3 Steps to Effectively Read a Science Article (When You Know Nothing About the Topic)

Written by Mudra Choudhury, PhD

03.04.2024

Created by DALL-E

Every time I dive into a new science topic, I find myself reading extensively to catch up on the field. Initially, this can be overwhelming and exhausting, with a plethora of acronyms, methods, and mechanisms to understand.

For those well-versed in a research area, skimming through the figures of an article might suffice to grasp the essence of the paper, at least for the articles that are clear and concise – a rarity these days!

But what if you're a novice in the subject? In my early research days, I would spend hours dissecting a paper, scrutinizing every sentence, and looking up every unfamiliar word. This approach was not only time-consuming and tiring, but it often led to a loss of interest or increased confusion due to the overload of details.

Remember, when reading an article, the author(s) typically aim to communicate just 1-3 key points. You're essentially trying to comprehend how they arrived at these points. Getting too engrossed in the minutiae right away can overwhelm you with details.

In the era of ChatGPT and natural language processors (NLP), it’s tempting to input an article for a summary. While this can be a useful aid in learning, it shouldn't replace your understanding. After all, the goal is for you to learn from the science article, not for the NLP to learn on your behalf.

So, here's my approach to reading a research article on an unfamiliar subject, which I also apply to familiar subjects for thorough understanding:

1)        Skim the entire article. Don't worry if much of it is unclear.

a)        Avoid taking notes or looking things up, unless essential for basic comprehension.

b)        Briefly review the figures, skipping supplementary ones.

c)        After skimming the whole paper, jot down 1-3 main ideas you gathered.

Usually, I'm surprised by how much I understand from the paper, even with no prior knowledge. I might not grasp every biological mechanism, acronym, or statistical tool, but I generally comprehend the research question, approach, and conclusions at a high level.

2)        Examine the main figures more closely. Understand what the figures convey. In a well-written paper, the figures should clearly illustrate the results and key points. For a methods paper, this might involve delving deeper into their methods.

3)        In-depth reading (optional). If you need a detailed understanding (e.g., for a journal club presentation or for your own work), this is your chance to read the paper thoroughly.

a)        Now, look up any terms or concepts that still need clarification. With the overall context in mind, these terms will be more meaningful.

b)        Consider reviewing supplementary information, references, and previous work the authors may have built upon.

Reading a science article in a new field can indeed be taxing. I hope these steps make the process more manageable.

Other insights:

You probably know that immersing yourself in literature is key to quickly catching up in a research field. Reading review articles is particularly useful. However, an often-overlooked strategy is to read older papers in the field. Often, older papers give great descriptions of basic science and can trigger inspiring ideas in you. Furthermore, understanding the historical context of research provides a comprehensive view of the field's evolution. It aligns with Maya Angelou's quote: “You can’t really know where you’re going until you know where you’ve been.” Learning from past trials and errors in science is crucial. I believe that publishing even scientific “failures” is important, but that’s a topic for another discussion.