Recognize The Genre
 
Pay attention to the type of document--or genre--you are reading. Recognizing the type of document you are reading gives you a context for understanding and questioning the information, ideas, and arguments presented in a source.

Consider Illustrations
 
Illustrations can demonstrate or emphasize a point, help readers better understand a point, clarify or simplify the presentation of a complex concept, or increase the visual appeal of a document. Illustrations can also serve as a form of argument by presenting a surprising or even shocking set of statistics or setting an emotional tone. Types of Illustrations: Photographs and images; Charts and graphs, Tables, Digital illustrations

Identify Similarities and Differences
 
You can learn a lot by looking for similarities and differences among the sources you read. You could look for authors that take a similar approach to an issue. You could then contrast that group with other authors who see the issue differently. You might want to note information in a source that contradicts with another source. By noting these similarities and differences you can begin to identify your own position and situate yourself amidst the different sources you collect.

Record New Information and Challenging Ideas
 
As you read, mark and annotate passages that contain information that is new to you. You might be tempted to ignore the material that's hard to understand, but if you do, you could miss critical information. When you encounter something difficult, mark it and make a brief annotation reminding yourself to check it out later.