What is SQ3R, and why might the simpler "3R" capture most of its benefit?

SQ3R = Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review (Francis Robinson, 1940s) — but the "Recite" step is the retrieval workhorse, so the leaner Read–Recite–Review often gets you most of the payoff.

The steps: Survey and Question prime prior knowledge before reading; Read the material; Recite it from memory (this is retrieval practice); Review later (a form of spacing). It's a structured reading routine built from good ingredients.

Strength rating: moderate / mixed — the controlled evidence is limited. Analyses suggest the simpler 3R (Read–Recite–Review) captures much of the benefit more efficiently, precisely because Recite = retrieval, which is where the power lives. Use SQ3R as a way to force retrieval into your reading, not as a ritual to complete for its own sake.