How can you identify fit-for-purpose support texts to read in full or selectively?
It is worth familiarising yourself with the characteristics, limitations and suitable reading purposes of different varieties of text that make up the support literature. Having a sense of what these varieties can and cannot do to support your learning will assist your efforts to identify the texts you most need to read.
Here is a table showing varieties of text from the support literature that you are likely to come across during your academic study of management subjects. It indicates some limitations of specific varieties of text and reading purposes for which they are well suited.
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Variety of text
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Common features
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Indicative limitations
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Indicative purposes that the variety is suitable for
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Subject textbook
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- introduces an academic subject
- typically designed for student use
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- covers many aspects of a subject, but treatment is
quite superficial
- gives little of the evidence backing theories, debates
and practical prescriptions
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- introductory learning about a management
subject
- gathering background information on major theories,
debates, and landmark research studies
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Skills textbook
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- introduces academic skills
- guides learning to perform them during academic
studies
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- advice tends to be generic, so must be adapted for
specific contexts
- gives little of the evidence backing guidance offered
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- introductory learning about academic skills
- in-depth learning to perform practical study and
research skills to become a competent management
researcher
|
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Specialist encyclopaedia or dictionary
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- introduces an academic subject and related skills
through brief entries
- gives brief coverage of many topics
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brief entries mean little detail can be given
- coverage of entries and interpretation of issues depend
on perspectives of contributors and editors
- becomes dated quickly as research and theorising moves
on
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- introductory learning about very specific aspects of a
management subject or research methods
- clarifying particular concepts and theories, contributions of key scholars, debates from other varieties of text
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Academic handbook
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- provides an overview of the state-of-the art in a subject and how to research it
- chapters on specialist areas written by leading academics
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- coverage and interpretation of issues depend on perspectives of authors and editors
- becomes dated quickly as research and theorising moves on
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- introductory learning about a management subject or research methods
- gaining an up-to-date overview from selected chapters on specialist areas of interest
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Reader
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- collection of classic papers in a subject
- designed to support gaining an overview of the development of a subject over time
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- selection of texts depends on judgement of editors, interpretation of issues depends on perspectives of authors
- not reliable source of contemporary papers as too early to know which will become classics
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- introductory learning about the historical development
of a management subject or research methods
- learning about key contributions to the development of
theory and research in a specialist area of interest
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Look carefully in turn at every variety of support text in the table. Can you think of at least one example of each variety of support text that is relevant to your academic studies, which you can access if you need it, and which might prove useful for some of your reading purposes?
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