How to Read A Research Paper

1. Read the title and look at any figures that look interesting to you
2. Start by reading the abstract. These are often very dense so take it slow, and do not get overwhelmed if it is hard to understand.
3. Read the introduction to the paper.
4. Although it may seem strange to go out of order, try reading the discussion as soon as you finish the introduction.
5. When you have finished the introduction and discussion, see if you can understand the results section.
6. Finally when you’ve read all the rest of the paper, take a look at the methods to try to understand how the scientists did what they wrote about.

Overall Tips

• Your highlighter is a useful tool
• Take notes in the margins
• Summarize each paragraph in your own words on a separate piece of paper – at the end you will have your own cheat sheet to understanding the paper!
• Talk about the paper with another person – two minds are better than one!
• Keep a tab open on your phone or computer and be sure to research what you do not understand