How to Read Scientific Articles Quickly

Scientific articles, densely packed with jargon, can be daunting — especially when you have to read several at a clip. While it's usually worth taking your time to read the article thoroughly, in some circumstances you just don't have that kind of time. Fortunately, you don't need to read every word of a scientific article to understand the main points. Focusing on the results, particularly the included tables and charts, enables you to digest the information quickly without having to read through a lot of complex text.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Understanding Article Structure

1. Skim the section headings of the article. The section headings of the article tell you how the article is organized so you can figure out how to read it and determine if it suits your purpose. Most scientific articles are organized with the following sections:^[1]
   
   • Abstract
   • Introduction
   • Methods
   • Results
   • Discussion
2. Glance at the tables and charts. Looking at the tables and charts before you read any other part of the article can help you determine if the article will be useful for you. If the article was assigned, the tables and charts will give you a quick understanding of the article before you start reading so what you read will make more sense.^[2]
   
   • The title of each table and chart gives you a handy summary of what the study evaluated or tested. You'll likely see similar language in the abstract of the article.
3. Read the abstract to get an overview of the article. The abstract gives you a basic overview of the article in 250-500 words, so you should be able to read it relatively quickly. As you read the abstract, think back to your reason for reading the article. If it's clear from the abstract that the article doesn't support your reason for reading it, you're done. There's no need to read any further if the article won't help you.^[3]
   
   • For example, if you're looking for sources for a research paper, you'll know after reading the abstract if the article is related to your paper or would be potentially helpful for your thesis.
   • If you know you'll have to read the whole article regardless (such as if you're reading it to fulfill a course assignment), the abstract still gives you a brief overview of the whole article that you can use as a sort of map to guide your reading.
   • If there are any words in the abstract that you don't know, go ahead and look them up. If they appear in the abstract, you can be certain they'll appear frequently in the article. Knowing what they mean will help you read more quickly.^[4]

[Edit]Identifying the Main Points

1. Read the last paragraph or two of the "Background" section. The "Background" section thoroughly discusses the state of research and development on the topic prior to the study that gave rise to this particular article. If you're trying to read the article quickly, focus on the last paragraph, which summarizes the entire section and tells you the authors' purpose and objectives.^[5]
   
   • Look for a phrase at the beginning of a paragraph similar to "in this paper, we will." This is a trigger phrase that the authors are summarizing the background and explaining the objective of their research.
2. Answer "who," "what," "when," "where," "why," and "how." If you can answer these 5 questions, then you have a solid basic understanding of the article. Typically, you'll find the answers in the abstract or in the last paragraph of the "Background" section.^[6]
   
   • For example, suppose the article states: "In this paper, we will show the effect on 14- to 16-year-old Brazilian boys of eating 2 apples before playing soccer in the afternoon." From this one sentence, you know the "who" (14- to 16-year-old boys), the "what" (eating 2 apples), the "when" (before playing soccer in the afternoon), and the "where" (Brazil).
3. Highlight or underline key points of the article. Rather than reading word for word, use your understanding of the study (gleaned from the abstract or from other research) to hone in on buzzwords that indicate a particular statement is important.^[7]
   
   • For example, words such as "found," "determined," or "concluded" typically signal the results of the study or the conclusions the authors of the article reached.
   • In the methods section, highlight the word that describes the method used. It's usually a verb, such as "surveyed" or "tested." You might also see a similar phrase, such as "conducted a survey."
4. Skim for words such as "surprising" or "unexpected." If the authors uncovered something that went against their hypothesis or didn't follow the conventional wisdom of the field, you can expect to see words like these. Anything described this way is an important part of the article and something you should understand.^[8]
   
   • If you have a digital copy of the article, do a simple word search for these words and their synonyms. Read a sentence or two after any word that pops up and make a note of it.
5. Take notes as you read. Taking notes ensures that you're reading actively and will help you remember the important points later. If you're reading a scientific article quickly, you're likely not reading the whole thing, which makes your notes even more important if you need to refer back to the article later.^[9]
   
   • If you know you're going to be reading multiple articles, create a single-page form with sections for the title, keywords, hypothesis, methodology, and results. You can use this form to jot down information about the article as you read.

[Edit]Using Tables and Figures

1. Review the tables and charts in the "Results" section of the article. The tables and charts in a scientific article summarize all of the information that's provided in the "Discussion" section, enabling you to review information at a glance rather than reading through several dense pages of information. In most articles, you'll be able to understand not only the outcome of the study but also the methods the authors used to acquire the information.^[10]
   
   • Look closely at the labels and units on the axes of charts and graphs, as well as the range of values used.
   • The legend and footnotes help you better understand the information presented in the article's figures. Usually, they'll help you make sense of a figure that might not be clear at first glance.
2. Use the beginning of the "Discussion" section to explain the tables. If the tables don't make sense to you based on what you know about the article so far, the first 2 or 3 paragraphs of the "Discussion" section will help you. Here, the authors typically summarize their results and tell you how their research will potentially affect their field.^[11]
   
   • You might also read the last paragraph of the "Discussion" section, particularly if it isn't obvious to you how the research discussed potentially impacts the field or populations other than the one studied. But be careful — sometimes scientists, eager for their research to seem important, make bold, exaggerated claims that aren't likely to come to fruition any time soon.
3. Move to the "Methods" section if there's anything you don't understand. If you're still not clear on how the research was conducted or have questions about how the data was gathered, you might find the "Methods" section helpful. The first paragraph typically provides a big-picture of the methodology used, while the following paragraphs get into more specific detail.^[12]
   
   • This section can get very technical. Unless you have some reason to know the specifics for how the particular study was conducted, there's likely no reason for you to read it in depth.

[Edit]Tips

• Read scientific articles often, for your own education or enlightenment. If you read scientific articles regularly, you'll become familiar with the structure and be able to read more quickly.^[13]

[Edit]References

1. ↑ https://ncu.libguides.com/researchprocess/readingscientificarticle
2. ↑ https://www.sciencemag.org/careers/2016/03/how-seriously-read-scientific-paper
3. ↑ https://www.prchn.org/Downloads/Reading%20a%20Research%20Article%20Quickly%20and%20Efficiently.pdf
4. ↑ https://www.sciencemag.org/careers/2016/03/how-seriously-read-scientific-paper
5. ↑ https://www.prchn.org/Downloads/Reading%20a%20Research%20Article%20Quickly%20and%20Efficiently.pdf
6. ↑ https://www.prchn.org/Downloads/Reading%20a%20Research%20Article%20Quickly%20and%20Efficiently.pdf
7. ↑ https://www.prchn.org/Downloads/Reading%20a%20Research%20Article%20Quickly%20and%20Efficiently.pdf
8. ↑ https://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~cainproj/courses/HowToReadSciArticle.pdf
9. ↑ https://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~cainproj/courses/HowToReadSciArticle.pdf
10. ↑ https://www.prchn.org/Downloads/Reading%20a%20Research%20Article%20Quickly%20and%20Efficiently.pdf
11. ↑ https://www.prchn.org/Downloads/Reading%20a%20Research%20Article%20Quickly%20and%20Efficiently.pdf
12. ↑ https://www.sciencemag.org/careers/2016/03/how-seriously-read-scientific-paper
13. ↑ https://www.sciencemag.org/careers/2016/03/how-seriously-read-scientific-paper

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