Skimming:

1) Read the table of contents or chapter overview to learn the main divisions of ideas.

2) Glance through the main headings in each chapter just to see a word or two. Read the headings of charts and tables.

3) Read the entire introductory paragraph and then the first and last sentence only of each following paragraph. For each section, read only the first few words of each sentence or to locate the main idea.

4) Stop and quickly read the sentences containing keywords indicated in boldface or italics.

5) Read chapter summaries when provided.

Scanning:

1) Know what you're looking for. Decide on a few key words or phrases–search terms, if you will. You will be a flesh-and-blood search engine.

2) Look for only one keyword at a time. If you use multiple keywords, do multiple scans.

3) Let your eyes float rapidly down the page until you find the word or phrase you want.

4) When your eye catches one of your keywords, read the surrounding material carefully.