Reading Lists at King's: a guide for students

Core readings are fundamental books, articles or other resources that cover the key concepts and learning objectives of the module. These materials may be necessary for a specific activity such as a lecture or seminar discussion, or for particular assignments.

 

Recommended readings are texts or other media that enhance and extend your understanding of topics covered in the module.

You will usually need to read either most or all of what is tagged as Core on your reading list to make sure you have grasped the key concepts of the module. A module may present you with a choice of several different pathways, each with core readings. In such cases you may only need to do the core readings for your chosen pathway. If you’re unsure, check with your module lead.

 

If you have trouble keeping up with your Core reading, make sure you discuss this with your module lead or personal tutor as soon as possible so you can make a plan to avoid falling behind.

You don’t usually need to read everything tagged as Recommended on your reading list. You should read at least some of the Recommended reading to make sure you are getting a rounded and developed view of the module topics.

You should aim to read a good number of items marked as Recommended. The module lead may have added notes to the reading explaining what the relevance is and why it might interest you. Recommended reading will give you more of a choice to follow your interests or go into more detail on an aspect of the module you might not feel you understand very well.

Your module lead may have added a date to an item to indicate when you need to read the item by. Sometimes you will need to read something before a class to engage with and follow that class. If this is the case, this should be stated on your reading list and you should definitely read it before the class to make the most of the time you have in class. Sometimes lectures are designed as an introduction to help you navigate through a text or set of ideas, with the reading intended to come after to develop your knowledge. If it isn’t clear from your reading list, talk to your module lead about whether it is better to read before or after class.

This will depend on your module but Core readings will be very important for your exams.

Core readings may be mandatory for passing the module. You will need to engage with the Core reading for the module to pass.

Your reading list will often include notes from your module lead explaining how the reading links to the module learning outcomes.

Your reading list will often include notes from your module lead explaining how to approach each reading to enhance your understanding of the course material.

Alongside Core and Recommended reading, your reading list may also include items tagged as Further Reading. These will be Texts or other media that can build your knowledge, provide background context, or focus on specific elements of the module, for those who want to take their research further.

We would encourage you to refer to resources outside your reading list. Part of studying for a degree is learning how to research topics and find academic information. You do need to think carefully about the type of information you refer to in academic work and should avoid looking for information in Google Search or through Generative AI chatbots like ChatGPT as these can be unreliable and not at an appropriate depth for academic study. We recommend using Library Search or one of the databases King’s subscribes to.

 

You can find out more about evaluating and searching for resources not included in your reading list on KEATS: go to King's Learning and Skills Service

You can use Library Search to try and find a specific reading that is not on your reading list: go to Library search

Purchasing reading list items is not an expectation, and all core and recommended items will be available through the library. However, we understand there may be circumstances where students may wish to own a personal copy.

We do not advise buying books before you start the module, unless explicitly told otherwise by your module lead.

King's Libraries offer a huge multidisciplinary information resource base including over 1.2 million printed books and ebooks; more than 60,000 journals, reference tools, statistical data, official publications, maps, music scores, multimedia resources, photographs and manuscripts, as well as Archives (5 million items)and Special Collections of international standing.

We also recommend students explore Open Access repositories. OA repositories contain a growing volume of research from the Global Majority, and also hold significant collections of primary materials and other sources that reflect the knowledge and experiences of diverse communities. See our Inclusive Reading List Toolkit for some suggestions.