How to Read a Research Paper

While most of us high schoolers may not be submitting grants or writing research proposals as professional researchers would do, we still have to read research papers to gain an understanding of a topic which we may be conducting research on or, more commonly, to simply learn more and further our passion about a topic. 

There is no doubt that reading a scientific paper is a complex task. In my opinion, the worst way you can approach a research paper to read it like you would read a textbook, by reading from the title to works cited without actually digesting, reflecting, and perhaps even criticizing the material you read. A scientific paper is a different kind of text from what we have previously encountered, so it must be read in a different way. The method that I use to read scientific papers is outlined in the following paragraphs. Note that as you get more proficient in reading papers, you will start to tailor my method into what works best for you. 

Materials you need to read a paper:

  • Personally, I find it extremely helpful to have a physical hard copy of the research paper so that you can mark it up. If you decide to read the research paper online as a soft copy, make use of the highlighting and commenting tools to do the same as you would with a paper copy.
  • Because papers can be long, it is helpful if you use certain markers to help you digest the most important points of the paper. 
    1. Use different colored highlighters. You could use an orange highlighter to highlight the main points made by the study, a yellow highlighter for any new words/technical terms that you do not know, and a pink highlighter for things you find interesting.
    2. Use a pen or pencil to write notes in the margin. Especially if you encounter a word that you do not recognize, writing in the margins can be very helpful so that when you come back to the paper, you know exactly what each term means.
    3. Use post-it notes. While many people shy away from marking up papers, I find it very helpful to use sticky notes for not only posing questions throughout the paper, but also summarizing the main point of each section of the paper because, again, papers are long and it can be helpful to have short, concise reminders of what you have already read.

STEP 1: Skim

  • Identify the structure of the paper. Most papers follow the IMRD format–an abstract followed by the the Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. Each section can have multiple subheadings, graphics, and data tables and graphs. Remember: being able to effectively and efficiently understand each part is a matter of practice.
  • Instead of headfirst diving into the body of the paper, first get the “big picture” idea by carefully reading the title, abstract, and any key words that you can quickly find. This will set you up with a general understanding of the paper before you get into the more concrete details.
    1. Take note of the publication date. Although this can vary depending on why you are reading the paper, generally current research is more relevant.
    2. Quickly scan the article without taking any notes. Focus on the headings and subheadings especially.

STEP 2: Re-read Thoroughly

  • Read every part of the article, and ask yourself questions such as:
    1. What is the point of the study?
    2. What problem is the study trying to solve?
    3. What did the study prove?
    4. Are the findings completely supported by the evidence provided?
    5. Are the findings novel and are they supported by other work in the field?
    6. Is the sample size large enough? Is this representative of the rest of the population?
    7. Is the study repeatable?
    8. What factors could have affected the results of the study?
  • Use a simple Google search (from a trustworthy source) to clarify any key concepts that you may be unfamiliar with.

STEP 3: Interpret and Make Connections

  • Carefully examine the graphs and tables, making connections between what you have just read in the bulk of the article with the data presented.
  • Try to interpret the data yourself before you look at the captions as this can strengthen your understanding of the paper.
  • If needed, go back and read the results and discussion sections of the paper to look for key issues and make connections that you may not have noticed during your first read.
  • Make sure you have distinguished the main points in some way, by either labeling them with post-it notes or highlighting them.

STEP 4: Summarize

  • If you have not done so already, take notes on what you just learned. Writing down information helps with reading comprehension and remembering key points.

And, that’s it! Keep in mind that reading a scientific paper is usually not done in a linear manner. Sometimes you have to go back and forth between parts of the paper, take notes, and have multiple tabs opened in your browser. But, that’s okay! It’s all part of the process. Although the process may seem intimidating and tedious at first, it gets much easier with practice. The more you read such papers, the better you get. You start to understand how to best approach articles in a way that works for you. To help you become better at reading papers, I will be writing several more articles on this website where I pick a scientific article and read it using all of the strategies listed above. If you want me to read and dissect a particular article, get in touch with me through the “Get Involved” page on my website. Thank you so much for reading and I hope this was helpful!

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