Scan a red construction (4)
I believe the answer is:
read
'scan' is the definition.
(I know that scan can be written as read)
'a red construction' is the wordplay.
'construction' indicates anagramming the letters (answer constructed from certain letters).
'a'+'red'='ared'
'ared' is an anagram of 'READ'.
(Other definitions for read that I've seen before include "Study (for a degree?)" , "Use a book" , "examined" , "register" , "Run one's eye over" .)