Best Way to Read a Scientific Paper
To form a truly educated opinion on a scientific subject field, y'all demand to become familiar with current research in that field. And to be able to distinguish between good and bad interpretations of research, you take to exist willing and able to read the main research literature for yourself. Reading and understanding enquiry papers is a skill that every single medico and scientist has had to larn during graduate schoolhouse. Y'all can learn it too, but like any skill information technology takes patience and practise.
Reading a scientific paper is a completely different process from reading an commodity about science in a blog or newspaper. Not only do you read the sections in a different order than they're presented, but you lot too take to take notes, read it multiple times, and probably become wait up other papers in lodge to understand some of the details. Reading a unmarried paper may take you a very long fourth dimension at first, but be patient with yourself. The procedure will go much faster every bit yous proceeds experience.
The type of scientific newspaper I'thou discussing here is referred to equally a primary research article. Information technology's a peer-reviewed report of new inquiry on a specific question (or questions). Nearly articles will be divided into the following sections: abstract, introduction, methods, results, and conclusions/interpretations/discussion.
Before you begin reading a newspaper, take note of the authors and their institutional affiliations. Some institutions (e.1000., Academy of Texas) are well-respected; others may appear to be legitimate research institutions but are actually agenda-driven. As well take notation of the journal in which it's published. Exist cautious of articles from questionable journals, or sites like Natural News, that might resemble peer-reviewed scientific journals just aren't.
Step-past-Step Instructions for Reading a Principal Inquiry Article
1. Brainstorm by reading the introduction, non the abstract.
The abstract is that dense outset paragraph at the very beginning of a paper. In fact, that's often the only part of a newspaper that many not-scientists read when they're trying to build a scientific statement. (This is a terrible practice. Don't do it.) I always read the abstract terminal, because information technology contains a succinct summary of the entire newspaper, and I'm concerned about inadvertently condign biased past the authors' interpretation of the results.
two. Place the big question.
Not "What is this paper about?" but "What trouble is this entire field trying to solve?" This helps you focus on why this research is being done. Look closely for evidence of agenda-motivated enquiry.
3. Summarize the background in five sentences or less.
What piece of work has been done earlier in this field to answer the big question? What are the limitations of that work? What, according to the authors, needs to be done next? You demand to be able to succinctly explain why this research has been done in order to understand it.
four. Identify the specific question(south).
What exactly are the authors trying to answer with their research? In that location may exist multiple questions, or just one. Write them down. If it'southward the kind of research that tests one or more than zippo hypotheses, identify it/them.
five. Identify the approach.
What are the authors going to do to respond the specific question(s)?
6. Read the methods section.
Draw a diagram for each experiment, showing exactly what the authors did. Include as much detail equally you need to fully understand the work.
seven. Read the results section.
Write 1 or more than paragraphs to summarize the results for each experiment, each figure, and each table. Don't nonetheless try to decide what the results mean; just write downwardly what they are. You'll often find that results are summarized in the figures and tables. Pay careful attention to them! Yous may likewise need to go to supplementary online data files to find some of the results. Also pay attention to:
- The words "significant" and "not-significant." These take precise statistical meanings. Read more nearly this here.
8. Determine whether the results answer the specific question(s).
What do you think they mean? Don't move on until you accept thought about this. It'due south OK to modify your mind in light of the authors' interpretation -- in fact, you probably volition if you're still a beginner at this kind of analysis -- merely it'south a really skillful habit to offset forming your own interpretations before you read those of others.
9. Read the conclusion/word/estimation section.
What do the authors think the results mean? Practise you agree with them? Can you lot come up up with whatsoever alternative way of interpreting them? Practise the authors identify whatever weaknesses in their own study? Do you run into any that the authors missed? (Don't assume they're infallible!) What practise they propose to exercise every bit a next step? Do you agree with that?
10. Go back to the beginning and read the abstract.
Does information technology match what the authors said in the paper? Does information technology fit with your estimation of the paper?
xi. Notice out what other researchers say about the paper.
Who are the (acknowledged or self-proclaimed) experts in this detail field? Do they have criticisms of the written report that you oasis't idea of, or exercise they more often than not support it? Don't neglect to exercise this! Hither's a place where I do recommend you employ Google! Merely practise it last, then you are amend prepared to remember critically well-nigh what other people say.
A total-length version of this post originally appeared on the author'due south personal blog.
stallingsloord1997.blogspot.com
Source: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-to-read-and-understand-a-scientific-paper_b_5501628
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