How to Analyze a Document

Are you wondering how to analyze a document either for school, college, university or at work?

Knowing how to analyze a document properly is an essential point in understanding written communication.

Read the steps below to learn the basics of analyzing a document successfully.

Instructions

1. Keep in mind what your goal is in analyzing the document.
   * Are you writing a research paper and using the document as a source of information?
   * Are you preparing a presentation at your office and are using the document to back up facts?
   * Are you a teacher using the document to plan a lesson?

   Knowing what you have in mind when reading the document should guide you into focusing on what is important and ignoring what is not important.

2. Keep the 5 famous questions in mind as you analyze the document:
   Who?
   What?
   Where?
   When?
   How?
   Keep these questions in mind as you read the document. As this is the basis of how to analyze a document.

3. Skim the entire document and get a general idea of what the document is about. Don't read in depth just yet.
   Just get a focus of the article.

4. Read the introduction to the article.
   In the summary, you will want to find the focus of the document. The rest of the document should go ahead to prove the focus of the document.
   Keep this focus in mind as you read the document further.
   A good introduction should also give a short answer of all 5 questions.
   * Who wrote the article? Who is the article written for?
   * Where was the document written? (Is it written at a university, on the job, in a particular setting?)
   * What is the main focus of the article? What does the author want to prove with this document?
   * When was the article written? (Is it historical? Is it accurate and up to date)
   * How will the author attempt to give over the information? How does the author attempt to prove his/her point of view?

5. Analyze the main body of the document. As you read the document, you will want to keep in mind the focus of the document. Keep track of how the document proves the focus.
   As you analyze the main body of the document, keep a running outline of what the document is about (either written down or in your head).

   Remember, as you read, to look out for answers to the 5 main questions and see how it all ties into the focus of the document.

6. Determine if the document is accurate or if it is biased.
   Does the author seem biased?
   Is the author only listing facts relevant to his point of view and ignoring other points?
   Think of your own opinion on the topic as you read. Do you agree with the author? Do you agree but for different reasons? Do you disagree completely?

7. Read the article references, especially if something doesn't sound right to you.

8. Go back to step #1 and see if the analysis of the document fulfilled your expectations. You might have to analyze the document in more depth or you might have to analyze additional documents.

Tips & Warnings

• As you are reading the document, look up any words you don't understand in the dictionary.