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In the academic hierarchy in the United Kingdom and some universities in Australia and New Zealand, Reader is the rank between senior lecturer (or principal lecturer in the New Universities) and professor. The title of Reader is given in recognition of research and scholarship.

In some systems Readers are parallel to senior lecturers (old universities) or principal lecturers (new universities); in these systems promotions to reader are made on the basis primarily of research merit while promotions to senior/principal lecturer are made on the basis of teaching ability. Readers can be primarily or totally research positions, with limited or no teaching responsibility.

In the UK, the salary range for a reader in most universities is the same as a senior lecturer. This is not the case in Australia and New Zealand where a reader's salary is in a higher category. However, some universities in the UK are following the trend to grant higher salaries for readers (e.g., Strathclyde University) after the the National Framework Agreement.

As of 2006, the University of Warwick has substituted the title "Associate Professor" instead of Reader. In the University of Nottingham, both senior lectureship and readership have been prefixed with associate professorship (e.g., Associate Professor (Reader) and Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer)). It is expected that this arrangement is temporary and in the end, it will follow the Warwick style. Whether this changing to North American naming conventions will spread to other institutions is uncertain as yet.

In Australia, academic ranks are now labeled "Level 1" (Associate Lecturer) through to "Level 5" (Professor). "Level 4" is Associate Professor, but in some universities the term "Reader" is used for some people promoted to his level if the promotion is essentially only on the basis of eminence in research, but this practice appears to be declining.

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