Reading a scientific article
Scientific articles feel heavy at first, but they always follow the same structure. When you know in which order to read them, you save hours and understand more. This guide suits university students and anyone who wants to read research for themselves.
You will need
- The article as a PDF
- Something to take notes with
- Access to the library databases
- A dictionary or glossary of terms for the field
Steps
Read the abstract
First read the title and the abstract. Based on these, decide whether the article is relevant to your topic at all.
Skim the figures and tables
Read the introduction and discussion
Look closely at the methods
Assess reliability
Look up difficult terms
Write a short summary
Save the reference
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