not tell you what you will find -- I will let you try it for yourself.

The point is that in your academic journal you want to put your thought processes and problem-solving skills on display. One of the ways to do this is to jot down the terms, concepts, events, and persons who are unfamiliar to you; look them up; and then discuss how what you found is important to the text and enhances your understanding of what you are reading.

See also: Wikis, Journals, Discussion Boards and Blogs

C. Matthew Hawkins