Purporting to be ‘Evidence-based’ without knowing how to read a scientific research paper isn’t cool so here\’s a primer on how you go about doing that and how for many of you your mindset maybe needs to evolve.
Scientific papers differ from the everyday texts you\’ll encounter. Unlike a news story or a blog piece, it has longer read time. Unlike a novel, its structurally different and is made of four key sections. The introduction, the methods, Results, and Discussions (IMRD). Each serving a different but critically important role.
To understand it, you need to approach it not only creatively but also critically.
No matter your reason, doing research, presenting new information, reviewing what your peers wrote, or reviewing multiple scientific papers you skilled in the treatment of such articles. Being scientifically literate helps you make the most out of the available resources out there.
So, here are some of the necessary steps to becoming a better reader of scientific research papers.
1. Get your mindset right
Reading a scientific paper should be done strategically and with a critical mindset. Critical thinking skills are something you need to work on and develop to get the most from science and the evidence we garner from it.
Being a passive recipient of information limits your active learning. You close the doors to new ideas, arguments or findings. Fervently defending the beliefs, you formed with the limited picture you were privy too. Many will research papers and take the conclusion of the authors on face value without a full understanding of the study and its design.
Become active with your learning as opposed to passive.
We could describe critical thinking as the ability to engage in reflective and independent thinking.4
Someone with critical thinking skills can:
Understand the links between ideas.
Determine the importance and relevance of arguments and ideas.
Recognise, build and appraise arguments.
Identify inconsistencies and errors in reasoning.
Approach problems consistently and systematically.
Reflect on the justification of their assumptions, beliefs and values.
Arriving at your own conclusions and being able to defend them given the evidence and research you used to come to that conclusion is ultimately the outcome.
You must also be open to changing your views and beliefs otherwise it\’s a futile exercise.
\”Good critical thinking includes recognising good arguments even when we disagree with them, and poor arguments even when these support our own point of view.\”5
Cottrell, S. (2005)
2. Know Your IMRD
Typical scientific paper anatomy consists of an abstract followed by the Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussions—or IMRD. Each of these sections uses conventional features, such as the details of an experiment’s design and testing.
Identifying the structure is important because, as this paper from Rice University says, it’s your guide to reading an article more quickly and comprehending more.
Abstract
Usually, the abstract outlines the following kinds of information (Purugganan & Hewitt, 2004)3:
● Purpose or rationale of study (why they did it);
● Methodology (how they did it);
● Results (what they found); and
● Conclusion (what it means).
Introduction
The introduction gives background information on the subject, starting with broad strokes. Then, it moves to a specific aspect of the field and the question being asked/hypothesis being tested. Here, the author also shares a dataset/s that led to the work being done and states basic conclusions.
Methods
This part shows in detail how the author/s conducted the experiment. It should enable you in replicating the work, particularly if you are reviewing it.
Results
Outcomes, outcomes! This portion provides an answer to the question posed/hypothesis introduced earlier. You will often see figures and tables. Rather than the interpretation, mere statements of the results fill the pages of this section.
Discussions
Finally, this section supplies the analysis and interpretation. It is also the place for the author/s to show how the results support the conclusion. References to others’ results are included to offer the work\’s context within the broader field.
3. Scan the Paper
A scientific paper is not meant to be read linearly. You can skip the abstract and go straight to the introduction. You don’t need to go through every word. Skim the article first, take notes later. Focus on the main points and subpoints instead.
For now, aim to get a big picture perspective on the topic. Make sure the research is current as well.
According to Purugganan and Hewitt (2004)3, you can distinguish the main points by looking for the following indicators:
Document Level
• Title
• Abstract
• Keywords
• Visuals (especially figure and table titles)
• The first sentence or the last one to two sentences of the Introduction
Paragraph Level
(Words or phrases to look for)
• Surprising
• Unexpected
• In contrast with previous work
• Has seldom been addressed
• We hypothesise that
• We propose
• We introduce
• We develop
• The data suggest
4. Read and Reflect
Being an active reader requires reflection and critical thinking. Take notes while tackling each section. This saves you from having to re-read the part again. If you printed out a copy of the paper, you could also highlight the components you wish to return to. Complement this task with asking questions.
Having an inquiring mind is essential in this practice. Here are the things you must ask along the way1:
● Do you agree with the author/s’ rationale for setting up the experiments in the way they did?
● Did they perform the experiments appropriately? (Repeated many times, used correct control groups, using appropriate measurements etc.)
● Were there enough experiments to support the one significant finding they are claiming?
● Do you see patterns/trends in their data that are problems that were not mentioned?
● Do you agree with the author/s’ conclusions from these data? Are they over-generalised or too grand? Or are there other factors that they neglect that could have accounted for their data?
● What further questions do you have? What might you suggest they do next?
You can also draw diagrams if this will help you understand the material well. For instance, you can draw the methods on paper to make sense of and remember the details.
You don’t have to know all the details, but you should be able to explain the methods. Imagine you are going to teach it to students or speak about it in front of fellow experts. You can go outside of the material to understand methods you are not familiar with. If there are terms and concepts you are not sure of, look them up in the literature or online.
5. Interpret
You should have a good grasp of the main points by now. By relying on prior knowledge and experience, you can draw inferences and discover things for yourself.
Check out the figures and tables, too. Try to analyse the datasets before looking at the explanations.
An important note: You don’t have to agree with the authors’ interpretation. Perhaps, if you are just starting, you will. But as experts have it, forming your own interpretation is good practice2. Besides, you should not assume that the authors are infallible.
6. Summarise the Results
Summarising what you read is useful especially when you are planning to space out your reading in a week. Write the points every time you break up the paper.
Aside from being practical, this task also reinforces in your head what you have learned so far.
Final Words
Remember that reading a scientific paper is an art as much as it is science. Aside from being critical, you need to be creative in your strategy.
Lastly, if you are a beginner, keep reading and reading materials. As you continue, you will be able to improve your comprehension skills. As the old adage goes, things get better with practice.
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REFERENCES
1. How to read a scientific paper – University of Minnesota. http://cbs.umn.edu/sites/cbs.umn.edu/files/public/downloads/ HowToReadAScientificPaper.pdf
2. Raff, Jennifer. “How to Read and Understand a Scientific Paper: A Step-by-Step Guide for Non-Scientists,” HuffPost (2017).
3. Purugganan, Mary & Hewitt. How to Read A Scientific Article, Cain Project in Engineering and Professional Communication, Rice University
4. Critical Thinking | SkillsYouNeed. https://www.skillsyouneed.com/learn/critical-thinking.html
5. Cottrell, S. (2005) Critical Thinking Skills p47 New York, Palgrave.
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