Understanding information is more than just being able to read a text in front you, it means being able to understand why that text exists in the form that it does. In other words, putting text into its context. Watch the video below to learn more and check out the Lateral Reading Basics by the Stanford History Education Group to brush up on your research skills.
Here is an example where I have used my lateral reading skills to take apart an article from the New York Times and placed it’s components into context. Click the ⨁ symbol to get the background of each piece. The Just the Basics sections should give you enough background to get a general idea, but you can follow the links to view my sources. If you’re like me and want to dig deeper, follow the links and watch the videos in the Further Down the Rabbit Hole sections.