· There are three main reasons people read scientific papers: 1) interest in a particular topic, 2) to gain information needed for treating patients, or 3) to inform new scientific research. With so many papers being published in so many places now, even professionals can use tips on how to efficiently read journal articles. The best suggestion comes from Dr. Subramanyam (): The cardinal rule when reading papers is: Never start reading · The general steps are: Choose a concept you want to learn and write its name at the top of a piece of paper. Pretend you are teaching the concept to someone who has no prior knowledge about it. Try to use simple language and do Review your explanation. Was · Although it is clear that reading scientific papers becomes easier with experience, the stumbling blocks are real, and it is up to each scientist to identify and apply the
Ten simple rules for reading a scientific paper
To form a truly educated opinion on a scientific subject, you need to become familiar with current research in that field. And to be able to distinguish between good and bad interpretations of research, you have to be willing and able to read the primary research literature for yourself. Reading and understanding research papers is a skill that every single doctor and scientist has had to learn during graduate school.
You can learn it too, but like any skill it takes patience and practice. Reading a scientific paper is a completely different process from reading an article about science in a blog or newspaper. Not only do you read the sections in a different order than they're presented, but you also have to take notes, read it multiple times, and probably go look up other papers in order to understand some of the details.
Reading a single paper may take you a very long time at first, but be patient with yourself. The process will go much faster as you gain experience. The type of scientific paper I'm discussing here is referred to as a primary research article. It's a peer-reviewed report of new research on a specific question or questions. Before you begin reading a paper, take note of the authors and their institutional affiliations.
Some institutions e. Also take note of the journal in which it's published. Be cautious of articles from questionable journalsor sites like Natural Reading scientific papersreading scientific papers, that might resemble peer-reviewed scientific journals but aren't, reading scientific papers.
The abstract is that dense first paragraph at the very beginning of a paper. In fact, that's often the only part of a paper that many non-scientists read when they're trying to build a scientific argument. This is a terrible practice.
Don't do it. I always read the abstract last, reading scientific papers, because it contains a succinct summary of the entire paper, and I'm concerned about inadvertently becoming biased by the authors' interpretation of the results, reading scientific papers.
Not "What is this paper about? Look closely for evidence of agenda-motivated research. What work has been done before 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 need to be able reading scientific papers succinctly explain why this research has been done in order to understand it.
What exactly are the authors trying to answer with their research? There may be multiple questions, or just one. Write them down. Draw a diagram for each experiment, showing exactly what the authors did. Include as much detail as you need to fully understand the work. Write one or more paragraphs to summarize the results for each experiment, each figure, and each table.
Don't yet try to decide what the results mean ; just write down what they are. You'll often find that results are summarized in the figures and tables.
Pay careful attention to them! You may also need to go to supplementary online information files to find some of the results. Also pay attention to:. Determine whether the results answer the specific question s. What do you think they mean?
Don't move on until you have thought about this. It's OK to change your mind in light of the authors' interpretation -- in fact, you probably will if you're still a beginner at this kind of analysis -- but it's a really good habit to start forming your own interpretations before you read those of others.
What do the authors think the results mean? Do you agree with them? Can you come up with any alternative way of interpreting them? Do the authors identify any weaknesses in their own study? Do you see any that the authors missed? Don't assume they're infallible!
What do they propose to do reading scientific papers a next step? Do you agree with that? Does it match what the authors said in the reading scientific papers Does it fit with your interpretation of the paper?
Who are the acknowledged or self-proclaimed experts in this particular reading scientific papers Do they have criticisms of the study that you haven't thought of, or do they generally support it?
Don't neglect to do this! Here's a place where I do recommend you use Google! But do it last, so you are better prepared to think critically about what other people say. A full-length version of this post originally appeared on the author's personal blog. US Edition U. Coronavirus News U. News World News Business Environment Health Social Justice, reading scientific papers.
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Terms Privacy Policy. Part of HuffPost Science. All rights reserved. BREAKING NEWS. Tap here to turn on desktop notifications to get the news sent straight to you. Step-by-Step Instructions for Reading a Primary Research Article. Begin by reading the introduction, not the abstract. Identify the big question. Summarize the background in five sentences or less. Identify the specific question s, reading scientific papers.
Identify the approach. What are the authors going to do to answer the specific question s? Read the methods section. Read the results section. The words "significant" and "non-significant.
Read more about this here. Do they have error bars on them? For certain types of studies, a lack of confidence intervals is a major red flag. The sample size. Has the study been conducted on 10 people, or 10, people? For some research purposes a sample size reading scientific papers 10 is sufficient, but for most studies larger is better.
Go back to the beginning and read the abstract. Find out what other researchers say about the paper. Calling all HuffPost superfans!
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How to Read, Take Notes On and Understand Journal Articles - Essay Tips
, time: 5:33How to (seriously) read a scientific paper | Science | AAAS
· Although it is clear that reading scientific papers becomes easier with experience, the stumbling blocks are real, and it is up to each scientist to identify and apply the · The general steps are: Choose a concept you want to learn and write its name at the top of a piece of paper. Pretend you are teaching the concept to someone who has no prior knowledge about it. Try to use simple language and do Review your explanation. Was Reading Scientific Papers Step 1: Preview the Scientific Paper Before you begin to read a scientific paper, consider how it relates to the course, Step 2: Read for Understanding and Analysis Each section of a scientific paper is carefully organized to present Step 3: Reflect and Take Notes
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