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   Bob Young :verified: (fifonetworks@infosec.exchange)'s status on Saturday, 21-Dec-2024 10:25:00 JST Bob Young :verified:

   How to read technical documents effectively and quickly. (No, I didn’t see “easily.”)

   I read a lot of work-related non-fiction. Think contracts, tech manuals, the US Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), IETF RFCs, and so forth.

   Today I’m reading a couple hundred pages of stuff from NIST. Specifically, NIST SP 800-171 and NIST SP 800-171A.

   I have a system developed over time, and it occurred to me that others might benefit from learning about it.

   The steps below are directly related to the format of the NIST documents I’m reading today, but they apply in general to a lot of other material as well.

   1. Download the PDF. It’s much more versatile to have a local copy. You can search it, expand/collapse the table of contents (ToC), etc. Don’t read the HTML online. Download it.

   2. Open the ToC. Read all the chapter headings. Collapse the subheadings; just focus on the chapters.

   3. If it has an acronym list near the end, open and read the entire acronym list.

   4. If it has a glossary list near the end, open and scan the glossary list. You may not want to read all the definitions at this time (I don’t), but when you come across the word or phrase in the document later, if it’s not self-explanatory, you’ll remember it was in the glossary and you can go check it out for more information.

   5. Now go back to the ToC and expand the subheadings for chapter 1. Read the subheadings so you get the idea of the flow of the chapter.

   6. Read chapter 1.

   7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 for each chapter.

   I should also mention that I’ve taken a speed reading course. Speed reading is real, and it works. You can take a course at some community colleges, or you can buy a book or get info online and do self-paced learning. But definitely become familiar with the techniques of speed reading.

   By using steps 1-7, you’ll be able to skim a lot of the material without reading it too deeply, because you’ll have a mental framework on which to hang the information as you read it.

   But remember, your goal is not speed, your goal is effective learning. Slow down wherever you need to, and be comfortable with your own pace.

   I hope this helps someone.